Blitz rules Clarifications

[Micah_Smith]

@martinak

@Mulfish

While in quick chess it is sensible to specify that scorekeeping is not required since it is obviously possible at the longer time controls, it seems incredibly silly for blitz. Only an idiot would even attempt it. And anyone who would try to argue their opponent had to keep score is either an idiot also or else the worst kind of chess lawyer.

I’m assuming that 15C from the 5th edition is in the 6th edition:
15C. Scorekeeping in time pressure, sudden death time control. If either player has less than five minutes remaining in a sudden death time control, both players are excused from the obligation to keep score. A scoresheet is not required to win on time in a sudden death time control (13C).

So wouldn’t that handle the situation - without any additional comments, rules necessary.

What if it’s a G/10,d0 Blitz game?

[Micah_Smith]

@wintdoan

The one section in the Blitz rules that just doesn’t feel right is the description of draws. While the language doesn’t preclude that there are other possibilities (it says “if” not “only if”), given that it lists some “well, duh” items such as by agreement or by stalemate, it’s written like this is exhaustive. Yet, it omits mention of triple occurrence, even if the player can demonstrate perpetual check. With delay or increment, the “inability to demonstrate progress” draws (triple occurrence and 50 move) are much more likely to come into play since you’re no longer limited to maybe 80 moves on each side in a 5 minute game. Just as the blitz moves don’t need to repeat “how the horsie moves”, it doesn’t need to repeat that stalemate ends the game. SFAIK, the draws (should?) work the same way as they do for other forms of chess (with the sudden death time pressure handling for triple occurrence and 50 moves) except for

(a) not allowing ILC
(b) the clause about having insufficient mating material when the opponent makes an illegal move

This should either include all the possibilities, or be reduced to referring to the standard rules for draws except …

I’ve been thinking about this as well. There are multiple sections of the Blitz rules where the reader could simply be referred to the standard rules. I agree that the Blitz rules “should either include all the possibilities, or be reduced to referring to the standard rules for draws except …” and I think simply listing the exceptions is simplest. There are also some other “well, duh” statements such as “A game is won by the player: 7a.) Who has legally mated his opponent’s king. 7b.) Whose opponent resigns.” and “Each player must make all his moves in the time specified for the game.”

Also, in a G/10,d0 Blitz game for example, can a player only be awarded a draw by triple occurrence of position or the 50 move rule if they are under 5-minutes or are notating?

[Smythe_Dakota]

The whole problem here is that the rule writers, in their infinite wisdom, decided to have a section on “blitz rules” at all.

The main rules, in most cases, apply to regular, quick, and blitz. (That includes touch-move and determined move.)

Much better would have been to have a section just on “how blitz rules differ” from the main rules. If any topic isn’t mentioned in such a section, the blitz rules governing that topic are simply the same as the main rules, automatically.

Of course, there could be cross-references in the main rules, saying things like “See xxxx for the blitz rules on this topic.” Such cross-references could be used for quick, too.

Bill Smythe

[Micah_Smith]

@Smythe Dakota

The whole problem here is that the rule writers, in their infinite wisdom, decided to have a section on “blitz rules” at all.

The main rules, in most cases, apply to regular, quick, and blitz. (That includes touch-move and determined move.)

Much better would have been to have a section just on “how blitz rules differ” from the main rules. If any topic isn’t mentioned in such a section, the blitz rules governing that topic are simply the same as the main rules, automatically.

Of course, there could be cross-references in the main rules, saying things like “See xxxx for the blitz rules on this topic.” Such cross-references could be used for quick, too.

Bill Smythe

I agree with this.

@Smythe Dakota

The main rules, in most cases, apply to regular, quick, and blitz. (That includes touch-move and determined move.)

But it says in the Blitz rules that “A legal move is completed when the hand leaves the piece.” so there is a difference between a determined move and completed move in Blitz and Regular.

