Starting Black's clock at start of game

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Wanted to ask a quick question here about the practice of starting Black's clock at the start of a game (if you are White and Black has not arrived yet). As far as I was aware, I thought it was OK (once the arbiter starts White's clock) for White to start Black's clock without playing a move. But is this not correct?

I'm asking because IM Angus Dunnington, in his 2003 book Chess Psychology, related the story of someone who always made sure he was on time for games (and hated being behind on the clock), playing in a tournament in Austria, and in a game as White, set his opponent's clock running without playing a move and without writing a move down (apparently at the time, you needed to write a move down, but not play it). 45 minutes later, Black turned up and noticed that White had not written down a move, pointed this out to the arbiter, and duly won when the arbiter reversed the clock times and White collapsed under the pressure of playing 45 minutes behind on the clock.

This was clearly when moves were written down before being played. I can't actually remember what year this changed. But how does all this work now? Are you allowed to start Black's clock, or do you have to play a move first and only then start Black's clock?

[Roger de Coverly]

Are you allowed to start Black's clock, or do you have to play a move first and only then start Black's clock?

This is one best left to arbiters to argue about. I would work on the basis that the absence of an opponent was purely temporary and play the first move and press the clock. I believe, subject to correction by the arbiting community, that in theory you can or should disclose the move to the arbiter, either directly or by sealing it. The point being that your opening move shouldn't be disclosed indirectly to the opponent without the opponent's presence.

[Andrew Farthing]

I thought I knew the answer to this, but now I'm not so sure! My understanding had been that, provided White wrote down his first move, it was OK to start Black's clock without making the move on the board.

However, I've just had a look at the Laws of Chess as published on the FIDE website, and I can't see any provision for this. Of course, FIDE starts from the premise that both players must be present at the start, otherwise the absentee defaults, but discretion is available for a different default time to be stated for a specific competition (and most congresses specify something like 30 minutes).

The Laws simply state that, in the absence of both players, all of the time elapsed at the start of the game should be on White's clock. The implication is that, if White is present, he has to make a move if he wants to start Black's clock.

An arbiter might be able to correct this, but my advice would be to make a move before starting Black's clock. I've never been convinced that there could be any significant benefit to the absentee player of the Black pieces in being told what White's first move was. I suppose if it was something really unusual (e.g. 1. g4) this might allow some last-minute cramming, but even so, it seems pretty marginal to me.

[Sean Hewitt]

I've never heard of the practice of writing a move down and starting the opponents clock but then of course I'm relatively new on the scene.

The laws state

6.5
At the time determined for the start of the game the clock of the player who has the white pieces is started.

I can only then see one opportunity for white to start blacks clock

6.7
a.
During the game each player, having made his move on the chessboard, shall stop his own clock and start his opponent’s clock. A player must always be allowed to stop hisclock. His move is not considered to have been completed until he has done so, unless the move that was made ends the game. (See the Articles 5.1.a, 5.2.a, 5.2.b, 5.2.c and 9.6)
The time between making the move on the chessboard and stopping his own clock and starting his opponent‘s clock is regarded as part of the time allotted to the player.

So white must make his move on the board and only then can he start the opponents clock, regardless of whether the opponent is present.

Stewart Reuben, David Sedgwick and others are better placed to say what used to be the case and when it may have changed.

[Gavin Strachan]

It is a kind of contradiction in terms a) starting blacks clock without moving a piece on the board and b) writing a move down before moving a piece both of which are not legal. Also under the new FIDE rules, if a player is not at the board at the time of a game starting then they default (something that tends to be only enforced at international tournaments).

[Alex Holowczak]

I thought I knew the answer to this, but now I'm not so sure! My understanding had been that, provided White wrote down his first move, it was OK to start Black's clock without making the move on the board.

You may be confusing that with the FIDE Guidelines on adjournments, whereby if your opponent isn't present, you start the session by opening the envelope, making the move, and sealing in reply if your opponent isn't there.

The process seems simple to me:
(1) Start white's clock - if white is absent then black gains the time for white's absence here
(2) White makes his move
(3) White presses his clock - if black is absent then white gains the time for black's absence here

[Alex Holowczak]

b) writing a move down before moving a piece both of which are not legal.

