Winning Rated Chess Tournament Rulebook Tactics

Transcription

1 Winning Rated Chess Tournament Rulebook Tactics Discover How You Can Get The Winning Edge In Your Next Chess Game By Harnessing The Power Of My Plain Language Chess Rulebook System. By Tim Just ISBN: Editor: Keith Ammann E-book edition published 2013 Chess Central, Inc* (Timothy W. Just, President) An Illinois Corporation Since Willow Gurnee, Il *Not associated with ChessCentral, NC Copyright 2013 Timothy W. Just All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the purchaser. Dedicated to the one I love: Edith Acknowledgements: Keith Ammann proved to be an excellent editor that made the text come alive. This book would not have been possible without the help of Jeff Wiewel and Ken Ballou. Their invaluable proof reading and advice made this a better work. A direct result of many productive conversations with Bill Hall, whose vision inspired this idea, has resulted in this innovative approach to dealing with complex material. Peter Spizzirri provided not only friendship, but game changing advice.

2 And I can t forget Daniel Kahneman and Jean Marie Stine whose own books provided the insights, form, and function that resulted in making the text of this work possible. TABLE OF CONTENTS Note: The following Table Of Contents is uncommon. It contains not only the usual interactive chapter headings, but additionally the interactive mnemonic verses that are the lynchpins of the plain language rulebook tactics system. Contents PART 1: WINNING STRATEGIES If an outstretched hand is what you saw, make sure it s a resignation and not a draw. Win or lose, report the result of your game to make sure the right score is next to your name. When your opponent is one hour late a forfeit win is your fate. A free win may come your way when there is no opponent for you to play. Only players may make the call if there is a flag fall. A scoresheet missing three moves is a scoresheet aiming to lose. Clock move counters have no place when trying to claim a flag fall case. A sudden death flag fall game allows for an incomplete score to make this claim. A player s fallen flag means they can t brag. Checkmate ends the game so there is no flag fall claim. For the claim to not be a bust, mating material is a must. Part 2: DRAWING STRATEGIES Make your move, offer the draw, then press your clock it s the law. Reject a draw and be in the know by touching your piece or just saying no. Considering a draw offer can cause the blues: If your flag falls, you can still lose. If a draw offer is made and accepted then reporting a draw can be expected. Can t make a move and it s your turn? Then a stalemate is what you ve earned.

3 It is as easy as ABC to ask for a bye from the TD. Both flags down may cause a frown. Without the right stuff a draw is enough. Make a draw offer or make a draw claim: Either way, they are just the same. After fifty moves a draw is proved if no pieces were taken and no pawns have been moved. Three positions exactly the same? You have the right to make a draw claim. An ILC claim may be apropos with an analog clock and two minutes to go. Part 3: CLOCK STRATEGIES Know your clock s settings! It s to your benefit; you may not find anyone else who can set it. Even though they are old school, analog clocks are a useful tool. If sudden death time controls are used to play, then set your clock with delay. An increment time control would suggest that an increment clock is the best. Multiple time controls in your game? Set the clock so they re not the same. Pause your clock and get a TD if you have a problem that they need to see. Use the same hand for your clock and pieces; the chances of a claim then decreases. End the risk of a silly claim: Stop the clock at the end of the game! Ask your opponent how their clock works, and then you ll be familiar with all its quirks. Move counters are great, but they re hard to keep straight. Tick tock, tick tock: Come late to a game and lose time on the clock. Have no timer for your game? It ll work out; you ll get one later, there is no doubt. If your opponent is there or is not, start your clock on the spot. Start white s clock to begin the game, black or white it s all the same. When your claim is upheld by the TD, two minutes of time may be yours for free.

4 If a clock defect or a wrong setting you see, pause the clock and get a TD. When your clock is more up to date, ask to swap it even if you re late. Part 4: NOTATION STRATEGIES Taking notation hits the spot; it s chess law, so give it a shot. Notation can be a no go with only five minutes on the clock to show. Are you playing an increment game? Then record your moves or face a claim. Official e-tools for keeping score: MonRoi, enotate, DGT Projects Electronic Chessboard and nothing more. First make a move follows the rule, then record it using the right tool. Checkmarks on a scoresheet can bear the blame for TDs rejecting many a claim. Are you missing moves on your score? Use your rival s to get more. Part 5: TOURNAMENT STRATEGIES Equipment is not provided as a rule, so bring your own and be cool. Playing black, have no fear: you often get to choose the gear. If annoying acts cause a migraine, see a TD and make a claim. There ll be no ruling in a game without your making a claim. Leaving a board for more than a quarter hour can result in a score that is sour. House players get a free game by telling the TD their name. Special-needs opponents need special care, so there are special rules to make it fair. Cell phone use of any kind can cause a penalty that you will mind. Use headphones and enjoy, but check with the TD before using that toy. If you touch it, then move it or take it. Complete your move the right way: press your clock to complete the play. If you don t say check in the game, it s still check all the same. When leaving the event for another quest, signing the withdraw list is the best.