[Micah_Smith]

How about simplfying (and clarifying) the Blitz rules into something like this:

Blitz Chess (also known as Speed Chess, 5-minute Chess, Lightning Chess (2-minute), and Bullet Chess (1-minute)) is a variant defined as a single, sudden death time control from 1 to 10 minutes. Blitz games are typically set to five minutes and do not use time delay or increment. G/3, inc/2 is popular in on-line play, and is now standard in international (FIDE) blitz events. Non standard time controls should keep in mind the spirit and intent of Blitz Chess (Rapid play, quick, fun chess). Since most standard Blitz games takes only about 10 minutes, it has long been popular for fun games where time is limited, such as lunch breaks or between rounds of other tournaments. Some clubs will host Blitz events that may have as many as 20+ rounds in a single evening. Blitz events are often played in double Swiss or double round robin format. This has the advantages of making the event go faster and avoiding potential color problems. Blitz is also sometimes used to break ties in tournaments.

Blitz follows most of the same rules as regular and quick chess (including touch move and one hand for each move). Rules that are different in Blitz are given below.

1. An illegal move that is completed loses, provided the opponent has sufficient mating material and either takes the king (if the king is in check) or claims the win and stops the clock before determining a move. Once the opponent determines a move, the position stands and the illegal move cannot be corrected.
   1a) An illegal move is completed when the player presses the clock. A player may retract an illegal move prior to pressing the clock. A legal move is completed when the hand leaves the piece.
   1b) An illegal move that is completed doesn’t negate a player’s right to claim on time, provided it is done prior to the opponent’s claim of an illegal move. If the claims are simultaneous, the player who made the illegal move loses.
   1c) Intentionally playing a king next to the opponent’s in order to take the opponent’s king on the next move (if not caught) is a cheap shot and will not be tolerated!

2. Once each side has completed one move the position on the board and the time on the clock remain as set except if one or both players have more base time then the players were suppose to start with, then the tournament director (TD) may reduce the time accordingly (i.e. the clock was set incorrectly and a player has 6 minutes remaining in a G/5,d0 game). If the king and queen are set up incorrectly, it is legal to castle short on the queenside and long on the kingside.

3. The game can end in a draw in all the same ways as regular and quick chess except for the following differences
   3a) A game is a draw if a player has insufficient mating material when the opponent makes an illegal move
   3b) No draw by insufficient losing chances
   Variation 3b1): Allowing “Insufficient Losing Chances” (ILC) claims. This should be advertised and announced in advance. A player must have under one minute to make a claim. If the claim is denied, one minute is subtracted from the claimant’s times, causing an automatic loss. “Insufficient Losing Chances” claims are upheld only:
   1.) If both players each have just one identical piece and if neither side can show a forced win.
   2.) In K+bishop vs. K+bishop of opposite colors, with only 1 pawn on the board, provided there is no forced win.
   3.) K+rook pawn vs. K can be claimed as a draw once the defender is on the rook file in front
   of the pawn. K+pawn vs. K can be claimed as a draw once the defender is immediately on
   the square directly in front of the pawn as long as it’s not on the 7th rank.
   4.) K=rook+rook pawn vs. K+rook is a draw if the pawn is blockaded by the king and there is no immediate win.
   5.) The claimant has a significant material and positional advantage

4. Standard penalty for first offense is to add one minute to the opponent’s clock. A penalty may be assessed if a player presses the clock after displacing pieces, knocks over the clock, or touches a piece, moves another, and presses the clock. There may be circumstances where a penalty assessed may not be standard (e.g. repeat offenses, unsporting behavior, etc…) and is left to the discretion of the tournament director.

5. If a player is promoting a pawn and the desired piece is not available, the player may stop both clocks in order to locate the piece and place it on the board. It is improper for the player to press the clock to start the opponent’s time with the pawn still on the last rank. If this is done, the opponent may immediately restart the player’s clock without moving.

6. Spectators and players in another game are not to speak or otherwise interfere. If a spectator interferes in any way that may affect the result of the game (e.g. calling attention to a flag fall or an illegal move), the tournament director may cancel the game and rule that a new game be played in its stead and expel the offending party from the playing room. If the offending party is participating in the event, penalties at the discretion of the tournament director may be assessed up to expulsion from the event.

7. The decision of the tournament director is final.

I left out Blitz rules 2a, 2b, 6a, 6c, and 12 since those should simply be added to the main rules. 6d is a “well, duh” statement that doesn’t need to be in the rulebook at all. All the other Blitz rules taken out are already in the main rules for regular chess and don’t need to be repeated in the Blitz rules.

[wintdoan]

@Micah Smith

But it says in the Blitz rules that “A legal move is completed when the hand leaves the piece.” so there is a difference between a determined move and completed move in Blitz and Regular.

