1C2a Standard Penalty. Except where specifically noted in the rules, the standard penalty assessed by the director is to add two minutes to the remaining time of the opponent of the player not following the rules of chess.

Section 5C: For the purposes of rating G/minutes and inc/seconds (or d/seconds), add minutes (mm) and seconds (ss) for total playing time for each player. Dual (both regular and quick): Total playing time for each player is from 30 to 65 minutes (30 < mm+ss <65). The total playing time for G/25;d/5 is 30 minutes (25 minutes plus the 5 second delay).

5E. Recommended increment or delay. For a mixed or repeating time control, or for a base time of 30 minutes or more, an increment or delay in the range of 5 to 30 seconds is recommended. For a base time of more than 10 minutes and less than 30 minutes, an increment or delay of 3 seconds is recommended. For a base time of 10 minutes or less, an increment or delay of 2 seconds is recommended.
5E2. Organizer fails to specify increment or delay. If the organizer fails to specify an increment or delay time in the time control (which may be zero to indicate no increment or delay), the minimum recommended delay specified in rule 5E shall apply.

5C1. Both players must have the same time control. For a game to be ratable, the same time control must apply to both players. “Time odds” games (games in which the time control assigns the two players different base times) are not ratable.
TD TIP: The director may apply penalties against a player’s time before the game begins, causing the players to start the game with different times on the clock. This does not affect the ratability of the game.

5F1b. Setting a non-increment capable clock for use with an increment time control. In all cases, each player starts with the clock set for the base time. If the clock is delay capable and the delay can be set the same as the increment time, the clock should be so configured. Otherwise, if the clock is delay capable, set the delay time to the maximum possible value that does not exceed the increment time. If the clock is not delay capable, the clock is set to the base time.

5F5. Replacement of non-standard timer in increment and delay time controls. If either player arrives late for the start of the game, and a clock without delay or increment has already been started the player has the right to furnish and substitute a properly set delay or increment capable clock prior to the determination of Black’s first move. The player substituting the delay or increment capable clock must also transfer the elapsed times shown on the original clock to the replacement clock without any additional adjustments (except to correct any errors in the display of the elapsed time).

8A3. Castling permanently illegal. Castling is illegal for the remainder of the game for a player:
a. If that player’s king has already moved, or
b. With a rook of that player that has already moved.
8A4. Castling temporarily illegal. Castling is not presently possible if:
a. An opponent’s piece attacks the king’s original square (12A, 12B), any square which the king must cross over (12E), or the square the king is to occupy, or
b. There is any piece between the king and the rook with which it “is to castle.”

9E. Checkmate or stalemate. In the case of a legal move which produces checkmate (13A, 4A) or stalemate (14A), the move is determined with no possibility of change upon release as described in 9A, 9B, 9C, or 9D, whichever applies. The move is completed simultaneously with its determination.
13A1. The clock after checkmate. A player who checkmates the opponent is not obligated to then press (5H) or stop (5I) the clock, as checkmate takes priority over a subsequent flag fall. A player delivering checkmate may choose to press the clock to minimize the possibility of dispute.

10. The Touched Piece. TD TIP: Without a neutral witness, Rule 10 depends on the reliability of both the claimant and the opponent. If they disagree then the TD should strongly consider denying the claim. In most cases, by denying the claim the TD shuts the door to all false claims. Upholding a false claim usually does more harm to more players than denying an accurate claim.

10H. Piece touched off the board. There is no penalty for touching a piece that is off the board. A player who advances a pawn to the last rank and then touches a piece off the board is not obligated to promote the pawn to the piece touched until that piece touches the promotion square.

9F. Last move of the time control. When determining whether the prescribed number of legal moves has been made in the allotted time, the last move is considered complete only after the player presses the clock (5H). The player’s flag may be up after releasing the piece, it may be up while hitting the clock, but if the flag is down after the move and the opponent has not yet handled the clock, the player has failed to make the time control.
Except for 9E (checkmate or stalemate), there should never be a dispute about whether the final move of a time control or a flag fall occurred first, because a player’s task is to press the clock in time to prevent the flag fall. If the flag is down, the player has not accomplished this task, and the director must rule that the move was not completed in time. If the final move of the time control produces checkmate or stalemate, then see 9E.

