New FIDE rules

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • New FIDE rules

    FIDE allows the laws of chess to be modified every four years, and this happens as of tomorrow, July 1st. Since the CFC rules are based on those of FIDE these changes will also come into effect for CFC events, or at least whenever the CFC Handbook is updated. As of this posting the new laws are not yet in the FIDE handbook, but the approved modifications can be seen in the minutes from the Congress held in Dresden last year: annex 59. Changes are in bold and underlined. Most of the modifications are either cosmetic or minor, but practical players should be aware of changes in the following four areas.

    Late arrivals

    The most contentious of the new laws concerns the so-called Rubinstein rule, that players have an hour to arrive at the board before they are forfeited. In the new law the default time has been changed from 60 to 0 minutes:

    (6.7/6.6) Any player who arrives at the chessboard after the start of the session shall lose the game, unless the arbiter decides otherwise. Thus the default time is 0 minutes. The rules of the competition may specify a different time.

    Agreed draws

    In the past several years it has been the rule in some events that draws cannot be offered, or can only be agreed to after a certain number of moves have been made. This option has now been formalized in the laws:

    (9.1a) The rules of a competition may specify that players cannot agree to a draw in less than a specified number of moves or at all, without the consent of the arbiter.

    Cell phones

    The new laws are more stringent - in particular, now a player loses if the phone makes any sound, not just rings:

    (12.2b) 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. Such devices must be 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 as a draw.

    Blitz/active rules

    These have been modified, depending upon the amount of supervision available. Adequate supervision is defined as one arbiter for at most three active games, or one arbiter per blitz game. If supervision is inadequate the previous rules still apply. However, if there is a sufficient number of arbiters to supervise the games the regular rules of chess apply - the only change is that players no longer need to record games. This implies, for example, that in blitz games the arbiter may call a flag fall, and article 10.2 applies if the time control is sudden death. To me this changes the nature of such games: one wonders if FIDE have thought the modifications through sufficiently. Yes, it would be nice if the rules were identical for all time controls, but with these laws it depends on whether an arbiter is watching or not. I can only imagine this being implemented in this country for active or blitz playoffs in important competitions.

  • #2
    Re: New FIDE rules

    In blitz, you can still have the equivalent of an arbiter calling a flag fall - simply set all clocks to "Halt at end" (or similar) - so that neither clock continues running when one side reaches zero.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: New FIDE rules

      60-0 minutes on late arrival is probably the most stupidest thing to have ever been made a rule
      Shameless self-promotion on display here
      http://www.youtube.com/user/Barkyducky?feature=mhee

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: New FIDE rules

        I maintain my position that a competition using the 0-min. rule should start its sessions at 5 min. past the hour. Besides building in a little "sanity buffer"---without instituting a grace period---it allows for speeches or etc. before a round. For example, the 35th Mauricie Open had speeches and introductions---including of myself---before several rounds, which was very nice. But if this happens past (say) 7pm at an event with the 0-tolerance rule stated for 7pm start, then as a player I would find that a contradiction.

        The convention would also give optical confirmation as players read tournament announcements: :05 or :35 means strict, :00 or :30 means otherwise.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re : New FIDE rules

          At least this rule won't be applied in canadians tournaments (or at least in Quebec...).

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: New FIDE rules

            Originally posted by Bindi Cheng View Post
            60-0 minutes on late arrival is probably the most stupidest thing to have ever been made a rule
            As I sip a beer (or maybe more) tonight, I am germinating the crazy idea of declaring my opposition to the 0-minute grace rule in a novel way. Rather than change it back to 60 minutes, maybe I will just waive the rule completely! In other words, LOL, late players would only lose when their time control expires, LOL. Why do I find that so funny?! ;)

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: New FIDE rules

              Why not just let the clock run to zero time instead :)
              wouldn't this be much easier for all :)

              Flags should be automatic with clock move count:)
              if you don't make TC your opponent shouldn't have to worry about it
              you should automatical lose:)

              All Electronic divices should be off :)
              does this rule apply to watchies that beep on the hour

              Comment


              • #8
                Zero time forfeit

                All you have to do is announce a different forfeit time in your own tournament rules.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: New FIDE rules

                  Here's one: why not also say that people who arrive more than zero minutes early also lose by forfeit? The TD's job becomes a lot easier then :D
                  No matter how big and bad you are, when a two-year-old hands you a toy phone, you answer it.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: New FIDE rules

                    watchies? good point, I'd say that if they play Oh Canada or the Star Spangled banner or the War of 1812 Overture or the Boatmen of the Volga song they should be turned off, if they beep once maybe not but if they are like mine & beep for 15 seconds then maybe they should be off too

                    and in case anyone says there is no such thing http://www.elitedeals.com/gam-nhlswcal.html
                    Last edited by Zeljko Kitich; Friday, 3rd July, 2009, 08:43 PM.

                    Comment

                    Working...
                    X