Quickplay Finishes
ECF Guidance on Quickplay - David Welch Cheif Arbiter
LMC guidance on the 90/90 time control
The feedback received by the LMC on the new time control has been largely positive. There has been some dissent voiced, but this has been from individuals who oppose the time control on principle (as they are entitled to do) and has not been based on specific problems with the new rules.
All League members playing under the 90/90 time control should appreciate that the system is different and requires a modified approach to the game. Players can no longer complete the required number of moves and then rely on adjudication or adjournment; they must now complete all the moves necessary to achieve a result in the 90 minutes allotted to them. This is the point of the new control; to play the game in its entirety in one session and this will often mean that play must proceed at a faster rate than under the old controls.
The object of the 90/90 time control is the completion of the game in one session, but this does not mean that games need to be decided by flag fall in other than a minority of cases.
A fairly common scenario would be where Player A has a winning advantage but is short of time, and Player B has no real prospects of winning but has appreciably more time. Player A may choose to play for a win and either succeeds by delivering mate or loses on time before the mate is achieved. Player B is entitled to continue playing and to expect Player A to deliver the mate in the time available, there is absolutely no requirement that Player B should resign the game.
If Player A decides to abandon his attempt to win so as not to risk losing, he may offer a draw and Player B may well accept the offer.
If the draw offer is declined by Player B, Player A can claim a draw under FIDE Rules Appendix D1 [popularly known as the 2 minute rule (FIDE Article 10.2 if supervised by an arbiter)].
Quickplay finishes where no arbiter is present in the venue.
D1.
Where games are played as in
Article 10, a player may claim a draw when he has less than two minutes left
on his clock and before his flag falls. This concludes the game.
He may claim on the basis
a. that his opponent cannot win by normal means, and/or
b. that his opponent has been making no effort to win by normal means.
In (a) the player must write
down the final position and his opponent verify it.
In (b) the player must write down the final position and submit an
up-to-date scoresheet,
which must be completed before play has ceased. The opponent shall verify
both the scoresheet
and the final position.
The claim shall be referred to an arbiter whose decision shall be the final
one.
Article 10 deals with quickplay finishes. A `quickplay finish` is the last phase of a game, when all the (remaining) moves must be made in a limited time.
The exact definition of ‘win by normal means’ will be decided by the arbiter and may apply differently to varying situations.
Claims under Appendix D1 may be made on the basis of a and/or b and need not be specific.
The onus is on the claimant to demonstrate the validity of the claim and emphasis is placed on the final position and/or up-to-date scoresheet which must support the claim by confirming what has already occurred rather than what may occur. There is no element of adjudication.
The submission of an up-to-date scoresheet may be difficult if use is made of FIDE Article 8.4 (popularly known as the 5 minute rule)
Article 8: The recording of the moves
8.1
In the course of play each
player is required to record his own moves and those of his opponent in the
correct manner, move after move, as clearly and legibly as possible, in the
algebraic notation (Appendix E), on the `scoresheet`
prescribed for the competition. It is forbidden to write the moves in
advance, unless the player is claiming a draw according to Article 9.2 or
9.3.
A player may reply to his opponent`s
move before recording it, if he so wishes. He must record his previous move
before making another. Both players must record the offer of a draw on the
scoresheet. (Appendix E.12)
If a player is unable to keep score, an assistant, who is acceptable to the
arbiter, may be provided by the player to write the moves. His clock shall
be adjusted by the arbiter in an equitable way.
8.4
If a player has less than five minutes left on his clock at some stage in a period and does not have additional time of 30 seconds or more added with each move, then he is not obliged to meet the requirements of Article 8.1. Immediately after one flag has fallen the player must update his scoresheet completely before moving a piece on the chessboard.
Players are entitled to cease recording moves when less than 5 minutes remain on their clock, however, it is not compulsory to stop recording.
Players should consider continuing to record moves inside the last 5 minutes in order to better facilitate claims under Appendix D1. The rule clearly states that the scoresheet must be completed before play has ceased i.e. before the claim is made.
If a player’s flag falls he loses the game if his opponent has a series of legal moves which can lead to checkmate; if no series of legal moves exists the game is drawn (Article 6.10)
If a player knocks over pieces they must be replaced by that player in his own time (Article 7.3)
N.B. League games played without the supervision of an arbiter must be regarded differently to congresses played with the supervision of an arbiter and reference should be made to the rules which apply in each particular case.
There is up to date Guidance on the Quickplay Finish (with and without an arbiter) from David Welch, Chief Arbiter of the ECF available at www.englishchess.org.uk/organisation/fide/guidance-quickplay_nov06.htm