5 Make your claim right away; after the game you have little sway. Check the wall charts to be sure that all your info is secure. Register with your ID, rating, and name before your play your first game. Wrong results need tweaking ASAP so the right info s there for all to see. See a TD to complain if someone intervenes in your game. You can stay looking your best: Don t talk to others during your contest. Special tournament rules should be checked look at the postings, what the heck. Avoid analysis in the tournament hall so it stays silent for one and all. Part 6: PRIZE STRATEGIES Guaranteed prizes are paid no matter what; small, large, or medium, that s a lot! Based-on prizes are famine or feast; you could get the most or the least. Multiple ties for many prizes can create cash awards of many sizes. There are lots of prizes beyond first, second, and third, including class prizes that can be secured. Sections of players all the same get section prizes, glory, and fame. An under prize is a different story: many classes compete for the same glory. A trophy award is a long path: it takes loads of calculations and loads of math. Your total rewards increase in size when you qualify for a special prize. If your prize is limited you may frown, because your final total may go down. Some prizes can be divided and others not; win them both, and you get a lot. Pay a re-entry fee and start anew; get more games and prizes too. Want your prize ASAP? Check with an organizer or see a TD. Part 7: PAIRINGS STRATEGIES Swiss System Pairings Divide a score group above and below; then players get paired down the row.

6 It is not very nice to play someone twice. Avoiding unwanted pairings can be tough with extra restrictions, restraints, and other stuff. A no-pairing request can be had, but it may not be honored, so don t be sad. There are lots of rules that have a say in what color you might play. To fix color glitches, there are limits to pairing switches. A full-point win is the order of the day when there is an odd number and no one to play. Ask for a half-point bye: it gets added to your score, and you don t have to try. The rating to use in any event is the same as that month s supplement. A ratings restricted section is a clue that you ll be paired against others just like you. Re-enter a tournament and start anew so your pairings are all new. Accelerated pairings will do the trick when there are too many players for a top pick. While your pairing may not be ideal, as long as it is legal, there is no appeal. Round Robin/Quad Pairings Play every opponent once or twice; you ll play them all, and that is nice. APPENDIX: FIDE STRATEGIES APPENDIX: SCHOLASTIC STRATEGIES Ten Scholastic Notes FORWARD We all know how the chess pieces move. We read books, use software, and go online to find that magic chess strategy that will improve our game. We will spend hours going over some new line in the opening or studying chess tactics. We think nothing of having our software GMs help us analyze our games and offer us ways to improve our win-loss record. We go over the games of masters and harvest material that we can put to use in our own contests. We also gloss over the rules and regulations that govern how tournaments and games are conducted. Those rules and regulations can spell the difference between a win, a loss, or a draw in some cases, but we usually only have a vague idea on how to use them to such good effect or, worse, we have the wrong idea about what the regulations actually mean. It is time to change that today.

7 The USCF Rulebook is a massive document filled with the necessary technical wording to govern the smooth running of chess tournaments. There are a lot of lawyerly-sounding rules and regulations that challenge even the most legal-minded player. This book will take the mystery out of those regulations by putting them in plain language. Mnemonic verses help you remember the ideas behind each rule. Some Classic Tips, examples, and advice are thrown in for good measure. Not every rule is covered in this text. Odd, obscure, and rare situations are not the focus here. Instead, I will offer handy ideas and strategies to woodpushers which have proven their worth time and again in dealing successfully with typical, usual, and common, but technical, chess tournament policies in a straightforward way. One thing you might want to remember about this work is that the rules change yearly. You can keep up with the changes, and their chess law language, on the USCF website. Most of the rules here are fairly standard and deal with the most usual tournament situations; however, if you are interested in the exact wording, get yourself a copy of the current rulebook and all of its updates. The use of Classic Tips, Applications, and Rulebook Notes are the main tactics that provide you with a handy way to understand the concepts behind each rule without turning to the exacting procedures of a rulebook. With the introduction of the chess clock, rules were developed for dealing with the unintended consequences that came along as extra baggage. We will look at those developments and how you can best deal with them. We will take a look at today s regulations and their relationship with the variety of old and new clocks along with their features. The bottom line is that this work covers essential rulebook procedures for the tournament player in nontechnical language. The reader should also be aware that the original manuscript for this work was formatted in a style that was not compatible with the e book format; therefore, some material had to be reformatted and it may appear a bit odd as you review it. My apologies. If you are looking for Blitz Rules, 5 th Edition rulebook updates, a Glossary, Winning Tips, and FAQs, then go to the web page: So you want to join the USCF? Or, find out more about USCF activities? Then, log onto:

8 Part 1: WINNING STRATEGIES Get the Point! In this chapter we will look at the most common ways for you to score a point besides checkmate and what you should do after the game is over. The most common ways to win revolve around your opponent s resigning (just giving up) and your making a time forfeit, or flag fall, claim (opponent is out of time). While those procedures are exacting, they are easy to understand and follow using the strategies outlined here. 1. Resignations 2. Flag Fall (out of time) claims 3. Byes 4. Reporting Your Results If an outstretched hand is what you saw, make sure it s a resignation and not a draw. Your opponent reaches out and shakes your hand after stopping the clock. Are they resigning? Are they accepting a much earlier draw offer? Make sure you know the answer to those questions before you report the game results. A simple Thanks for the game. I m sorry you lost, will usually do the trick in solving this dilemma. Of course, a tipped-over king is a better clue that your opponent has quit the game. Application: You offer your opponent a draw on move 34. They don t accept the offer at that time, and they continue to play. On move 37 you make what is, in your opinion, a strong move. Your opponent reaches out, shakes your hand, and thanks you for the game. When you go to report your win, you notice your opponent has reported the game as a draw. So what did that handshake mean? Sorting this out is not going to be pleasant for you, your opponent, or the tournament director. Many players don t realize that draw offers are off the table after they have made a move or declined the draw. They frequently believe, as your opponent here incorrectly does, that the draw offer may still be accepted many moves later. In this case you might consider saying, Thanks for the game. You played well, and I am sorry you lost. How about when your opponent mumbles something and stretches out their hand? Is that a resignation or a draw offer? If you are not sure and want to avoid a messy situation, find out what your opponent mumbled before you shake their hand. Win or lose, report the result of your game to make sure the right score is next to your name. When your game is over, make sure you report the results, usually on the pairings sheet. In the space provided, place a 1 by the winner s name and a 0 by the loser s name, or ½ or.5 by both names if the game was a draw (see Illustration 1). TDs usually announce if it is to be done differently. If you miss this step, even if you lost the game, you could be unpleasantly surprised by your next round s pairing and the long-term effect on your tournament score. Some TDs even double-forfeit the players in games with no reported results. How YOU Report Your Score Bd Score White Score Black Rubin, Alex.5 Ricky, Ross

9 120 0 Flahttyn, Mike 1 YOU Blale, Maurine 1 Turtle, Yuri Illustration 1 When your opponent is one hour late a forfeit win is your fate. Rulebook Note 1: You start your opponent s clock on time. You wait for your opponent to arrive. If they don t appear, and make a move, before one hour runs out on their clock, you win. Tell a TD to verify the win. Classic Tip 1: If your opponent does not show up within an hour from the start of the game, you win by forfeit. Make sure you ask a TD about how to report that result. Usually, you enter the result on the pairings sheet with a big F by the 1 and a big F by the 0 (see Illustration 2). That way your opponent will usually not be paired for the next round and not cause any other player to sit around waiting for a no-show. There are no rating points involved, but you do get one point added to your total tournament score, which counts for prizes and for pairings. How YOU Report a Forfeit Win Bd Score White Score Black Rubin, Alex.5 Ricky, Ross F Flahttyn, Mike 1F YOU Blale, Maurine 1 Turtle, Yuri Illustration 2 Rulebook Note 2: You start your clock on time. You wait for your opponent to arrive. They appear with seconds left on their clock before their one-hour arrival deadline. They sit down, make their move, and press their clock before their 60 minutes are up. They made it in time to command their chess army against you. The game continues with you having a huge time advantage. Classic Tip 2: You may be tempted to allow your opponent to be more than one hour late for the game while not making a claim with the TD. If you opt for this, make sure that the opponent s clock is ticking away while your own clock is idle. With clocks running and no claim in sight, when your foe does show up you still get to essay a rated game (a claimed forfeit win would not be rated) with a huge time advantage. The downside is that your adversary may not show up at all. Or, if they do appear at the board, they may still beat you, even if they are later than one hour and way down on time. When the time control is less than one hour for example, G/45, delay 5 (each player gets 45 minutes for the entire game with a 5-second delay), check with the TD about how long you need to wait for your opponent to show up before claiming your one point. Watch out for special situations. Sometimes the TD has publicized, posted, or announced a different policy regarding late opponent arrivals. And when a tardy opponent sits down at your board, does not make a move, and does not press their clock before their 60 minutes is up, it is time to get a TD to help you sort out this predicament.

