7.1 a.

If during a game it is found that the initial position of the pieces was incorrect, the

game shall be cancelled and a new game played.

b. If during a game it is found that the chessboard has been placed contrary to Article

2.1, the game continues but the position reached must be transferred to a correctly

placed chessboard.

7.2 If a game has begun with colours reversed then it shall continue, unless the arbiter rules

otherwise.

7.3 If a player displaces one or more pieces, he shall re-establish the correct position on his

own time. If necessary, either the player or his opponent shall stop the clocks and ask for

the arbiter’s assistance. The arbiter may penalise the player who displaced the pieces.

7.4 a. If during a game it is found that an illegal move, including failing to meet the

requirements of the promotion of a pawn or capturing the opponent’s king, has

been completed, the position immediately before the irregularity shall be

reinstated. If the position immediately before the irregularity cannot be determined

the game shall continue from the last identifiable position prior to the irregularity.

The clocks shall be adjusted according to Article 6.13. The Articles 4.3 and 4.6 apply

to the move replacing the illegal move. The game shall then continue from this reinstated position.

b. After the action taken under Article 7.4.a, for the first two illegal moves by a player

the arbiter shall give two minutes extra time to his opponent in each instance; for a

third illegal move by the same player, the arbiter shall declare the game lost by this

player. However, the game is drawn if the position is such that the opponent cannot

checkmate the player’s king by any possible series of legal moves.

7.5 If during a game it is found that pieces have been displaced from their squares, the

position before the irregularity shall be re-instated. If the position immediately before the

irregularity cannot be determined, the game shall continue from the last identifiable
position prior to the irregularity. The clocks shall be adjusted according to Article 6.13.

The game shall then continue from this re-instated position.

Article 8: The recording of the moves

8.1 In the course of play each player is required to record his own moves and those of his

opponent in the correct manner, move after move, as clearly and legibily as possible, in

the algebraic notation (See Appendix C), on the scoresheet prescribed for the

competition.

It is forbidden to write the moves in advance, unless the player is claiming a draw

according to Article 9.2, or 9.3 or adjourning a game according to the Guidelines of

Adjourned Games point 1.a.

A player may reply to his opponent’s move before recording it, if he so wishes. He must

record his previous move before making another.

Both players must record the offer of a draw on the scoresheet. (See Appendix C.13)

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If a player is unable to keep score, an assistant, who must be acceptable to the arbiter,

may be provided by the player to write the moves. His clock shall be adjusted by the

arbiter in an equitable way.

8.2 The scoresheet shall be visible to the arbiter throughout the game.

8.3 The scoresheets are the property of the organisers of the event.

8.4 If a player has less than five minutes left on his clock at some stage in a period and does

not have additional time of 30 seconds or more added with each move, then for the

remainder of the period he is not obliged to meet the requirements of Article 8.1.

Immediately after one flag has fallen the player must update his scoresheet completely

before moving a piece on the chessboard.

8.5 a. If neither player is required to keep score under Article 8.4, the arbiter or an
assistant should try to be present and keep score. In this case, immediately after

one flag has fallen, the arbiter shall stop the clocks. Then both players shall update

their scoresheets, using the arbiter’s or the opponent’s scoresheet.

b. If only one player is not required to keep score under Article 8.4, he must, as soon

as either flag has fallen, update his scoresheet completely before moving a piece on

the chessboard. Provided it is the player’s move, he may use his opponent’s

scoresheet, but must return it before making a move.

c. If no complete scoresheet is available, the players must reconstruct the game on a

second chessboard under the control of the arbiter or an assistant. He shall first

record the actual game position, clock times and the number of moves made, if this

information is available, before reconstruction takes place.

8.6 If the scoresheets cannot be brought up to date showing that a player has overstepped

the allotted time, the next move made shall be considered as the first of the following

time period, unless there is evidence that more moves have been made.

8.7 At the conclusion of the game both players shall sign both scoresheets, indicating the

result of the game. Even if incorrect, this result shall stand, unless the arbiter decides

otherwise.

Article 9: The drawn game

9.1 a. The rules of a competition may specify that players cannot agree to a draw,

whether in less than a specified number of moves or at all, without the consent of

the arbiter.

b. If the rules of a competition allow a draw agreement the following apply:

(1) A player wishing to offer a draw shall do so after having made a move on the

chessboard and before stopping his clock and starting the opponent’s clock.

An offer at any other time during play is still valid but Article 12.6 must be
considered. No conditions can be attached to the offer. In both cases the offer

cannot be withdrawn and remains valid until the opponent accepts it, rejects

it orally, rejects it by touching a piece with the intention of moving or

capturing it, or the game is concluded in some other way.

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(2) The offer of a draw shall be noted by each player on his scoresheet with a

symbol. (See Appendix C.13)

(3) A claim of a draw under Article 9.2, 9.3 or 10.2 shall be considered to be an

offer of a draw.

9.2 The game is drawn upon a correct claim by the player having the move, when the same

position, for at least the third time (not necessarily by a repetition of moves):

a. is about to appear, if he first writes his move on his scoresheet and declares to the

arbiter his intention to make this move, or

b. has just appeared, and the player claiming the draw has the move.

Positions as in (a) and (b) are considered the same, if the same player has the move,

pieces of the same kind and colour occupy the same squares, and the possible moves of

all the pieces of both players are the same.

Positions are not the same if a pawn that could have been captured en passant can no

longer be captured in this manner. When a king or a rook is forced to move, it will lose its

castling rights, if any, only after it is moved.