That’s because it’s common in blitz for a player to move before the opponent has pressed their clock. Rather than requiring A move, A clock, B move, B clock, it allows A move, B move, A clock, B clock. One hopes that the move towards delay/increment in blitz will make the insanity of flying hands and pieces a thing of the past.

[Micah_Smith]

@wintdoan

@Micah Smith

But it says in the Blitz rules that “A legal move is completed when the hand leaves the piece.” so there is a difference between a determined move and completed move in Blitz and Regular.

That’s because it’s common in blitz for a player to move before the opponent has pressed their clock. Rather than requiring A move, A clock, B move, B clock, it allows A move, B move, A clock, B clock. One hopes that the move towards delay/increment in blitz will make the insanity of flying hands and pieces a thing of the past.

Thank you for that excellent explanation wintdoan.

[Smythe_Dakota]

@Micah Smith

… But it says in the Blitz rules that “A legal move is completed when the hand leaves the piece.” so there is a difference between a determined move and completed move in Blitz and Regular.

No, it’s just that the terminology got screwed up. The word “completed” is used in the Blitz section to mean the same thing “determined” means in regular and Quick.

Bill Smythe

[Micah_Smith]

@wintdoan

@Micah Smith

But it says in the Blitz rules that “A legal move is completed when the hand leaves the piece.” so there is a difference between a determined move and completed move in Blitz and Regular.

That’s because it’s common in blitz for a player to move before the opponent has pressed their clock. Rather than requiring A move, A clock, B move, B clock, it allows A move, B move, A clock, B clock. One hopes that the move towards delay/increment in blitz will make the insanity of flying hands and pieces a thing of the past.

@Smythe Dakota

@Micah Smith

… But it says in the Blitz rules that “A legal move is completed when the hand leaves the piece.” so there is a difference between a determined move and completed move in Blitz and Regular.

No, it’s just that the terminology got screwed up. The word “completed” is used in the Blitz section to mean the same thing “determined” means in regular and Quick.

Bill Smythe

Wintdoan and Bill Smythe give opposing views here. Who is correct?

[jwiewel]

@Smythe Dakota

@Micah Smith

… But it says in the Blitz rules that “A legal move is completed when the hand leaves the piece.” so there is a difference between a determined move and completed move in Blitz and Regular.

No, it’s just that the terminology got screwed up. The word “completed” is used in the Blitz section to mean the same thing “determined” means in regular and Quick.

Bill Smythe

I thought that terminology was very deliberately chosen, not a mistake. That difference means that it is legal for a player to start making a move before the opponent has hit the clock (such as in the Women’s Championship play-off a few years back). That is also why there is an additional comment about a player being allowed to hit the clock after making a move.
Without that terminology you have the alternate situation in Supernational III where players would make their move, NOT hit their clock, and then claim an illegal move win when their opponent moved while it was still their move. Some TDs early on actually awarded those wins before they were told doing so was incorrect and they were overruled by more experienced TDs. Since you can’t depend on more experienced TDs to be at a blitz event, the wording was designed to explicitly allow starting your move before the other player has hit the clock.

P.S. Some people think that moving before the other person has pressed the clock is an abomination and thus the integrity of the game would be better maintained by instead using clock move

[Allen]

Yes Jeff the wording is deliberate and for the reasons you described.

[Smythe_Dakota]

@Micah Smith

How about simplfying (and clarifying) the Blitz rules into something like this:

Well, OK. Paragraph by paragraph:

Blitz Chess (also known as Speed Chess, 5-minute Chess, Lightning Chess (2-minute), and Bullet Chess (1-minute)) is a variant defined as a single, sudden death time control from 1 to 10 minutes. Blitz games are typically set to five minutes and do not use time delay or increment. G/3, inc/2 is popular in on-line play, and is now standard in international (FIDE) blitz events. Non standard time controls should keep in mind the spirit and intent of Blitz Chess (Rapid play, quick, fun chess). Since most standard Blitz games takes only about 10 minutes, it has long been popular for fun games where time is limited, such as lunch breaks or between rounds of other tournaments. Some clubs will host Blitz events that may have as many as 20+ rounds in a single evening. Blitz events are often played in double Swiss or double round robin format. This has the advantages of making the event go faster and avoiding potential color problems. Blitz is also sometimes used to break ties in tournaments.

