Incorrect clock settings

[Nigel White]

A similar situation occurred a few years ago, except on this occasion the clock had been incorrectly set to give no increment. I was less experienced then, so by the time I realised what was happening my flag had fallen and my opponent claimed the win. When explained to the arbiter, he ruled that the flag fall had ended the game and that no adjustment was possible. Is this correct?

Yes.

Certain events preemptively end the game - checkmate, stalemate, 5 fold repetition, 75 moves without a capture or pawn move, resignation, draw agreed and finally flag fall. Once one of these events occur the game is over.

But does flag fall always end the game? In another recent incident involving me, the arbiter took a different view. In a game with increment, when I just had a few seconds on my clock, my opponent pushed his pawn to the eighth rank and immediately pressed his clock. His hand then returned to his pawn and started fiddling with it, but he still did not not put a piece to replace it. By the time I had worked out what was going on and stopped the clock, my flag had fallen. However, the arbiter was quite happy to award me two extra minutes and restart the game, once he had put a queen on the eighth rank. Was the arbiter right in this instance? (Normally I don't worry about enforcing rules in situations like this, but I was physically prevented from moving while my clock was running down, as my opponent's hand was still over the area where I wanted to make my move.) Does the immediate prior illegal move by an opponent override flag fall, as it does in the case of a claimed checkmate (which would otherwise end the game)?

[Brian Towers]

In a game with increment, when I just had a few seconds on my clock, my opponent pushed his pawn to the eighth rank and immediately pressed his clock. His hand then returned to his pawn and started fiddling with it, but he still did not not put a piece to replace it. By the time I had worked out what was going on and stopped the clock, my flag had fallen. However, the arbiter was quite happy to award me two extra minutes and restart the game, once he had put a queen on the eighth rank. Was the arbiter right in this instance?

Since the arbiter was there (and so better able to judge) and I wasn't I would say that, yes, he was right not to impose a more serious penalty on your opponent for apparently deliberately playing an illegal move when you had very little time left on the clock and then compounding it by touching the pieces when it was your turn.

[Nick Grey]

Flag fall when the clock is wrong does end the game. If your opponent is fiddling & preventing you moving that is something else.
Either way in that sItuation - I would refer it to dispute.

[Nick Grey]

Too late now but do let us know which tournament so some of us may want to avoid in future.