10B. Touch-move rule. Except for 10A (adjustment of pieces), a player on move who deliberately touches one or more pieces, in a manner that may reasonably be interpreted as the beginning of a move, must move or capture the first piece touched that can be moved or captured.
11D. Illegal move. If a player completes an illegal move by pressing the clock, in addition to the usual obligation to make a legal move with the touched piece if possible, the standard penalty specified in rule 1C2a applies.

11F. Incorrect initial position. If, before the completion of Black’s 10th move, it is found that the initial position of the pieces was incorrect, or that the game began with the colors reversed, then the game shall be annulled and a new game played. However, the players shall begin the new game with their clocks still reflecting the elapsed time each player used in the annulled game; however, move counters on clocks that have them may be readjusted. If the error is discovered after the completion of Black’s 10th move, the game shall continue.

11G. Incorrect placement of chessboard. If, during a game, it is found that the board has been placed contrary to 2C, Placement, which requires a white square in the nearer corner to the right of each player, then the position reached shall be transferred to a board correctly placed and the game continued.

11H. Director corrects illegal move outside of time pressure. Except in a time pressure situation (11D1), a director who witnesses an illegal move being made shall require the player to replace that move with a legal one in accordance with 10B, Touch-move rule. The time on the clocks shall not be adjusted; however, move counters on clocks that have them may be readjusted. See also 11J, Deliberate illegal moves and 21D, Intervening in games.
11D. Illegal move. If a player completes an illegal move by pressing the clock, in addition to the usual obligation to make a legal move with the touched piece if possible, the standard penalty specified in rule 1C2a applies.
11D1. Illegal move in time pressure. Time pressure is defined as a situation where either player has less than five minutes left in a time control and the time control does not include an increment or delay of 30 seconds or more.
In the situation described, the time control includes an increment of 30 seconds and therefore this game can never be in a “time pressure” situation.

11D1. Illegal move in time pressure. Time pressure is defined as a situation where either player has less than five minutes left in a time control and the time control does not include an increment or delay of 30 seconds or more. A director should not call attention to illegal moves in time pressure, only the players may make that claim.

Variation 11H1. Director as witness only. In an event in which most games are not watched by directors, a director may refrain from correcting all illegal moves he or she may notice but simply serve as a witness should one of the players point out the illegal move before ten more moves have been made (11A).

11D1. Illegal move in time pressure. Time pressure is defined as a situation where either player has less than five minutes left in a time control and the time control does not include an increment or delay of 30 seconds or more. A director should not call attention to illegal moves in time pressure, only the players may make that claim.
11H. Director corrects illegal move outside of time pressure. Except in a time pressure situation (11D1), a director who witnesses an illegal move being made shall require the player to replace that move with a legal one in accordance with 10B, Touch-move rule.
Variation 11H1. Director as witness only. In an event in which most games are not watched by directors, a director may refrain from correcting all illegal moves he or she may notice but simply serve as a witness should one of the players point out the illegal move before ten more moves have been made (11A).

11A. Illegal move during last ten moves. If, during a game, it is found that one of either player’s last ten moves was illegal and neither player is in time pressure (11D1), the position shall be reinstated to what it was before the illegal move.
11B. Illegal move prior to last ten moves. If it is found that an illegal move was made prior to each player’s last ten moves, the illegal move shall stand and the game shall continue.
11D1. Illegal move in time pressure. Time pressure is defined as a situation where either player has less than five minutes left in a time control and the time control does not include an increment or delay of 30 seconds or more. A director should not call attention to illegal moves in time pressure, only the players may make that claim. If, during the game, in time pressure, a player’s claim that one of either player’s last two moves was illegal is upheld by the TD, the position shall be reinstated to what it was before the illegal move and the procedure in rule 11A shall be followed.

13B. Resignation. The player whose opponent resigns wins the game. This immediately ends the game. Saying I resign or tipping over the king are relatively clear ways to resign.