10 A free win may come your way when there is no opponent for you to play. To make pairings, TDs need an even number of players. So what happens when there are an odd number of players? Someone will not get to play. Classic Tip: If you are the player who does not get assigned an opponent (that makes you the odd player), the TD can award you an automatic one-point win. As with a forfeit win, there are no rating points involved, but you do get one point added to your total tournament score, which counts for prizes and for pairings. If you are the odd player, your name will usually appear on the pairings sheet with See TD, Bye, or Please Wait next to it. In this situation, some TDs are able to find you a game by using a house player or making a cross-section pairing. If you would rather play a game than take the free point, then ask the TD whether one of those alternatives is available. Each TD deals with this process differently. Only players may make the call if there is a flag fall. What happens when your opponent runs out of time? You get to claim a win if you still have time left on your own clock. But only you get to claim the win, no one else: not even a TD, parent, friend, relative, or coach. Flag fall (left timer) on analog clock Flag fall (0:00) on digital clock Application: There is a crowd around an exciting contest with both players desperately trying to gain an advantage and simultaneously trying not to lose to a flag fall. And then it happens: One of the observers yells out, Flag! Now we have a mess. Only the players in the game may make that call. Spectators have no rights in a chess tournament. If their friends or coaches or family make that call for them, that gives them an unfair advantage over all the other players, including their opponent, at the tournament. Had the bystander not made that call, for example, then perhaps the flags of both players would have fallen, and the game would be a draw. The what ifs are mindboggling. Now the result of the game is up in the air, with the TD expected to make an equitable decision. Perhaps the TD will allow the flag claim to stand while ejecting the bystander from the tournament room or the entire tournament. Perhaps the TD will call the game a draw. Perhaps the TD will forfeit the player who got help from the audience. A scoresheet missing three moves is a scoresheet aiming to lose. When your opponent runs out of time before making the right number of moves in the allotted time (you know, stuff like 45 moves in 90 minutes, or 40/90 sorry, sudden death, increment, quick chess and blitz don t count here), you may claim a win only with a completed scoresheet. The scoresheet has to be accurate. It can only have three missing or inaccurate move pairs not just three missing or inaccurate moves, but three missing or inaccurate pairs of moves. And check marks don t count as moves. (See Illustration 3). Incomplete Scoresheet 32. d7 Move 32 is an example of one missing black move and one missing move pair. 33. c7 Ra7

11 34. Kg7 Move 34 another missing move pair and one missing move for white. 35. Move 35 uses two check marks. These check marks count as two missing moves but only one missing move pair. 36. b5 Ng7 Move 36 for black ( Ng7) is an impossible and inaccurate move; therefore a missing move pair. 37. Move 37 is an example of two missing moves but only one missing move pair. 38. e6 Bf7 Illustration 3 Clock move counters have no place when trying to claim a flag fall case. When your opponent has to make a given number of moves in a set period of time (for example, 40 moves in 90 minutes, or 40/90) and they don t, they lose. Only a scoresheet counts as evidence when making this claim. Please don t rely on move counters: there are too many reasons why they may be off by a move or two. Application: The game clock says that 37 moves have been made in 90 minutes. The time control is 40 moves in 90 minutes (40/90) just a regular classic time control with no sudden death or increment. During a time scramble, both you and your opponent stopped keeping score (as you are allowed to do in the last five minutes for this time control). Your opponent makes a flag fall claim based on the move counter. Without an accurate scoresheet, that claim is denied by the TD. Clock move counters may not be used to make such claims. Sometimes they are set or reset wrong. Sometimes they are started incorrectly (more on that later). Sometimes they are inaccurate due to players pressing the clock too much or too little. They just can t be relied on to be accurate. A sudden death flag fall game allows for an incomplete score to make this claim. The one claim that you don t need to have an exact scoresheet for is when you are playing a sudden death time control and you claim a flag fall. Neither quick chess nor blitz chess, which are types of sudden death time controls, require the use of scoresheets. Classic Tip: The very nature of sudden death is that you have to finish the game before you run out of time. The number of moves does not matter, only that your flag is still up and your opponent s is down. Besides, most sudden death games don t even require notation in the last five minutes (or in the case of quick chess and blitz chess, not at all); however, your scoresheet still needs to be correct and complete to make other claims. So, it is still a good idea to take notation even when it is not required. A player s fallen flag means they can t brag. This seems kind of obvious, but you need to have time left on your clock (your flag can t have fallen) before you may claim that your opponent is out of time. If both your and your opponent s flags are down in a sudden death contest, then the game is a draw. Checkmate ends the game so there is no flag fall claim. The instant the move is made that delivers checkmate, the game is over. Anything that takes place after that is immaterial. Application: There is a crowd around your game as you and your opponent rush to make each move before one of you are out of time. You have fewer seconds than they do, but you are hunting their king. It is your move, and you

