Just the Rules: Rulebook U-Turns

The way we take notation and the way we set clocks are two prime examples of rulebook U-Turns: rules that have gone through a 180-degree reversal.

The Notation U-Turn

In the Beginning: In the pre-technology days—paper and pencil times—players mostly moved their chess soldier first and then notated it later. Then along came a fellow by the name of Alexander Kotov. In his book Think Like a Grandmaster, he advised that players first write down their move on their score sheet. This procedure, at the very least, slowed down many a wood pushers’ knee-jerk response to their opponent’s last move. It created a moment when a player could reconsider their plan before executing it. A lot of players and scholastic coaches bought into the idea—write your move first! A whole generation of chess wizards grew up notating their idea before completing their move over-the-board.

Rule-Benders Association Strikes Again: Like any well-meaning idea, this was one of which was taken advantage. Some players would notate, reconsider, erase the move, notate again, reconsider, erase that move – again and again before physically moving any new piece on the board. Eventually, a vocal minority claimed this methodology was cheating, under the argument that it was note-taking. They never did drum up enough support for their “cheating” claim among the delegates -- until the advent of e-notation devices.

E-Notation Devices: When e-notation devices appeared on the scene the landscape changed instantly. With those devices, a player could view what the board position would look like on their screen, before actually committing to that move – that’s cheating 101. The delegates changed the rules: Everyone, regardless of those with or without e-notation devices, MUST make their move first on the board before notating it.

The U-Turn: The player backlash to that “move first dictate” forced a rulebook U-Turn. Today, an unannounced variation to the main rule (move first-notate next) allows a player using a paper scoresheet to scribble first, then make that same move OTB. But none of that write, erase, write again, erase again stuff is allowed.

Interestingly, online games now sanctioned by US Chess avoids the notation problem altogether, as online services automatically take notation and avoid the entire issue of the player notating first or moving first.

Setting the Clock U-Turn

In the Beginning: The journey of the clock-setting rulebook U-turn is short. In the analog-clock days, setting your device was easy: simply set the clock mechanically for the base time control, no delay, no increment. Then came digital clocks, which provided delay and increment.

Delay: For games with a delay, the players’ base time waits for a delay period before counting down after each move. That extra delay time results in digital-clock gamers receiving more playing time than analog gamers, so the delegates created a rule for balance: Games with delays reduced the base time by one minute for each second of delay. Digital clock manufactures had delay controls built standard, but not for that adjusted base time, and fiddling with those digital clocks proved to be annoying and cumbersome.

Increment: When increments entered the scene – adding valuable base time after each move – all sorts of fairness issues reared up. Again, games with digital increment clocks were providing more playing time than analog-clock games. To compensate, analog clocks were permitted to add to the base time, an extra minute for each second of increment. It didn’t take long for players to believe that analog clocks gave them more playing time.

The U-Turn: All this fiddling with clocks stopped when the delegates saw the light and did a 180-degree turnabout. Now all clocks, digital and non-digital, have to start with the same base-time control. No adding time. No subtracting time. No clock fiddling. We now all start at the same point— another rulebook U-Turn!

Future Rulebook U-Turn? There is one last bit of minutia that the delegates will probably still need to handle: increment time starting at move one. Some players believe that base time plus increment time together need to be displayed at the start of the game (ex: the clock for a game 60 with a 30 second increment would be seen as 60:30). But the argument is that extra 30 seconds might be the difference between a flag fall and extra playing time. Not all digital clocks have the capability to make this happen, instead only showing the base time for move one. The increment time is then automatically added only after the clock is pressed, so that the increment only becomes available starting with move two – not move one. To have the increment start at move one, we are back to fiddling about with those timers again!

I wonder what OTB rules will come under U-Turn scrutiny with the advent of any new online US Chess rules?

The free, updated as of 5-11-20, US Chess Rules (Chapters 1+2+11 from the 7th edition rulebook) are now downloadable and available on-line. Past “Just the Rules” columns can be viewed here.

Tim Just is a National Tournament Director, FIDE National Arbiter, and editor of the 5th, 6th, and 7th 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 recently 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. Tim is also a member of the US Chess Rules Committee. His new column, exclusive to US Chess, “Just the Rules” will help clarify potentially confusing regulations.