13C. Time forfeit. a. Non-Sudden Death: The player who properly claims that the opponent has not completed the prescribed number of moves in the allotted time wins the game, provided that the claimant has mating material (14E) and a reasonably complete scoresheet (13C7) when the flag falls (5G).
13C7. Definition of reasonably complete scoresheet. Unless otherwise posted or announced in advance at the site, a reasonably complete scoresheet is one that has no more than three missing or incomplete move pairs (consecutive moves, white and black or black and white). The absence of three consecutive individual moves, e.g. white-black-white, counts as two incomplete move pairs.
13C11. Time forfeit claim denied in non-sudden death. If a flag is down but a claimant’s scoresheet is insufficient to win on time, two minutes shall be added to the claimant’s opponent’s remaining time and the game shall continue. No further time forfeit claims during that time control are allowed; a claim of time forfeit shall be allowed during subsequent time controls.

13D. Late arrival for game. The player who arrives at the chessboard more than one hour late for the beginning of the game or arrives after the expiration of the first or only time control period, whichever comes first, loses the game. The absence countdown begins at the actual starting time of the round, which is not always the scheduled starting time.

14C. Triple occurrence of position. The game is drawn upon a correct claim by the player on the move when the same position is about to appear for at least the third time or has just appeared for at least the third time, the same player being on move each time. In both cases, the position is considered the same if pieces of the same kind and color occupy the same squares and if the possible moves of all the pieces are the same, including the right to castle (8A2, 8A3, 8A4) or to capture a pawn en passant (8F5).
14C2. How to claim. If a director denies the claim, the claimant is still obligated to play any announced or recorded move. The director awards the opponent two extra minutes.
14C6. Resolution of claim. If the claim is found to be correct, the game is drawn. If the claim is found to be incorrect, two minutes shall be added to the opponent’s remaining unused time.
In this scenario, the Black queen is on g7 in the first instance, but on h6 in the final position, which means the exact position being claimed has not occurred three times.

14C3. Player must be on move. Only a player to move may claim a draw under 14C. If the opponent is on move a player may not claim, and any claim the player may have made before pressing the clock is invalid; however, the claim is then considered a draw offer (14C7). The right to claim is restored to that player if the same position appears again with the same player on move, or if any other position appears for at least the third time with the same player on move.
14C4. Claim after moving without pressing clock. A player who moves and then does not press the clock (5H), but allows it to run, retains the right to claim a draw under 14C.
14C7. Irrevocability of claim. A player who makes a draw claim under 14C cannot withdraw it; however, it is still considered a draw offer (14). If a player moves, then claims a draw and presses the clock (5H), or claims a draw, then moves and presses the clock, the move stands, and this is considered an offer of a draw (14).
As White made a move and pressed the clock, he is no longer “on move” and therefore his claim of a draw offer is invalid.

14C. Triple occurrence of position. The game is drawn upon a correct claim by the player on the move when the same position is about to appear for at least the third time or has just appeared for at least the third time, the same player being on move each time. In both cases, the position is considered the same if pieces of the same kind and color occupy the same squares and if the possible moves of all the pieces are the same, including the right to castle (8A2, 8A3, 8A4) or to capture a pawn en passant (8F5).
14C6. Resolution of claim. If the claim is found to be correct, the game is drawn. If the claim is found to be incorrect, two minutes shall be added to the opponent’s remaining unused time.
In the first occurrence of the position in which White is claiming a draw, Black had queenside castling rights. After Black moved the rook on a8, Black’s queenside castling rights no longer exist and therefore these positions are not considered the same.

14D. Insufficient material to continue. The game is drawn when one of the following endings exists as of the most recently determined legal move, in which the possibility of a win is excluded for either side.
14D3. King and bishop vs. king and bishop. King and bishop vs. king and bishop, with both bishops on diagonals of the same color.

14E. Insufficient material to win on time. The game is drawn even when a player exceeds the time limit if one of the following conditions exists as of the most recently determined legal move.
14E2. King and bishop or king and knight. Opponent has only king and bishop or king and knight, and does not have a forced win.