It is legal, in prescribed cases:
(1) If you want to seal a move for an adjournment
(2) If you want to claim a draw by three-fold repetition, and your move would bring about the repetition. You can only claim a three-fold repetition when it's your turn to move.
(3) If you want to claim a draw by the fifty-move rule, and your move would be the 100th half-move if you made it. You can only claim on the fifty-move rule when it's your turn to move.

In all three cases, you're obliged to play what you've written on your scoresheet. E.g. if (2) and (3) are incorrect claims, you have to play the moves regardless.

You're right though, not in this case.

Also under the new FIDE rules, if a player is not at the board at the time of a game starting then they default (something that tends to be only enforced at international tournaments).

You're allowed to specify otherwise. In the UK, the CAA amend it to 30 minutes. The 4NCL is 1 hour. The Olympiad could have a 1 hour default time, but they choose to stick with the prescribed 0 minutes, which is their prerogative.

[Andy Price]

Of course you have to make a move before pressing Black's clock. The game has begun. Imagine if it is (say) White's 20th move, with Black away from the board, and White just pressed Black's clock without moving!! Same rule applies to the first move as any other. I would say that if White absent-mindedly forgets to make the first move, it is his own fault and he should pay the penalty.

[Alex Holowczak]

Of course you have to make a move before pressing Black's clock. The game has begun. Imagine if it is (say) White's 20th move, with Black away from the board, and White just pressed Black's clock without moving!! Same rule applies to the first move as any other. I would say that if White absent-mindedly forgets to make the first move, it is his own fault and he should pay the penalty.

There was one game where my player, playing white, started the white clock. He then forgot he was white and went away. After about 10 minutes, he realised he hadn't moved yet. Thus when his opponent arrived, he had actually GAINED five minutes on the clock...

[Joey Stewart]

I did this at the 4ncl this year - my opponent was not there so I made a move, started the clock and then went round for a wander, returning every once in a while to see how much extra time I had gained.
When he did arrive, about 30 minutes late, he sat down and looked quizzically at the time on the clocks and then informed me that I had not pressed my own lever - it was MY time I had been waching all along!!

funnily enough, nobody else on either team noticed this, but it is a lesson to be learned with digi clocks as there are two buttons which need to be pressed.

Still, it could have been worse, he might have been an hour late....

[LozCooper]

I'm not sure if the rules are any different for a team event where the opposition haven't arrived, haven't submitted their teamlist and you want to start their clocks. I would assume you have to make a move with white to start the black clocks albeit it might complicate a players preparation if they wanted to play 1 d4 against a certain opponent and 1 e4 against another. I guess the only choice is not to start the game until you find out who your opponent is or let your clock run in the hope they will turn up soon afterwards This might give the opposition the chance to see your board order before deciding on their own

[Mike Gunn]

At the start of a round when I go round and check clocks have been started it is quite common to find one or two boards where black is absent, his clock is running, white has made the first move and his (digital) clock shows 2 hours 0 minutes. If I have time I remove a few seconds from white's clock and point out he hasn't followed the correct procedure for starting the game (non incremental mode of course).

[Joey Stewart]

I should have had you as my arbiter that last time, Mike.

[Ian Thompson]

I should have had you as my arbiter that last time, Mike.

Why? Black's clock would have shown 2 hours remaining and White's something less than 2 hours, with the scoresheet and board showing that it was Black's move. There's nothing wrong with any of that. Neither the arbiter, nor anyone else, should tell you you've forgotten to press your clock.

[Andrew Farthing]

I thought I knew the answer to this, but now I'm not so sure! My understanding had been that, provided White wrote down his first move, it was OK to start Black's clock without making the move on the board.

You may be confusing that with the FIDE Guidelines on adjournments, whereby if your opponent isn't present, you start the session by opening the envelope, making the move, and sealing in reply if your opponent isn't there.

The process seems simple to me:
(1) Start white's clock - if white is absent then black gains the time for white's absence here
(2) White makes his move
(3) White presses his clock - if black is absent then white gains the time for black's absence here

Just to be clear, what I said in my post was that I thought that there was a rule allowing White, if Black hasn't arrived, to write down his move and start Black's clock but that when I checked, it turned out that I was wrong. I was not thinking of adjournments (I haven't had an adjourned game in more than 25 years, so I don't pay much attention to rules relating to them!).

I know that my original understanding was based on something I read, but I can't remember where. The rules seem clear, so even if I didn't just imagine the whole thing, the guidance I read was either wrong or has been superseded.

I agree with process as stated above. It's the same as I suggested in my post.