12 checkmate your foe with a legal move. You run out of time before pressing your clock, and your flag falls. Your adversary claims the checkmating move is incomplete. They tell the TD you did not press your clock in time to prevent your flag from falling; therefore, you are out of time, and the checkmating move is unfinished. After all, to finish your move you have to press the clock. The claim is incorrect. You win the game. Checkmate trumps everything if you can deliver it while it is still your move. At the instant the mating move is made, the game is over, and time stops. Classic Tip: Of course, if you let your flag fall first and then make a mating move, you are out of luck. Why? It is no longer your turn. You are out of time, and your opponent may make a flag fall claim. The rule of thumb is that whichever occurred first, the flag fall or the checkmate move, determines how the contest ends. When it can t be determined which one took place first, then the checkmate gets the nod. And watch out for the times when you and your opponent are in time trouble and one of you delivers checkmate, but neither of you realizes it while you both continue to play on. When this happens and it affects the outcome of the game, get a TD, even if your discovery of the checkmate takes place in analysis after the game. For the claim to not be a bust, mating material is a must. Another nice little condition is that if you re making a flag fall claim, you have to have mating material to win. Without mating material, you may still call your opponent s flag down, but the best you can do is get the game declared a draw. Remember, while a single knight, a single bishop, or a lone King is not mating material, a single pawn may be (you can get a queen for that pawn!). Application: Your opponent has lots of time left. You have mere seconds of playing time. Your flag falls. You are out of time. Your opponent has a king and bishop and claims a win on time. Your opponent would never be able to mate you with that kind of material, even if there were no clock on the game. The game is a draw. For a list of all the combinations of material that don t count as mating material, see the rulebook. Review, Learn, and Remember: If an outstretched hand is what you saw, make sure it s a resignation and not a draw. Win or lose, report the result of your game to make sure the right score is next to your name. When your opponent is one hour late a forfeit win is your fate. A free win may come your way when there is no opponent for you to play. Only players may make the call if there is a flag fall. A scoresheet missing three moves is a scoresheet aiming to lose. Clock move counters have no place when trying to claim a flag fall case. A sudden death flag fall game allows for an incomplete score to make this claim. A player s fallen flag means they can t brag. Checkmate ends the game so there is no flag fall claim. For the claim to not be a bust, mating material is a must.

13 Part 2: DRAWING STRATEGIES Half a Loaf Is Better Than None! Let s examine all the different ways to net that half-point. You may not be able to score a victory, but having something added to your score is better than a goose egg. Getting that half-point is a bit more technical under USCF chess law. Some of the steps you will need to understand are also exacting and must happen in just the right way. The most common way to end a game in a draw is via a draw offer by one of the players. Next on the list is a draw claim: a declaration that the procedural rules governing draws have been met. And remember, after the draw offer is accepted, or when the draw claim is made, stop the game timer. This helps keep the draw procedures neat and clean while lowering the odds that you will run out of time and your flag will fall, which could add unwanted confusion to the mix. 1. Draw offers 2. Draw claims 3. Repeating positions 4. The 50-move rule 5. Stalemate 6. Byes 7. Insufficient losing chances 8. Reporting your draw results Make your move, offer the draw, then press your clock it s the law. Make your move before offering a draw, then offer the draw, then press your clock. That is the correct procedure for you or your opponent when splitting the point by agreement. It does not matter whether you have tons of time left to play the game or are scrambling to beat the clock. Either way, these are the exact steps that should take place when you are offering a draw to your opponent. If you offer the draw without moving on your turn, then your opponent can make you move before they decide what to do. They get to see what was on your mind before making up theirs, and then the likelihood of your making a blunder, rather than a drawing move, increases. If you make any draw offer incorrectly (for instance, on their move), you can t take it back, no matter what. And remember to thank your opponent for accepting your draw offer. That way you are sure that your rival does not think you are offering your handshake as a sign of resignation. Handshakes really don t mean a thing, though they are a nice gesture of sportsmanship. Application: There you are, staring at the position. Considering how stagnant the position has become, even though it is your opponent s move, you offer a draw. Your adversary goes into a deep think before deciding what to do with your draw offer. You continue to look over the position. Then it hits you: you see the winning move! Your opponent can do nothing to stop it. You tell your opponent you are retracting your draw offer. Your opponent sees the same winning line for you, so they accept your (improper) draw offer instead of moving. The game ends in a draw. There is nothing you can do about it. You can t take the draw offer off the table after it is made. Application: You offer a draw. Your opponent observes that the game indeed looks like a draw. You both make a few more moves, and you checkmate your rival. Your opposing general claims that the two of you agreed to a draw and that you were now both just analyzing. First, the two of you should not be analyzing in the tournament room. Once a game is over, stop the clocks and leave the tournament room. If one of you objects to this procedure, then perhaps there is a misunderstanding about the outcome of the game. Playing on after the game score is determined creates a lot of problems. Now you will need a TD to help sort this mess out.