14F. The 50-move rule.
14F1. Explanation. The game is drawn when the player on move claims a draw and demonstrates that the last 50 consecutive moves have been made by each side without any capture or pawn move.
14F3. Winning position irrelevant. If a valid claim exists, the game is drawn regardless of the position. Even if the opponent can show an immediate checkmate, the game is drawn.

14F4. Director may count moves in sudden death. In sudden death, a player with fewer than five minutes remaining and a simplified position in which no pawn moves or captures seem likely may stop both clocks, declare to a director an intention to invoke the 50-move rule when possible, and ask for assistance in counting moves. A director who agrees this is appropriate may count moves or use a deputy or a clock with a move counter to do so.
14F4c. After the count by the director or deputy begins, neither player has a right to know the count until 50 moves are reached. At that point the game is declared drawn unless the opponent successfully challenges the move count.

14F4. Director may count moves in sudden death. In sudden death, a player with fewer than five minutes remaining and a simplified position in which no pawn moves or captures seem likely may stop both clocks, declare to a director an intention to invoke the 50-move rule when possible, and ask for assistance in counting moves. A director who agrees this is appropriate may count moves or use a deputy or a clock with a move counter to do so.
The position in the diagram shown does not meet the definition of “a simplified position in which no pawn moves or captures seem likely”.

14G. Both flags down in sudden death. The game is drawn if both flags are down in a sudden death time control and either player points this out. If a player whose flag is still up claims a win on time but does not stop the clock in time to prevent the flag from falling, the game is drawn, unless the flag fall was observed by a director or independent witness.
TD TIP: If both flags are down some clocks indicate which flag fell first. At this point that information cannot be used to make a time claim win. The claim of a win must be properly made by a player before his own flag falls.
14G2. Players apparently unaware of situation. If a sudden death game continues with both flags down, the director may rule it a draw. This exception to the standard rule that only players may call flags down is justified by the need to avoid delaying the tournament.

14H. Claim of insufficient losing chances in sudden death. No claim of insufficient losing chances in sudden death will be allowed.

15A. Manner of keeping score. In the course of play each player is required to record the game (both the player’s and the opponent’s moves), move after move, as clearly and legibly as possible, on the scoresheet prescribed for the competition. Algebraic notation is standard, but descriptive or computer notation is permitted. The player must first make the move, and then record it on the scoresheet.
TD TIP: While the rule’s wording indicates making the move first and keeping the scoresheet (paper or electronic) visible at all times, it brings US Chess in alignment with FIDE procedures and sooths many of the fears surrounding electronic scoresheets, it is a huge change for many players. TDs are advised to first (and possibly second and third) issue warnings to players that do not comply with this revised rule before enforcing any time penalties (1C2a. prescribes adding two minutes to the opponent’s unused time).

15A. (Variation I) Paper scoresheet variation. The player using a paper scoresheet may first make the move, and then write it on the scoresheet, or vice versa. This variation does not need to be advertised in advance. The scoresheet shall be visible to the arbiter (tournament directors) and the opponent throughout the game.
TD TIP: TDs may penalize a player that is in violation of 20C, Use of notes prohibited if the player is first writing the move and repeatedly altering that move on their scoresheet before completing a move on the board.
20C. Use of notes prohibited. The use of notes made during the game as an aid to memory is forbidden, aside from the actual recording of the moves, draw offers, and clock times, and the header information normally found on a scoresheet. This is a much less serious offense than 20B; a warning or minor time penalty is common, with more severe punishment if the offense is repeated.

15C. Scorekeeping in time pressure, sudden death time control. If either player has less than five minutes remaining in a sudden death time control and does not have additional time (increment) of 30 seconds or more added with each move, both players are excused from the obligation to keep score. A scoresheet is not required to win on time in a sudden death control (13C).

13C1. Only players may call flag. Only the players in a game may call attention to the fall of a flag (See also 5G); it is considered to have fallen only when either player points this out. A director must never initiate a time-forfeit claim.
16E. When flag is considered down. The flag is considered to have fallen when either player points this out. See also 5G, The flag and 13C1, Only players may call flag.