This entire paragraph should be eliminated. I don’t like the preaching attitude (“spirit and intent”, “typically do not use delay or increment”, etc). A statement of the allowable time controls for Blitz is already included in 5C, along with similar provisions for Regular and Quick.

For that matter, why should Blitz have an entire section to itself in the rulebook? Please note that “section” is a big deal. All the major rules (the moves of the pieces, scorekeeping, the clock, determination and completion of moves, the drawn game, conduct of the players, etc etc etc) are incorporated into a single section, section 1, which is 110 pages long. The Blitz rules belong in there somewhere, not in section 11, which comes after even such topics as correspondence chess (section 9), internet chess (section 10), and several others.

But back to specifics. I’ll skip around a bit, and omit some things.

1a) An illegal move is completed when the player presses the clock. A player may retract an illegal move prior to pressing the clock. A legal move is completed when the hand leaves the piece.

Given the atrocious rule that an illegal move loses the game, something like the above is necessary. But the first and third sentences should be removed. The third sentence, especially, is inconsistent, as “completed” here corresponds to “determined”, rather than to “completed”, in the main rules.

1c) Intentionally playing a king next to the opponent’s in order to take the opponent’s king on the next move (if not caught) is a cheap shot and will not be tolerated!

What does this mean?? It’s cute, and it’s straight out of the old WBCA blitz rules, but it lacks specifics. What happens, besides not tolerating, when somebody does this? Is it an immediate loss, even if the opponent does not notice and gets his king captured? If we have “capture the king” (another atrocious Blitz rule), then it should probably be explicit that any player who places his king next to his opponent’s king should lose the game, no matter how many moves intervene before the situation is noticed by the players or brought to the arbiter’s attention.

3a) A game is a draw if a player has insufficient mating material when the opponent makes an illegal move

I’d have to agree, this is a decent corollary to “illegal move loses”.

3b) No draw by insufficient losing chances
Variation 3b1): Allowing “Insufficient Losing Chances” (ILC) claims. This should be advertised and announced in advance. A player must have under one minute to make a claim. If the claim is denied, one minute is subtracted from the claimant’s times, causing an automatic loss. “Insufficient Losing Chances” claims are upheld only:
1.) If both players each have just one identical piece and if neither side can show a forced win.

If this provision is to remain, it should be expanded to include K+B vs K+N.

3.) K+rook pawn vs. K can be claimed as a draw once the defender is on the rook file in front of the pawn. …

If this provision is to remain, throw in wrong-color bishop as well.

5.) The claimant has a significant material and positional advantage.

OK, I guess, although –

2.) In K+bishop vs. K+bishop of opposite colors, with only 1 pawn on the board, provided there is no forced win.
the rest of 3.) … K+pawn vs. K can be claimed as a draw once the defender is immediately on the square directly in front of the pawn as long as it’s not on the 7th rank.
4.) K+rook+rook pawn vs. K+rook is a draw if the pawn is blockaded by the king and there is no immediate win.

These might be OK for stronger players, but for players below, say, 1400, some of them might be dubious, especially K+P vs K (when not a rook pawn).

5. If a player is promoting a pawn and the desired piece is not available, the player may stop both clocks in order to locate the piece and place it on the board. It is improper for the player to press the clock to start the opponent’s time with the pawn still on the last rank. If this is done, the opponent may immediately restart the player’s clock without moving.

Maybe this should be strengthened, to allow the arbiter to impose a time penalty.

I left out Blitz rules 2a, 2b, 6a, 6c, and 12 since those should simply be added to the main rules. …

Actually, that pretty much goes for all the Blitz rules (as I opined previously).

… 6d is a “well, duh” statement that doesn’t need to be in the rulebook at all. …

6d is hardly a “well, duh” statement. It says “Each player must always be allowed to press the clock after his move is made.” But a rule along these lines should be incorporated into the main rules, for Regular and Quick as well as blitz. Strangely, the main rules are apparently silent on this subject (or maybe I missed something).

… All the other Blitz rules taken out are already in the main rules for regular chess and don’t need to be repeated in the Blitz rules.

Absolutely – along with most of the rest.

