Just the Rules: No Good Deed?

TD Help or Interference?

At the end of a long tourament game, it was clock-banging time. Both contestants were aiming to win via a flag fall, or a fast checkmate: tick, tick, tick. Pawns did their best foot-soldier impression and raced to reach the opposite side of the board. Their aim was simply to become royalty — to become a queen. Then fate intervened.

Your pawn was a lot closer to gaining a throne than your opponent’s. Then it happened. Your lonely pawn reached its destination. The promotion ceremony only needed a queen for the regal swap. Her majesty was available to you if you stretched out in a semi-seated, semi-standing position to reach her. Her majesty was hastily nabbed by your nervous fingers. The queen’s journey towards the playing field was on … until you bumped the edge of the table. The queen went flying down to the floor only to roll, roll, roll into infinity.

The TD watching the contest stopped the game timer to help you locate the missing empress. Our chess official had noticed where the rolling queen had hidden herself. It was a quick trip right back to your hand. With the clock running again the game continued. Her majesty delivered mate in short order.

The opponent claimed that the TD had interfered in the game. Did they?

TJ Says: In this instance, the promoted piece dropping to the floor while hiding in plain sight creates a missing piece. By understanding the idea behind rule 8F7 (Promoted piece not available) it is clear the clocks should be halted and the piece (the queen in this case) retrieved. In practice, many TDs carry extra queens with them for just such goofy times. TDs are encouraged to have the result of the game take place on the board and ignore any attempts to twist a rule’s words to create a loophole. The TD did not interfere.

Pairing Error Fix?

Inadvertent inequities creep into the pairings. During Round 1, an unnoticed pairing miscue appeared. Sometimes data just goes astray, even with pairings software. Misinformation is entered and inferior pairings go out. Sadly, flawed data sometimes goes undiscovered until the game is over. If you are the one that suffered through a mismatch in a game, bring it to the TD’s attention. Please don’t wait until well after your contest has ended. The TD will correct the data for future pairings.

A few rounds later, you may see a way for the TD to make pairings that benefit you. The matchups you propose would not follow the standard Swiss formula(s) for making pairings; however, your suggested pairings would make up for the earlier error. This time the error would be in your favor. Should the TD accept your suggestion?

TJ Says: The TD should reject your idea. While you would benefit from the skewing of the Swiss pairings in your favor, other contests will then fall short of their due matchups, creating their own version of unfair pairings.

Want more? Past columns can be found here or by searching the Chess Life Online archives. 
 

Plus, listen to Tim when he was a guest on the podcasts “One Move at a Time” and “The Chess Angle.”

Tim Just is a National Tournament Director, FIDE National Arbiter, and editor of the 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th editions of the US Chess Rulebook. He is also the author of My Opponent is Eating a Doughnut & Just Law, which are both available from US Chess Sales and Amazon/Kindle. Additionally, Tim revised The Guide To Scholastic Chess, a guide created to help teachers and scholastic organizers who wish to begin, improve, or strengthen their school chess program. US Chess awarded the 2022 Tournament Director Lifetime Achievement Award to Tim. He is also a member of the US Chess Rules Committee plus the Tournament Director Certification Committee (TDCC). His new column, exclusive to US Chess, “Just the Rules” will help clarify potentially confusing regulations.