16K. Both players late. If both players arrive late, the first to arrive must split the elapsed time before starting the opponent’s clock. For example, if the first player to arrive is 40 minutes late, the clocks should be set to reflect 20 minutes of elapsed time on each side.

20N. Electronic communication devices. Without the permission of the director 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.
TD TIP: “Permission of the director” allows for maximum flexibility. No specific penalty is prescribed. In the absence of announced rules for a specific event, the standard penalties apply (see 20N1).
20N1. Disturbing noise or disruption of games. Audible disruptive noises such as a cell phone ring tone, pager beep, alarms and other noises cause a disruption in the playing hall. These noises are often very loud and disturb the entire room. The following are guidelines for penalizing such disturbances:
a. First offense standard penalty is to subtract 10 minutes or half the remaining time from a player’s clock, whichever is less. Variant: Depending on the importance of the event the standard penalty may be up to immediate loss of the game in progress. If a variant is used, it must be announced at the opening remarks for the event and posted prominently in the playing hall and at all entrances.

20B. Use of recorded matter prohibited. During play, players are forbidden to make use of handwritten, printed, or otherwise recorded matter. While the penalty is at the discretion of the director, a forfeit loss is usually ruled if the material is relevant to the game, while a lesser penalty or warning is common otherwise. For example, a player on move five of a King’s Indian Defense would usually be forfeited for reading a book on the King’s Indian but given a warning or time penalty for reading one on rook endings.

21J. The Special Referee. A special referee is a director with substantial experience who is available to provide advice or make a ruling by telephone. Phone numbers of special referees can be found currently on the US Chess web page using the TD/Affiliate page and are also occasionally printed in Chess Life. To ensure impartiality a special referee is preferred over an appeals committee (21I).
21J1. Usage. The director may refer any appeal to a special referee, but should keep in mind that unless the facts are agreed upon, or the players’ differences easily summarized, substantial delay and phone cost may result. Use of a special referee is most appropriate when the tournament director is certified at a lower level than the referee, and when a director of comparable certification to the referee is not immediately available to serve on an appeals committee.
Although Special Referees can also provide advice to inexperienced TDs, all TDs should ensure a copy of a Rulebook is available onsite to reference when making decisions if the answer to a specific issue is not known. The onsite TD can then make a decision regarding the situation, which can then in turn be appealed to a Special Referee if a player appeals against that decision.

27A. Basic Swiss system rules. The following rules are listed in order of priority from 27A1 for the highest priority to 27A5 for the lowest.
27A1. Avoid players meeting twice (highest priority).
27A2. Equal scores.
27A3. Upper half vs. lower half.
27A4. Equalizing colors.
27A5. Alternating colors.

28J. The first round. The director (or computer) flips a coin to decide who will play white on the first board, the higher- or lower-rated player. After ordering all the players by rating, the director divides the cards into two equal sized groups, pairing the highest player in the upper half against the highest player in the lower half, the second-highest in the upper half against the second-highest in the lower half, etc.
28L. Full-point byes.
28L2. Determination. In the first round, the bye is given to the player with the lowest US Chess rating but not to an unrated player or a late entrant.

28E. Assigned ratings for rated players. The director may assign a rating to any rated player.
28E2. Cause for assignment. A rating may be assigned only for reasonable cause, including, but not limited to, the following:
a. The player has shown significant superiority to those in a particular class.
b. The player has demonstrated a tendency to achieve much better results when significant prizes are at stake than when they are not.
c. The player’s rating has recently dropped into a lower class due to results that are statistically highly unlikely.
d. The player’s moves, time management, statements, or other actions during play in a previous tournament have caused the director to conclude that the player did not make a reasonable effort to avoid losing games.

