Sudden death draw claim CFC rules??????

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  • Sudden death draw claim CFC rules??????

    The CFC website is having issues again so we couldn't look this up in the handbook after the game. To make a long story short, in a comedy of errors where I was banking too much on my opponents time trouble and deserved to lose quickly early in the game the tables turned somewhat and there were mutual dangers on both sides but I allowed my opponent to hoover all of my pawns and force a trade of queens. With one second left on his clock he sacrifices his knight for my last pawn leaving me with bishop and king vs three pawns. My opponent has two rook pawns (h-pawn and a-pawn still on the original square) and a d-pawn on d3 and I have a dark squared bishop. He claims a draw based on insufficient mating material one second before his time runs out. I claim that there is at least one possible mate on the board and actually there are two with his king on h8 or a1. I believe that the position is lost for me though there may be a miracle draw and those two possible mates plus the fact that he has run out of time.

    What is the CFC rule on this situation? Is it a win for me because of the two possible checkmates or a draw for him because of insufficient losing chances?

    I recall seeing something on Chesscafe in a similar situation it was a time loss because the losing side was winning paradoxically. A couple of moves earlier if he had just kept queens on and kept checking me I probably would have conceded a draw by perpetual check based on the FIDE rule despite the fact that he had only two seconds left though there may have been a way for me to force a trade of queens but unlikely.
    Last edited by Vlad Drkulec; Saturday, 3rd September, 2011, 05:17 PM.

  • #2
    Re: Sudden death draw claim CFC rules??????

    This is more complicated than the incident I had last year.

    By FIDE quickplay rules, what you described would be a draw (but I'd have to see the position).
    The key would be the idea of NORMAL MEANS in 10.2a.
    If the possible mates could only happen if you lobotomized a 6 year old, then I wouldn't consider that normal means. If the mate is possible if he isn't paying attention, but still making logical moves, then that means you could win by normal means and time would count.

    Can you show the position?

    Denton


    Here are the FIDE rules for quickplay:

    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)

    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.


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

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Sudden death draw claim CFC rules??????

      So based on your description of the position, while there are 2 possible mates, they cannot be achieved by normal play.

      Thus: tentatively draw. If the perfect mate is already right on board (next 3 moves), then I'd really have to see the position.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Sudden death draw claim CFC rules??????

        Originally posted by Denton Cockburn View Post
        This is more complicated than the incident I had last year.

        By FIDE quickplay rules, what you described would be a draw (but I'd have to see the position).
        The key would be the idea of NORMAL MEANS in 10.2a.
        If the possible mates could only happen if you lobotomized a 6 year old, then I wouldn't consider that normal means. If the mate is possible if he isn't paying attention, but still making logical moves, then that means you could win by normal means and time would count.

        Can you show the position?

        Denton


        Here are the FIDE rules for quickplay:

        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)

        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.


        d.
        The decision of the arbiter shall be final relating to (a), (b) and (c).
        Well technically according to those rules he would lose because he made his move claimed draw and his flag fell before he pressed the clock. The rule states that he has to stop the clock and make the claim before time runs out. He has to claim the draw before he makes the move which is a bit of a problem because he can't claim the draw except when he is on the move.

        I have looked at a couple of those ask the arbiter sites and under uscf/FIDE rules it would be a loss according to what I can see. I seem to recall a similar discussion a few months ago on Chesscafe's ask the arbiter site where it would be a time loss as well paradoxically because the losing side was winning if I recall correctly.

        I do want to be fair and even a draw should be considered an escape after being down a rook with no real compensation other than an ephemeral attack.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Sudden death draw claim CFC rules??????

          Post the position, Vlad

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Sudden death draw claim CFC rules??????

            Originally posted by Vlad Drkulec View Post
            Well technically according to those rules he would lose because he made his move claimed draw and his flag fell before he pressed the clock. The rule states that he has to stop the clock and make the claim before time runs out. He has to claim the draw before he makes the move which is a bit of a problem because he can't claim the draw except when he is on the move.

            I have looked at a couple of those ask the arbiter sites and under uscf/FIDE rules it would be a loss according to what I can see. I seem to recall a similar discussion a few months ago on Chesscafe's ask the arbiter site where it would be a time loss as well paradoxically because the losing side was winning if I recall correctly.

            I do want to be fair and even a draw should be considered an escape after being down a rook with no real compensation other than an ephemeral attack.
            It doesn't say he has to stop the clock. It says he may.
            Also, this is a bit more complex because it's league play as opposed to a tournament where the arbiter is right there. As such, his claim would be the same to me as summoning the arbiter and stopping the clock.

            If you have insufficient mating material, then that actually bolsters his claim (irrespective of the fact that a mate is possible).

            I'm already heavily leaning towards draw, unless the position shown says otherwise.

            Also, remember the acrimony caused when I had a similar situation. I think this is even a clearer case than mine was, because even if he were to blunder everything away, you couldn't mate him by normal means.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Sudden death draw claim CFC rules??????

              Chessface articles:
              http://www.chesscafe.com/text/geurt146.pdf
              and follow up at
              http://www.chesscafe.com/text/geurt148.pdf

              and some older: http://www.chesscafe.com/text/geurt19.txt
              with an excerpt:
              "The reader will not be surprised to know that Article 10.2 was discussed for quite a long time. It was pointed out that a player who claims a draw has to convince the arbiter that his opponent is not making real efforts on the board to win by normal means and not misusing the clock to win on time. Again I pointed out, that, as long as the player may make a blunder, the arbiter must not intervene by accepting any claim for a draw."