14 By the way, most TDs will probably rule this game a draw, because both of you said the magic word draw. So be careful how you reject any draw offers. Reject a draw and be in the know by touching your piece or just saying no. If you want to reject a draw offer, you can just say, No thanks, or simply touch one of your own pieces before you move it. That draw offer is now gone. It does not stick around move after move. Considering a draw offer can cause the blues: If your flag falls, you can still lose. OK, your opponent has offered you a draw. While you are deciding what to do, make sure you still have time left on your clock! If your flag falls and you run out of time before you do anything (like accept or reject the draw), your opponent can make a flag fall time forfeit claim and win the game. Application: You and your opponent are short on time. They offer you a draw. While you check over the position, you run out of time and your flag falls. Your opponent claims a win. You accept their draw offer; after all, it took place before your time ran out. Sorry, you lose. You have no time left to accept the draw offer. If a draw offer is made and accepted then reporting a draw can be expected. After your opponent accepts your draw offer, remember to stop the clocks and thank them for agreeing to the draw. Then post that half-point (.5 or ½) on the pairings sheet next to both your names (see Illustration 4). Classic Tip: When you stop the clocks, you ensure that your draw offer will not get muddied up by a flag fall claim by your opponent; furthermore, by thanking your opponent for accepting the draw, you ensure that your opponent will not mistake the draw offer for a resignation. How YOU Report a Draw Bd Score White Score Black Rubin, Alex.5 Ricky, Ross 120. ½ Flahttyn, Mike ½ YOU Blale, Maurine 1 Turtle, Yuri Illustration 4 Can t make a move and it s your turn? Then a stalemate is what you ve earned. It is your move. You are not in check, and you don t have a legal move on the board. You can t move anything. It s a draw. Classic Tip: Remember our discussion in Part 1 about checkmate instantly ending the game? Well, stalemate also immediately halts the contest. The move that causes the stalemate puts a stop to everything, including any flag fall claims; however, if your opponent s flag falls before they deliver the stalemating move, then feel free to make that flag fall claim. And if you discover a stalemate during postgame analysis which affects the score, contact a TD immediately. It is as easy as ABC to ask for a bye from the TD. You can get a free half-point toward prize money and pairings. Requesting a half-point bye is often possible, and that means getting to skip a round. If you simply can t play every game, see a TD about the details of getting that half-point added to your score for each game you will miss. The most common way to ask for a bye is to sign up

15 early for that half point on the bye request list put out by the TD. Simply telling the TD without writing anything down opens the door to errors. Signing up for a bye increases the chances that the paperwork gets done right the first time so that everyone is a happy camper. Classic Tip: Some tournaments don t allow half-point byes, and others have restrictions on the number of halfpoint byes you can receive and when you may ask for them. When that happens and you still need to skip a round, you may ask for a zero-point bye. Do it well in advance of the scheduled game you need to skip. That way the TD does not pair you for the game you will miss, and you still get to stay in the tournament and be paired for future rounds. Some organizers have special bye request rules for the last round or two of their tournaments. While they don t mind giving out half-point byes for the early rounds, they restrict the timing of those bye requests for the last few games of the tournament. Don t be surprised if you must request half-point byes for the last round or two before the event begins, or at least before the end of round 1 or round 2. And you can t take back your request. Those last-round bye policies were developed to help ensure that in the hunt for prizes, players cannot use byes to manipulate the system when pairings are critical. Each organizer can apply the available bye policy however they see fit, so check with a TD or the organizer about their policy before you request those byes. Both flags down may cause a frown. If both you and your opponent are out of time in a sudden death or increment time control, then the game is drawn. Application: You are hard at work trying to gain that valuable point in a sudden death time control. You take a peek at the game timer and notice that you and your opponent are out of time; both flags have fallen. You are now both out of time. The game is over, and the result is a draw. Application: Your game has two time controls, 40 moves in 90 minutes (40/90) followed by G/30 delay 5 (d5). While examining the position near the end of the first time control, your opponent notices that both your flags are down you are both out of time in the first time period! The game continues, and neither of you may make a flag fall claim. Without the right stuff a draw is enough. Back in Part 1, we said, For the claim to not be a bust, mating material is a must. If your opponent runs out of time but you don t have enough pieces to deliver checkmate, the game is a draw; furthermore, if neither of you has enough mating material (for example, king vs. king, king and bishop vs. king and knight... well, you get the idea), the game is a draw, even if your flags have not fallen. And remember, pawns count as mating material. Application: During a big time scramble in the last few minutes of the game, you find that you have a king and knight left while your opponent has only a king and a light-square bishop. The game is over, and it is a draw. Neither of you has enough material to checkmate the other. Make a draw offer or make a draw claim: Either way, they are just the same. Making any draw claim is the same as making a draw offer. You can t take it back. That means your opponent can accept a draw before the TD makes a ruling for or against you. And the draw offer, via your claim, is still in effect even if the TD rejects your claim. Application: You make a draw claim. Since it is the same as a draw offer, your opponent accepts the offer, and the game is over. It is a draw. The TD does not need to make a decision regarding your claim.

