Can Time Be Added to a Flagged Player?

Running Chess Tournaments
1

How would you rule in the following scenario? Player A has flagged but player B has not noticed. The game is continuing and player B makes an illegal move. Player B NOW realizes that the other player had flagged. Do you…

  1. add 2 minutes to player A’s clock so that they go from 0 to 2 minutes?

  2. declare player B the winner now that they have noticed that player A flagged?

I feel like 1) should be correct so that player B is not rewarded for making an illegal move, but I cannot find anything in the USCF rule book that supports or refutes this in any way.

2

There are several pieces of information I think you’ve omitted and that could be relevant, such as:

  1. Is the time control sudden death?
  2. Did B hit the clock?
  3. Who claimed the illegal move?
  4. Did the illegal move claim happen before or after the flag claim?
3

Good questions!

  1. It is sudden death time control

2,3) Player B has hit the clock and player A has pointed out the illegal move

  1. The illegal move claim occurs BEFORE the flag claim.
4

This topic has come up on the board before (it appears at least in 2012, 2009, and 2007), but does not seem to have ever reached a particularly satisfactory conclusion.

In that scenario, I would resolve the claims in order and restore 2 minutes to player A’s clock, after which player B’s flag claim fails.

This is most consistent with Rule 13C1, only players may call flag.

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.

(Of course, the director can declare a draw if both player flag under Rule 14G2).

So the flag had not fallen, following Rule 13C1, when the illegal move claim was made. Handle that claim first and then the flag claim goes away.