              IMHO: the players should not forget to offer draws to have a better ground for claims.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Sudden death draw claim CFC rules??????

                http://www.chesscafe.com/text/geurt159.pdf

                Answer Three and Four I answered these questions in my second answer.
                Second Game
                [FEN "8/8/2b5/8/8/5k1p/7P/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
                This position, with White to move, is obviously drawn. The white king cannot
                be driven off the squares f1 and g1. White had claimed a draw some moves
                before. The game was continued under the arbiter's observation. In this period
                White's king moved along the squares f1, g1, and h1, but in the last four or
                five moves he only oscillated between g1 and h1! Black's last move was to
                bring his bishop to the long diagonal.
                Now White overstepped the time limit and the arbiter declared the game a
                draw. Black objected and the arbiter asked him, "How do you want to win?"
                Black's immediate answer was, "If he goes back to h1, then it is mate in one
                with Kf3-f2." He demonstrated these moves on the board. We can only
                suspect whether White and the arbiter had seen this danger before. Of course
                now White answered "OK – I go to f1." The arbiter accepted this statement
                and confirmed the draw. Having seen the progress of the game, I think it was
                very likely that White could have stumbled into the mating trap.
                Question One Would you have declared the game drawn?
                Question Two Would your decision be influenced by White's last moves?
                Would it be a significant difference for you if White plays Kg1-h1-g1-h1 or
                Kg1-f1-g1-f1? Thomas Binder (Germany)
                Answer If a player claims a draw based on Article 10.2 and I had followed
                the game, there are two questions I have to answer.
                1) Did Black make some efforts to win the game?
                2) Is the position such that it can be won by normal means?
                I understand that Black made some bishop moves without repetition and that
                he really tried to win in this way. The fact that White repeated moves is
                irrelevant.
                And, as matter of fact, I have to answer to both questions with yes. Therefore I would not declare the game drawn. But, just as in the first case, I don't blame the arbiter who declared the game drawn.



                http://www.chesscafe.com/text/geurt157.pdf
                Question I would like to know when one can claim a theoretical draw if it is
                obvious there is no winning progress but I am out of time. I once claimed a
                draw as I had rook and f-pawn, my opponent had bishop and g- and h-pawn.
                Obviously he can't win and neither can I. Is this correct to claim in this
                position? It was a rapid game with a fifteen minute time control. Farirai
                Gumbe (Zimbabwe)
                Answer What is the definition of a "theoretical draw"? In my opinion it is a position that neither player can checkmate the opponent's king by any series of legal moves. I give some examples: K + B vs. K + B with bishops moving
                on the same color squares or K + B vs. K or K + N vs. K or K vs. K. I think
                that these are the only theoretical draws. And with these positions on the
                board the games are drawn pursuant to Article 9.6. All other positions may in
                principle be continued, although there are obvious positions in which it is
                quite unfair to continue the game. I give one example: White: king a3, pawn
                a4 Black: king a6, pawn a5.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Sudden death draw claim CFC rules??????

                  From an ethical point of view you should have accepted the draw request. The rules are almost secondary here to fair play.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Sudden death draw claim CFC rules??????

                    Originally posted by John Coleman View Post
                    Post the position, Vlad
                    Not sure how to do that here but I think my description is sufficient to reconstruct it. White king on h1, White Pawns on a2, d3, h2 black bishop on e5. Black Ke7. By the Chess Cafe ask the arbiter and also

                    http://www.noproblemcs.com/arbiter.htm

                    postings it appears that the time forfeit should stand.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Sudden death draw claim CFC rules??????

                      Originally posted by Vlad Drkulec View Post
                      White king on h1, White Pawns on a2, d3, h2 black bishop on e5. Black Ke7.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Sudden death draw claim CFC rules??????

                        Originally posted by Duncan Smith View Post
                        From an ethical point of view you should have accepted the draw request. The rules are almost secondary here to fair play.
                        The claim is approved by an arbiter, not a player. As I understand there was no draw offer.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Sudden death draw claim CFC rules??????

                          Originally posted by Duncan Smith View Post
                          From an ethical point of view you should have accepted the draw request. The rules are almost secondary here to fair play.
                          I don't believe that the rules are secondary they are primary when you are claiming a draw based on a technical rule. The old CFC rule and the rule that seems to exist here is that if there is a theoretical possibility for mate then the game should continue. Both players were playing for a win up to two seconds before the final position so there can be no question of only trying to run out the time. I had 40 minutes on my clock which shows poor time management on my part.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Sudden death draw claim CFC rules??????

                            Actually I was wrong. The white king is on h3 and the black king is on d7. That doesn't really change the gist of the argument though. I am pretty sure that I have seen articles beyond the ones already quoted from Chess Cafe's Ask the Arbiter feature which support my belief that the time forfeit should stand.

                            Also the position can probably be drawn by black because the king in front of the pawn means that black is just in time to win one of the pawns and blockade the other.
                            Last edited by Vlad Drkulec; Saturday, 3rd September, 2011, 07:55 PM.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Sudden death draw claim CFC rules??????

                              Originally posted by Vlad Drkulec View Post
                              I don't believe that the rules are secondary they are primary when you are claiming a draw based on a technical rule. The old CFC rule and the rule that seems to exist here is that if there is a theoretical possibility for mate then the game should continue. Both players were playing for a win up to two seconds before the final position so there can be no question of only trying to run out the time. I had 40 minutes on my clock which shows poor time management on my part.
                              The FIDE rules don't say anything about a theoretical possibility for a mate.

                              White can force the draw in the position given. All he has to do is push his pawns. When you block them all, he simply moves his king to g2-h1-g2. There is no way for you to win by normal means.

                              Even in the articles posted, the position was that the arbiter could call it either way, and either decision would be justified. This means 2 arbiters could call it differently and neither would be 'wrong'.

                              Hence, 10.2d.

                              Denton

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