16 Application: You make a draw claim. Your opponent does not accept or reject it. The TD now gets to decide on your request. The TD rules against you, and the game continues, with or without a penalty. Since it has not been accepted or rejected, your draw offer (via your claim) is still on the table, and your opponent may still accept or reject it in the usual way. After fifty moves a draw is proved if no pieces were taken and no pawns have been moved. For fifty moves, neither you nor your opponent moves a pawn or takes a piece. It s time to claim a draw. Just make sure your scoresheet is accurate (check out A scoresheet missing three moves is a scoresheet aiming to lose in Part 1). And please pause your clock when you make a claim so that a fallen flag does not create chaos stew. Classic Tip: If you are in time trouble, you may ask the TD to count off those fifty moves for you. Most TDs will help you out with this task. Sometimes the TD will assign an assistant or a bystander to do the counting while they attend to other duties. Don t rely on your clock s move counter to make this claim. Remember, if a piece gets taken or a pawn moves, then the fifty-move count starts all over again. And don t forget that just making the draw claim is the same as offering a draw to your opponent even before a TD gets to decide the outcome of your claim. Three positions exactly the same? You have the right to make a draw claim. Imagine you are taking a picture of each position on the board as it happens. When three of those pictures are exactly the same, you may claim a draw by triple occurrence of position (make sure that is how you word your claim). Make your claim on your move just before or just after that third snapshot is taken. Pause your clock and get a TD if you adversary disagrees with your assessment. Remember, all the pieces have to be able to make the same moves (even castling) in each picture-perfect position. You will have to prove that those three pictures are exactly the same to validate your claim. Your accurate scoresheet is often your best source of proof; however, under some circumstances a TD is able to observe or re-create the threefold repetition. Often those three positions follow each other one after the other (like perpetual check), but it is not required. The three positions may be many moves apart. Please don t forget that if you make this claim, properly or not, it is still a draw offer that your opponent may accept or reject. Application: You make the same three moves in a row, and so does your opponent. You claim repetition of moves. The TD should deny this claim. Why? There is no such rule. The wording of your claim in this case is really important. Remember to claim a triple occurrence of position instead. By the way, there is also no perpetual check rule. Once again, you need to state your claim properly, i.e., triple occurrence of position. Application: You look over your possibilities on the board and decide to repeat the position for the third time. You make the move, press your clock (which starts your opponent s clock), and make your claim. Wrong! The TD should deny your claim. You need to pause your clock so that neither your clock nor your opponent s clock is running before you make your declaration; otherwise, it is not your move, so you have no right to make a claim. Oddly, even though this routine is not proper, the draw claim still doubles as a draw offer until your opponent rejects or accepts the draw. An ILC claim may be apropos with an analog clock and two minutes to go. Insufficient losing chances (ILC) means you do not have enough time to prove you have a win or draw in a sudden death time control when using an analog clock with only two minutes left to go in the game (well OK, if you have a digital clock but don t have delay or increment set, then it is the same as using an analog clock). If your opponent does not accept this draw offer (draw claims are draw offers), then get the TD to walk you through the multiple steps of this procedure. Remember, you can t make this claim if you are using a properly set delay or increment clock.

17 Classic Tip: This rule is at best confusing. All that you need to know is that it does not even apply unless you are using an analog clock in a sudden death time control and there is only two minutes of time left on your clock (therefore, to avoid this messy rule, don t use an analog clock). It also means you don t have a losing position. This decree allows you to save yourself from losing via a flag fall claim when you have a non-losing (drawn or overwhelmingly won) position. If you make this claim, you will need a TD. They get to make the final call on how much of a losing chance you have. The most common TD decision is to slap a properly set delay clock on the game after deducting half your remaining time. The idea behind the rule is that if this really is a non-losing position, all you need is the typical five-second delay to stop your flag from going south. And remember, the TD may decide either for or against you! Also remember, a draw claim is a draw offer first and foremost. Application: It is move 30 in a G/45 contest with 10 minutes left on your opponent s clock. Your opponent requests that the TD swap out the game s analog clock for a properly set delay clock. This is the most common misinterpretation of the ILC statute (rule 14H). Many players have come to expect that they can just ask for a properly set delay clock at any point during the game via this rule. This is not true. There is no chess law that allows a player to request a clock swap once the game has started. Your opponent s request should be denied by the TD. Review, Learn, and Remember: Make your move, offer the draw, then press your clock it s the law. Reject a draw and be in the know by touching your piece or just saying no. Considering a draw offer can cause the blues: If your flag falls, you can still lose. If a draw offer is made and accepted, then reporting a draw can be expected. Can t make a move and it s your turn? Then a stalemate is what you ve earned. It is as easy as ABC to ask for a bye from the TD. Both flags down may cause a frown. Without the right stuff a draw is enough. Make a draw offer or make a draw claim: Either way, they are just the same. After fifty moves a draw is proved if no pieces were taken and no pawns have been moved. Three positions exactly the same? You have the right to make a draw claim. An ILC claim may be apropos with an analog clock and two minutes to go. Part 3: CLOCK STRATEGIES Timing Is Everything! In the very old days, games of chess were played in places like coffeehouses. The game was not timed. And some players with no place to go or anything else to do could take hours and hours to make just one move. Needless to say, this became a dirty trick that proved very useful against an opponent who was winning the game but had to

