TD Interference: Is Hands Off Best?

Running Chess Tournaments
1

Greetings,

I’ve always had a hands off approach interfering with games unless called upon by a player.

The following happened at an event I was directing within the last year. (I don’t want to be too specific). In a very tense endgame situation with a higher-rated player vs. a lower-rated player (400 points difference), the higher of the two was in some real time pressure. I watched as he proceeded to adjust a piece during his opponent’s move. His opponent was obviously in deep concentration. The first time he did so, the piece could have used adjusting. He did not say “I adjust.”

I continued to watch, and the higher rated player adjusted twice more during the same move (pieces which looked fine to me). Again, he did not say, “I adjust.” His opponent did not seem phased by it at all, nor did he complain. Rightly or wrongly, I got the distinct impression that the “adjustor” was intentionally trying to distract his opponent.

I was hoping the lower-rated player would complain, but he did not. I did not intervene. Under 21.D3, should I have at least warned the “adjustor” that his actions might be distracting and were not correct? I think such a warning might have created even more of a distraction for the lower-rated player, who didn’t seem bothered. Also, my impression that the “adjustor” intended to distract his opponent could have been inaccurate.

My gut still tells me that non intervention was the most prudent course, but I would like to see what others think about it.

William “Tom” Hales, Senior TD

2

Your course of action sounds reasonable in the absence of a complaint, and I think it was most correct.

3

Assuming that this tournament was conducted solely under the auspices of USCF, I believe Mr. Hales was correct not to intervene.

4

In the past when I have witnessed repeated adjusting on the opponent’s time, I wait until after the game to tell the player. I’ve been told by the offending player that he didn’t know it was against the rules. I’m not sure that this is always an honest answer but at least it lets the player know he’s being watched and can’t claim ignorance in the future. I might also educate the opponent that he doesn’t have to put up with it.

5

I rarely intervene during a game. Once, while the opponent was in the washroom, a player made a move, hit the clock (completing the move), and then moved the piece back to its original square and made a move with a different piece. I did interfere at that point (with the opponent still in the washroom), but it was not a touch move situation. Instead it was an illegal move situation with a player making three moves in a row between two of his opponent’s moves.