Someday (maybe in 20 years), all tournaments will be played on DGT-like boards (hereafter called “the Board”, uppercase), which can sense the pieces, record the moves, and make rulings.
When this happens, some rules can be changed, deleted completely, or added, in such a way as to improve the chess experience for players and arbiters alike:
- Scorekeeping (by the players) is not necessary. The Board will take care of that, and keep score visibly in two areas, one for each player. (Could be on white’s left, black’s right, where the clock used to be.)
- Did I say “used to be”? Yes, I did. Upon determination of each legal move, the Board will stop one clock and start the other, and display the move on the score sheet(s).
- After the game, the Board will print a copy of the scoresheet for each player, and a third copy for the organizer.
Each player will have a “Draw?” button which can be pressed whenever that player is on the move. Pressing the “Draw?” button is considered to be both a draw offer and a draw claim.
Whenever a player on the move presses the “Draw?” button:
- The Board will immediately check to see whether the current position (without a move by the player) has occurred for the third time. If so, the Board will immediately declare the game drawn, and print three copies of the scoresheet.
- The Board will then check for the 50-move rule (without a move by the player).
- If the 50-move rule is satisfied, the Board will immediately declare the game drawn, and print three copies of the scoresheet.
- If the Board has not declared a draw, it will then wait until the player makes his next move, and then:
- If the new position has occurred three times, the Board will declare the game drawn and print the scoresheets.
- If the new position satisfies the 50-move rule, the Board will declare the game drawn and print the scoresheets.
- Otherwise, the Board will report the draw offer to the opponent, and write “=?” on the scoresheets to indicate a draw offer.
- If the opponent now presses his own “Draw?” button, he has accepted the first player’s draw offer, and the Board will declare the game drawn by agreement.
- Otherwise, the Board will wait for the opponent to make his next move, and the game continues.
Or, if the first player plays a move without pressing the “Draw” button, the game continues.
What do you think of that idea, Baba Looey?
The Board can rule immediately on certain types of draw claims. No need for an arbiter to play over the game to figure out whether there has been a triple occurrence, etc.
Proper draw etiquette is enforced. A player can press the “Draw?” button only when it is his move. Otherwise, the “Draw?” button press is ignored.
If the player on move presses the "Draw? button, the Board checks for a triple occurrence both before and after the player makes a move. This handles both types of triple-occurrence claims (with and without a move by the player) properly.
Same goes for the 50-move rule.
The Board enforces the rule that any draw claim (even an incorrect one) is also a draw offer.
Bill Smythe