9.3 The game is drawn, upon a correct claim by the player having the move, if:

a. he writes his move on his scoresheet and declares to the arbiter his intention to

make this move, which shall result in the last 50 moves having been made by each

player without the movement of any pawn and without any capture, or

b. the last 50 consecutive moves have been made by each player without the
movement of any pawn and without any capture.

9.4 If the player touches a piece as in Article 4.3 without having claimed the draw he loses the

right to claim, as in Article 9.2 or 9.3, on that move.

9.5 If a player claims a draw as in Article 9.2 or 9.3 he may stop both clocks. (See Article

6.12.b) He is not allowed to withdraw his claim.

a. If the claim is found to be correct, the game is immediately drawn.

b. If the claim is found to be incorrect, the arbiter shall add three minutes to the

opponent’s remaining thinking time. Then the game shall continue. If the claim was

based on an intended move, this move must be made as according to Article 4.

9.6 The game is drawn when a position is reached from which a checkmate cannot occur by

any possible series of legal moves. This immediately ends the game, provided that the

move producing this position was legal.

Article 10: Quickplay Finish

10.1 A ‘quickplay finish’ is the phase of a game when all the (remaining) moves must be made

in a limited time.

10.2 If the player, having the move, has less than two minutes left on his clock, he may claim a

draw before his flag falls. He shall summon the arbiter and may stop the clocks. (See

Article 6.12.b)

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a. If the arbiter agrees the opponent is making no effort to win the game by normal

means, or that it is not possible to win by normal means, then he shall declare the

game drawn. Otherwise he shall postpone his decision or reject the claim.

b. If the arbiter postpones his decision, the opponent may be awarded two extra

minutes and the game shall continue, if possible in the presence of an arbiter. The

arbiter shall declare the final result later in the game or as soon as possible after a
flag has fallen. He shall declare the game drawn if he agrees that the final position

cannot be won by normal means, or that the opponent was not making sufficient

attempts to win by normal means.

c. If the arbiter has rejected the claim, the opponent shall be awarded two extra

minutes time.

d. The decision of the arbiter shall be final relating to (a), (b) and (c).

Article 11: Points

11.1 Unless announced otherwise in advance, a player who wins his game, or wins by forfeit,

scores one point (1), a player who loses his game, or forfeits scores no points (0) and a

player who draws his game scores a half point (½).

Article 12: The conduct of the players

12.1 The players shall take no action that will bring the game of chess into disrepute.

12.2 Players are not allowed to leave the ‘playing venue’ without permission from the arbiter.

The playing venue is defined as the playing area, rest rooms, refreshment area, area set

aside for smoking and other places as designated by the arbiter.

The player having the move is not allowed to leave the playing area without permission of

the arbiter.

12.3 a. During play the players are forbidden to make use of any notes, sources of

information or advice, or analyse on another chessboard.

b. Without the permission of the arbiter a player is forbidden to have a mobile phone

or other electronic means of communication in the playing venue, unless they are

completely switched off. If any such device produces a sound, the player shall lose

the game. The opponent shall win. However, if the opponent cannot win the game

by any series of legal moves, his score shall be a draw.

c. Smoking is permitted only in the section of the venue designated by the arbiter .
12.4 The scoresheet shall be used only for recording the moves, the times of the clocks, the

offers of a draw, and matters relating to a claim and other relevant data.

12.5 Players who have finished their games shall be considered to be spectators.

12.6 It is forbidden to distract or annoy the opponent in any manner whatsoever. This includes

unreasonable claims, unreasonable offers of a draw or the introduction of a source of

noise into the playing area.

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12.7 Infraction of any part of Articles 12.1 to 12.6 shall lead to penalties in accordance with

Article 13.4.

12.8 Persistent refusal by a player to comply with the Laws of Chess shall be penalised by loss

of the game. The arbiter shall decide the score of the opponent.

12.9 If both players are found guilty according to Article 12.8, the game shall be declared lost

by both players.

12.10 In the case of Article 10.2.d or Appendix D a player may not appeal against the decision of

the arbiter.

Otherwise a player may appeal against any decision of the arbiter, unless the rules of the

competition specify otherwise.

Article 13: The role of the Arbiter (See Preface)

13.1 The arbiter shall see that the Laws of Chess are strictly observed.

13.2 The arbiter shall act in the best interest of the competition. He should ensure that a good

playing environment is maintained and that the players are not disturbed. He shall

supervise the progress of the competition.

13.3 The arbiter shall observe the games, especially when the players are short of time,

enforce decisions he has made and impose penalties on players where appropriate.

13.4 The arbiter can apply one or more of the following penalties:
a. warning

b. increasing the remaining time of the opponent

c. reducing the remaining time of the offending player

d. declaring the game to be lost

e. reducing the points scored in the game by the offending party

f. increasing the points scored in the game by the opponent to the maximum available

for that game

g. expulsion from the event.

13.5 The arbiter may award either or both players additional time in the event of external

disturbance of the game.

13.6 The arbiter must not intervene in a game except in cases described by the Laws of Chess.

He shall not indicate the number of moves made, except in applying Article 8.5, when at

least one flag has fallen. The arbiter shall refrain from informing a player that his

opponent has completed a move or that the player has not pressed his clock.

13.7 a. Spectators and players in other games are not to speak about or otherwise interfere

in a game. If necessary, the arbiter may expel offenders from the playing venue. If

someone observes an irregularity, he may inform only the arbiter.