28N. Combined individual-team tournaments. Scholastic events are often held as individual Swiss systems, with both individual and team awards. Players are paired individually and team standings are determined by adding the scores of each school’s top scorers, usually the top four. The director should try to avoid pairing teammates against each other, but an absolute prohibition of such pairings can give an unfair advantage in the individual standings to players on strong teams, who may be “paired down” against players with a lower score rather than facing each other.
There are variations provided in 28N1, 28N2, 28N3 and 28N4, which allow TDs to pair teammates in specific circumstances or when certain conditions are met, but the default, per the US Chess rules, is to use the wording in 28N.

29E4. Equalization, alternation, and priority of color. Pairing players due the same color. Whenever it is necessary to pair two players who are due the same color the following rules apply:
4. If both players have had an equal number of whites and blacks, or both are equally out of balance, and if they had different colors in one or more prior rounds, priority for assigning color should be based on the latest round in which their colors differed. One or both players should be assigned the color opposite to that which they played in that round. Example 1: WBWB gets white over BWWB, because the first player had black in round two, the latest round in which colors differed. Example 2: BWxBW gets white over BWBxW, because the first player had black and the second had no color in round 4, the latest round in which colors differed.
5. If both players have had the same color sequence, the higher-ranked player gets due color. The higher-ranked player is the player with the higher score. If the players have the same score, the higher-ranked player is the higher-rated (rank is defined in 29A).

29E5a. The 80-point rule. Transpositions and interchanges for the purpose of maximizing the number of players who receive their due color should be limited to players with a pre-tournament rating difference of 80 points or less.
29E5b. The 200-point rule. Transpositions and interchanges for the purpose of minimizing the number of players who receive one color two or more times more than the other color should be limited to players with a pre-tournament rating difference of 200 points or less.
A transposition is the practice of changing the order of players within the upper half or lower half of a group. An interchange involves switching a player from the bottom of the upper half with a player from the top of the lower half.

32B1. One cash prize per player. No winner shall receive more than one cash award.
32B2. Ties. Tied winners of place prizes or tied winners in the same class of class prizes shall be awarded all the cash prizes involved, summed and divided equally; but no more than one cash prize shall go into the division for each winner.
32B3. Ties for more than one prize. If winners of different prizes tie with each other, all the cash prizes involved shall be summed and divided equally among the tied winners unless any of the winners would receive more money by winning or dividing only a particular prize for which others in the tie are ineligible. No player may receive an amount greater from the division of those prizes than the largest prize for which he would be eligible if there were no tie. No more than one cash prize shall go into the pool for each winner.
32B4. Priority of identical prizes. A player who is eligible for both a place prize and a class prize of an identical amount shall receive the place prize.

34E. Calculating Swiss tiebreaks. Unless a different method has been posted or announced before the start of the first round, players will expect the following sequence of tiebreak systems to be employed as the first four tiebreakers. Any variation to be used within the various systems should be posted also.
1. Modified Median
2. Solkoff
3. Cumulative
4. Cumulative of Opposition

34E1. Modified Median The Median system, also known as the Harkness system for inventor Kenneth Harkness, evaluates the strength of a player’s opposition by summing the final scores of his or her opponents and then discarding the highest and lowest of these scores.
In the Modified Median system, players who tie with even scores (an even score is equal to exactly one half of the maximum possible score), have the highest- and lowest-scoring opponents’ scores excluded. The system is modified for players with non-even scores to disregard only the least significant opponents’ scores: the lowest-scoring opponent’s score is discarded for tied players with plus scores and the highest-scoring for tied players with minus scores.
For tournaments of nine or more rounds, the top two and bottom two scores are discarded for even-score ties, the bottom two scores for plus-score ties, and the top two scores for minus-score ties.
These scores are adjusted for unplayed games, which count a half point each, regardless of whether they were byes, forfeits, or simply rounds not played after an opponent withdrew. So an opponent who won the first two games, lost the third, withdrew and did not play rounds four or five would have an adjusted score of 3 points (1+1+0+0.5+0.5 = 3). These adjusted scores are used only to calculate the opponent’s tiebreaks. The player’s own score is not changed.
If the player involved in the tie has any unplayed games, they count as opponents with adjusted scores of 0.

Chapter 11: Blitz Chess