18 leave and go about the day s business. All you had to do was out wait your challenger; thus, the introduction of chess timers as the third player into the royal game. The popularity of the new digital timers has far surpassed the sales, and usage, of those classic analog chess clocks. No matter which style of clock you own, I will have some helpful suggestions for navigating the highways and byways of the chess rules that govern their use. At the end of this section you should understand: 1. Time controls 2. Essential clock procedures 3. Dealing with late players 4. No opponent actions 5. Appropriate clock settings 6. Proper game clock choices Know your clock s settings! It s to your benefit; you may not find anyone else who can set it. Know how to set your digital delay (or increment) clock. TDs don t know how to set all of the clocks in existence. Practice at home before you go to a tournament. Better yet, find out the time control(s) of the tournament you are about to play in and set your clock beforehand. Bring your clock manual with you to tournaments. Some clocks even have settings help on the bottom of their base. Classic Tip: While your clock may be the slickest thing since grease, not everyone else knows how to set it. There are so many chess clock manufactures, features and settings, plus dozens of fancy bells and whistles, that it becomes problematic for a TD to know and remember how each one works. And remember, if it can t be set, then you can t use it. Application: You sit down to your assigned game with your new clock that you just purchased at the chess bookstore, onsite at the tournament. You are not sure how to set it, but one of the other player s claims to know how. He sets it for you. As your game progresses, you notice that the game timer display does not seem to reflect the G/90 time control. You pause the clock and get a TD. You and your opponent find that the digital timekeeper was set for game in 90 hours instead of game in 90 minutes. If neither you, the TD, your opponent, nor any other player knows how to set this new clock for G/90, then you are in the position of having to borrow a clock or play without one. No matter how the problem gets solved, you cannot be sure that any new clock settings will accurately reflect the correct amount of thinking time used by both you and your adversary. Even though they are old school, analog clocks are a useful tool. Analog clock set for G/90 (4:30 is 90 minutes until the flag fall at 6:00) Digital delay chess clocks and digital increment clocks have a lot of bells and whistles, plus all sorts of settings. Some of their manuals read like mini-textbooks. An analog clock is much easier to set. Those tick-tockers should be set so that the end of the time control is at 6 o clock (in the past this allowed TDs to easily see when the end of the game/time control was approaching). Of course, the tried and true analog clock is just barely acceptable tournament equipment nowadays, but it is still acceptable.

19 Classic Tip: If you use an analog chess clock in a delay or increment time control game, you can expect that, if push comes to shove, in most cases your opponent will be able to replace it with their own delay or increment clock. Of course, they can t wait until after the game starts, but if they have not made a move yet, even if they are late, they get to see a TD and swap clocks. And if the TD or organizer announces that such clock swaps can t take place, then your traditional analog clock is the timer of choice, especially if you are playing the black pieces or your opponent is tardy for the start of the game. Rulebook Note: if your digital delay/increment clock is not using the delay or increment setting, then your timer is equivalent to an analog clock. That means the Insufficient Losing Chances rule in Part 2 can now be used. If sudden death time controls are used to play, then set your clock with delay. In any game with any sudden death time control even if that time control is the secondary or later one you need to use a properly set delay clock, not an analog clock. If your opponent has an analog clock and you have a delay clock, you get to swap your properly set clock for theirs. What is a sudden death time control? Unlike classic time controls, that which require you to make a certain number of moves in a given amount of time (more on that later), a sudden death time control means that you have to finish the entire game with the amount of time you have set on your clock, or you lose. The number of moves is irrelevant. Often there is a delay before the game timer starts to operate for each move, starting at move one. Five seconds is the most common delay. Delay time is not added to your total clock time; it just delays your clock from working. It counts down for a stated set amount of time, or whatever small part of the stated time you use (some delay clocks start immediately, while others add the delay, or whatever portion of that time you used, when you press the clock.). You will often see those time controls advertised as G/30 d5 you and your opponent each have 30 minutes to complete your game, with a time delay of 5 seconds per move before your timer counts down. When a classic time control (like 40/90 forty moves in ninety minutes) is mixed with a sudden death time control, then the delay starts at move one1. And remember, unless there is an ad or announcement stating otherwise, that delay clocks are now set for the basic time control without any deduction of time, as was done in the past. Rulebook Note: If both of you and your opponent have delay clocks, the player of the black pieces gets to choose which timer to use. Clocks provided by the organizer or TD can t be exchanged without TD permission. Unless it is announced (or advertised or posted) otherwise, the player of the black pieces may choose where to place the game timer unless they are late to the start of the game. Application: Your game timer is down to the last few minutes of a G/30 d5 contest. Your opponent notices that the clock is not set right: no delay was active for the whole game! The clocks are paused, and the TD is called over to help straighten out this mess. You are at the TD s discretion. You might be penalized for setting the clock wrong (your opponent gets an extra two minutes of playing time). You might need to play on using analog clock rules (see An ILC claim may be apropos with an analog clock and two minutes to go in Part 2). The TD might reset the clock to compensate for the missing delay. Anything could happen plus, your game is disrupted because the clock was set wrong. Learn how to set your clock right. An increment time control would suggest that an increment clock is the best. Most delay clocks can also be set for Increment time controls. Use the increment setting for games requiring it (G/ sec, for example). If your opponent does not have an increment-capable clock and you do, see a TD about using your clock for the game. Remember, if you both have increment clocks, the player commanding the black army gets to choose which clock to use, unless they are late for the start of the game.