Bill Smythe

[Micah_Smith]

@Smythe Dakota

1c) Intentionally playing a king next to the opponent’s in order to take the opponent’s king on the next move (if not caught) is a cheap shot and will not be tolerated!

What does this mean?? It’s cute, and it’s straight out of the old WBCA blitz rules, but it lacks specifics. What happens, besides not tolerating, when somebody does this? Is it an immediate loss, even if the opponent does not notice and gets his king captured? If we have “capture the king” (another atrocious Blitz rule), then it should probably be explicit that any player who places his king next to his opponent’s king should lose the game, no matter how many moves intervene before the situation is noticed by the players or brought to the arbiter’s attention.

There actually was an ADM on this rule at this years US Open and it passed. Allen Priest wrote that “14-41 amended by the maker based on workshop input - delete blitz rule 16 and expend blitz rule 7d to amplify the issue addressed in blitz rule 16 - passed”. Are the meeting minutes online yet so we can see how it was amended?

[William_H_Stokes]

@nolan

I can provide links to videos of someone driving the wrong way on the freeway, but that doesn’t make it an appropriate interpretation of the law to do so.

Wasn’t there a famous (or infamous) FIDE ruling where the arbiter was asked to rule on a loss on time claim, picked up the clock (which was facing away from him at the time), looked at the side with the flag down, which was now reversed from the position it had been during the game, and awarded the win to the other player? Legend has it that Reshevsky was the loser of that game.

GM Denker was the loser in this famous contest. The rest of the details are accurate.

[Allen]

The 1c item (cheap shot) was changed at the 2014 delegates meeting. The meeting minutes are going through final review.

[Terry_Winchester]

@Smythe Dakota

@Micah Smith

How about simplfying (and clarifying) the Blitz rules into something like this:

Well, OK. Paragraph by paragraph:

1a) An illegal move is completed when the player presses the clock. A player may retract an illegal move prior to pressing the clock. A legal move is completed when the hand leaves the piece.

Given the atrocious rule that an illegal move loses the game, something like the above is necessary. But the first and third sentences should be removed. The third sentence, especially, is inconsistent, as “completed” here corresponds to “determined”, rather than to “completed”, in the main rules.

1c) Intentionally playing a king next to the opponent’s in order to take the opponent’s king on the next move (if not caught) is a cheap shot and will not be tolerated!

What does this mean?? It’s cute, and it’s straight out of the old WBCA blitz rules, but it lacks specifics. What happens, besides not tolerating, when somebody does this? Is it an immediate loss, even if the opponent does not notice and gets his king captured? If we have “capture the king” (another atrocious Blitz rule), then it should probably be explicit that any player who places his king next to his opponent’s king should lose the game, no matter how many moves intervene before the situation is noticed by the players or brought to the arbiter’s attention.

It seems I have the wrong updates. 1a, 1c, etc., as quoted by Bill, isn’t in the copy I have. Are these from the 6th edition print, or delegates mtg., or what?

What I have is:

1. Each player must make all his moves in the time specified for the game.

1a) Standard time control (TC) o[f] blitz is G/5 with no delay.

1b) Time controls, including the use of delay or increment, are to be stated in any advance publicity and must also be announced or posted at the site.

TD TIP: Non standard time controls should be set keeping in mind the spirit and intent of Blitz Chess (Rapid play, quick, fun chess). Total game time should not exceed 10 minutes per player per game.

[Smythe_Dakota]

@Terry Winchester

… It seems I have the wrong updates. 1a, 1c, etc., as quoted by Bill, isn’t in the copy I have. Are these from the 6th edition print, or delegates mtg., or what? …

Those weren’t quotes from the rules, they were quotes from Micah Smith. It was his revision proposal, although in some cases the revisions were small.

Bill Smythe

[Micah_Smith]

@Smythe Dakota

Blitz Chess (also known as Speed Chess, 5-minute Chess, Lightning Chess (2-minute), and Bullet Chess (1-minute)) is a variant defined as a single, sudden death time control from 1 to 10 minutes. Blitz games are typically set to five minutes and do not use time delay or increment. G/3, inc/2 is popular in on-line play, and is now standard in international (FIDE) blitz events. Non standard time controls should keep in mind the spirit and intent of Blitz Chess (Rapid play, quick, fun chess). Since most standard Blitz games takes only about 10 minutes, it has long been popular for fun games where time is limited, such as lunch breaks or between rounds of other tournaments. Some clubs will host Blitz events that may have as many as 20+ rounds in a single evening. Blitz events are often played in double Swiss or double round robin format. This has the advantages of making the event go faster and avoiding potential color problems. Blitz is also sometimes used to break ties in tournaments.

