Just the Rules: Draw offer blues

This month’s US Chess column has been up for a bit and it has had some response–enjoy!

new.uschess.org/news/just-rules … fer-blues/

A lot of response. Well worth reading. Everybody should take a look.

Bill Smythe

A lot of it involves one SrTD taking one position while three ANTDs and four NTDs take the same opposing position (including one former TDCC chair, a second former TDCC chair that wrote the last two editions of the rulebook and the current Rules and TDCC chairs).

Basically, the SrTD is insisting that, if a player offers a draw without moving, then he is not allowed to move (nor to press his clock) until his opponent explicitly accepts or declines the offer.

Needless to say, this gives the opponent the option to think about the offer for a long time, until the original player’s flag falls, at which time the opponent claims a win by time forfeit.

Not surprisingly, this SrTD is not getting a lot of support for his position.

Bill Smythe