Do you say "Check" or not??

[PaulJackson]

I was hoping you could all clear something up for me. If you are playing a club championship game at your club or playing a league game do you (quietly) announce "check" or not when you put your opponent in check?

Some club players have told me they consider in bad manners to not announce (quietly) "check" but other players have told me they consider it unnecessary or even bad manners to announce "check".

I haven't been saying "check" in my games but I don't want to offend anybody so I was hoping you guys could clarify for me. Do you announce "check" in your games or not??

[Alex Holowczak]

There's absolutely no requirement for you to announce it. Some blitz variants might insist that you say it if you want to claim a win from an illegal move on a check.

To be honest, I think this is such a trivial issue that people really shouldn't be complaining about it one way or the other.

In team matches, I came up with an idea. If you happen to put someone in check, announce it if you're winning, don't if you're not. That way, the team knows how well other players are doing. If a player on your team announces check, you know from that that they think they're winning on their board. Since the only time you're permitted to speak is to announce check (or to offer a draw), then it's a good way of inter-team communication that the laws of chess can do nothing about.

[John Upham]

I'd rather my opponent did not announce "check" or, more irritatingly, point to the move he or she has just made.

I am also inclined to warn them for "distracting ones opponent".

[IM Jack Rudd]

In team matches, I came up with an idea. If you happen to put someone in check, announce it if you're winning, don't if you're not. That way, the team knows how well other players are doing. If a player on your team announces check, you know from that that they think they're winning on their board. Since the only time you're permitted to speak is to announce check (or to offer a draw), then it's a good way of inter-team communication that the laws of chess can do nothing about.

Sure they can. Taking actions liable to bring the game into disrepute, for starters. This is not allowed any more than using bidding codes in bridge is allowed.

[Alex Holowczak]

In team matches, I came up with an idea. If you happen to put someone in check, announce it if you're winning, don't if you're not. That way, the team knows how well other players are doing. If a player on your team announces check, you know from that that they think they're winning on their board. Since the only time you're permitted to speak is to announce check (or to offer a draw), then it's a good way of inter-team communication that the laws of chess can do nothing about.

Sure they can. Taking actions liable to bring the game into disrepute, for starters. This is not allowed any more than using bidding codes in bridge is allowed.

Bringing the game into disrepute? I don't know how to play bridge, so that example means nothing to me!

How would anyone know at a league game though? The opposing team won't be listening for it, and there will more than likely be no arbiter on the premises. The nature of the complaint would be that "The opposing team kept saying check when they were winning, and not when they were losing." If they look at the scoresheet, there'll be no mention of whether check was said aloud, and if they did, it would be one scoresheet against another. One team would prosecute, one would deny, and there'd be zero evidence to convict.

What's more, at league games, most of the players get up from the board and discuss whether they think they're winning or not with team-mates, either by talking about it, or by hand gesture with a thumb pointing to the sky, floor or waving about a bit. This is equally illegal, but happens in every game. Saying check just negates the need to wag thumbs.

[John Upham]

This is equally illegal, but happens in every game.

I disagree. I'm not sure how you can make this assertion Alex? It might happen in some games I will concede.

[Alex Holowczak]

This is equally illegal, but happens in every game.

I disagree. I'm not sure how you can make this assertion Alex? It might happen in some games I will concede.

OK, it has happened in every single team match I've had this season. Often someone playing friendlies on the other side of the room asks when you get up for a wander. Or your captain asks. Or a team-mate on another board asks. This isn't just my team; the opponents do the same. I can't remember if it's all of them precisely, but it's as near as makes no difference every game.

[Arshad Ali]

I don't know how to play bridge, so that example means nothing to me!

In bridge bidding, you transmit and receive information about your hand to your partner via the system of bidding you are using. This allows you to get to the best contract for your partnership. But you have to tell your opponents what system you are using. In bridge play, the two defenders transmit information to each other by the cards they throw. Thus if my partner leads spades, my throwing a high spade can mean I want him to continue with spades ("Say high for aye; say low for no").

[Roger de Coverly]

What's more, at league games, most of the players get up from the board and discuss whether they think they're winning or not with team-mates, either by talking about it, or by hand gesture with a thumb pointing to the sky, floor or waving about a bit. This is equally illegal, but happens in every game. Saying check just negates the need to wag thumbs.

Must be a Birmingham thing - I don't think it happens in leagues I play in.

[Rob Thompson]

Alex's examples happen down my way. In the league I play in, we usually have a "tea break" in the middle where everyone happily chats about the games, be it their own, each other's, the board 1...

[John Upham]

Alex's examples happen down my way. In the league I play in, we usually have a "tea break" in the middle where everyone happily chats about the games, be it their own, each other's, the board 1...

Are you saying that players openly discuss games that are in progress? This issue should be addressed at your next AGM. The League Secretary should contact each club advising them that this league has to comply with the Laws of Chess just like any other league. At least 4NCL strongly prohibits this kind of thing.

[Keith Arkell]

How about anouncing forced mate?
Once,as a junior back in 1977,having read almost exclusively the accounts of brilliancies from days of old and therefore believing it to be the correct thing to do,I leaned over to my opponent,Chris Fegan,and said ''check,and mate in 10''!
In the unlikely case that anyone is interested in seeing the game,it's on ''chessgames.com''

[Alex Holowczak]

Alex's examples happen down my way. In the league I play in, we usually have a "tea break" in the middle where everyone happily chats about the games, be it their own, each other's, the board 1...

Are you saying that players openly discuss games that are in progress? This issue should be addressed at your next AGM. The League Secretary should contact each club advising them that this league has to comply with the Laws of Chess just like any other league. At least 4NCL strongly prohibits this kind of thing.

The League does not comply with the Laws of Chess.

8.9 When recording moves in accordance with Article 8.1 of the Laws of Chess, a player may use descriptive notation.
8.12 In accordance with Article 12.2 of the Laws of Chess, the taking of mobile phones into the playing area is permitted provided they are switched off.

Shall I raise these issues at the AGM too? I'd quite like to live beyond next Monday evening.

[IM Jack Rudd]

8.12 is perfectly consistent with the Laws of Chess: it simply classifies all mobile phones as "authorized by the arbiter" for the purposes of the competition.

[John Upham]

How about anouncing forced mate?

I have to confess doing this myself as a junior in on of my very first club games versus an "old timer". Having said that, it was only mate in three and the game was dreadful.

My excuse was that my only chess book was DB Pritchard's The Right Way to Play Chess and, it referred to players announcing mate!