This entire paragraph should be eliminated. I don’t like the preaching attitude (“spirit and intent”, “typically do not use delay or increment”, etc). A statement of the allowable time controls for Blitz is already included in 5C, along with similar provisions for Regular and Quick.

I think this paragraph is fine. It’s like a TD Tip.

@Smythe Dakota

1a) An illegal move is completed when the player presses the clock. A player may retract an illegal move prior to pressing the clock. A legal move is completed when the hand leaves the piece.

Given the atrocious rule that an illegal move loses the game, something like the above is necessary. But the first and third sentences should be removed. The third sentence, especially, is inconsistent, as “completed” here corresponds to “determined”, rather than to “completed”, in the main rules.

Others in this thread are saying “completed” in the Blitz rules corresponds to “completed” and not “determined” in the main rules

@Smythe Dakota

3b) No draw by insufficient losing chances
Variation 3b1): Allowing “Insufficient Losing Chances” (ILC) claims. This should be advertised and announced in advance. A player must have under one minute to make a claim. If the claim is denied, one minute is subtracted from the claimant’s times, causing an automatic loss. “Insufficient Losing Chances” claims are upheld only:
1.) If both players each have just one identical piece and if neither side can show a forced win.

If this provision is to remain, it should be expanded to include K+B vs K+N.

OK

@Smythe Dakota

3.) K+rook pawn vs. K can be claimed as a draw once the defender is on the rook file in front of the pawn. …

If this provision is to remain, throw in wrong-color bishop as well.

OK

@Smythe Dakota

2.) In K+bishop vs. K+bishop of opposite colors, with only 1 pawn on the board, provided there is no forced win.
the rest of 3.) … K+pawn vs. K can be claimed as a draw once the defender is immediately on the square directly in front of the pawn as long as it’s not on the 7th rank.
4.) K+rook+rook pawn vs. K+rook is a draw if the pawn is blockaded by the king and there is no immediate win.

These might be OK for stronger players, but for players below, say, 1400, some of them might be dubious, especially K+P vs K (when not a rook pawn).

But an insufficient losing chances claim is suppose to be awarded if a C player would have little chance of losing the position to a master and I think this is the case here.

@Smythe Dakota

5. If a player is promoting a pawn and the desired piece is not available, the player may stop both clocks in order to locate the piece and place it on the board. It is improper for the player to press the clock to start the opponent’s time with the pawn still on the last rank. If this is done, the opponent may immediately restart the player’s clock without moving.

Maybe this should be strengthened, to allow the arbiter to impose a time penalty.

OK

@Smythe Dakota

… 6d is a “well, duh” statement that doesn’t need to be in the rulebook at all. …

6d is hardly a “well, duh” statement. It says “Each player must always be allowed to press the clock after his move is made.” But a rule along these lines should be incorporated into the main rules, for Regular and Quick as well as blitz. Strangely, the main rules are apparently silent on this subject (or maybe I missed something).

I still think this is a “well, duh” statement.

[Smythe_Dakota]

@I

… [ Some of these suggestions ] might be OK for stronger players, but for players below, say, 1400, some of them might be dubious, especially K+P vs K (when not a rook pawn).

@In response

… But an insufficient losing chances claim is suppose to be awarded if a C player would have little chance of losing the position to a master and I think this is the case here.

I have seen many players well over 1400 (maybe even around 1800) not know how to hold an easy K+P vs K ending.

Bill Smythe

[jwiewel]

@Smythe Dakota

@I

… [ Some of these suggestions ] might be OK for stronger players, but for players below, say, 1400, some of them might be dubious, especially K+P vs K (when not a rook pawn).

@In response

… But an insufficient losing chances claim is suppose to be awarded if a C player would have little chance of losing the position to a master and I think this is the case here.

I have seen many players well over 1400 (maybe even around 1800) not know how to hold an easy K+P vs K ending.

Bill Smythe

I’ve seen 1800+ players not in time pressure lose even after getting the king on the square in front of the pawn (not on the last rank).