1. Law Changes 2017 & 2018
The following slides give the changes between the current Laws and those of There are also points of clarity which were established at a FIDE Arbiters’ Conference.
Changes which only improve the wording have been ignored. 1

2. Touch Move
4.2.2 Any other physical contact with a piece, except for clearly accidental contact, shall be considered to be intent.
In this position Qg5 is played. Under the old wording White could claim that the queen had been accidentally touched instead of the bishop. The arbiter could then allow Bg5 to be played.
Now the queen must make a legal move. The contact made with the queen was a mistake BUT not an accident. 2

3. Touch Move
4.3.3 one or more pieces of each colour, he must capture the first touched opponent’s piece with his first touched piece or, if this is illegal, move or capture the first piece touched that can be moved or captured. …
If White touches the queen and the knight. He then touches the bishop but realises that this loses to … Rb1 so plays Qc1. The opponent complains. White claims that since he cannot capture the knight (the first touched opponent’s piece) he is free to make any queen move.
What does the arbiter decide? 3

4. Touch Move - Answer
The wording is not as clear as it should be. “First” here means in the order first touched.
If the knight is touched first White must play Bxe6
If the queen is touched first White must play Qxe5
Allowing White to play Qc1 would bring the game into disrepute. (Art 11.1)
The wording is intended to prevent a player from claiming that a legal capture does not have to be played because other pieces were subsequently touched. 4

5. What is a Game?
5.2.3 The game is drawn upon agreement between the two players during the game, provided both players have made at least one move. This immediately ends the game.
1 e4 ½ – ½ is not allowed. A game has not taken place.
The arbiter has two options here – force the game to continue or score it as 0 – 0 (double default).
There is no point in forcing a continuation if the players are going to draw without a ‘real’ game taking place, but it might be a good option with inexperienced junior players. 5

6. Default Time
6.7.1 states that if no default time is set then it is zero.
The previous wording meant that if no default time was set the opponent had to wait until the clock showed 0.
The normal default time now is 30 minutes for standard games and 10 for rapidplay. 6

7. Wrong Colours
7.3 If a game has started with colours reversed then, if less than 10 moves have been made by both players, it shall be discontinued and a new game played with the correct colours. After 10 moves or more, the game shall continue.
The arbiter no longer has discretion to decide if the game should start again or not.
If the game finishes before it is realised that the players have the wrong colours then the result stands even if fewer than 10 moves were played. 7

8. Illegal Moves (Art 7.5) There are now 4 categories of illegal move.
The traditional illegal move where a piece has been moved to a square that it cannot go to either because the move is incorrect or because it leaves the king in check
Using two hands to make a move
Pressing the clock without making a move
Moving a pawn to the far end of the board without exchanging it for a piece 8

9. Illegal Move
Traditional illegal moves also include capturing the opponent’s king. 9

10. Illegal Move
Using two hands is only illegal after the clock has been pressed.
If a player castles or promotes with two hands but undoes it and repeats the move with one hand before pressing the clock then there is no punishment.
In promoting a player may pick up the queen with a second hand but as long as it is put on the board with the first hand then officially only one hand has been used.
Making a move with one hand and pressing the clock with the other is NOT an illegal move but should be punished. 10

11. Illegal Move
Starting the opponent’s clock before moving is an illegal move. However, if it is a genuine mistake the arbiter should not count it as an illegal move.
The benefit of the doubt should always go to the opponent.
An example of a grey area would be where the player thinks he has forgotten to press the clock 11

12. Illegal Move
If a pawn is moved to the far end of the board but not exchanged for another piece then that is illegal.
If the game continues the pawn must be replaced by a queen.
But what if this is the second illegal move and promoting to a queen is checkmate or stalemate? 12

13. Illegal Move
7.5.5 … However, the game is drawn if the position is such that the opponent cannot checkmate the player’s king by any possible series of legal moves.
The player who has made the illegal move cannot claim checkmate!
A draw can be given. 13

14. Illegal Move
If a player, on the same move, castles with both hands whilst in check, crosses over check and moves into check then he has made four illegal moves but they count as only one. 14

15. Arbiter Declares a Draw
9.6.1 the same position has appeared, as in at least five times.
If the same position appears 5 times the arbiter should step in and declare the game drawn. (Also true if 75 moves played without capture or pawn move.)
In the previous version of the Laws the position had to appear on consecutive moves. The positions can now appear at any time.
Easy to monitor on sensory board but hard in normal play. 15

16. Points for a Game
10.2 It is no longer possible for a game to have the result 1–½.
In normal scoring the results possible are 1-0, 0-1 and ½– ½ but not ¼–¾.
However the results 0-½ and ½-0 are possible e.g. a player with king and queen against bare king refuses to record.
Other scoring systems are possible eg 3,1,0 16

17. Leaving the Room
The regulations of an event may specify that the opponent of the player having a move must report to the arbiter when he wishes to leave the playing area.
This is most likely to apply only in top tournaments. It is an option only.
Note that a player should never leave the playing VENUE. 17

18. Electronic Devices (Mobiles)
has now been officially included in the Laws. The arbiter may allow mobiles in the playing hall if switched off and in a bag.
This was ‘added’ to the previous Laws for all but the top events. It is now confirmed. 18

19. Searching for Devices
now permits the arbiter to request a body search of a player in addition to previous clothing, bags, etc.
This is an anti-cheating measure. Such searches should not be requested lightly.
If a player refuses then they should be excluded from the tournament. 19

20. E-Cigs
confirms that e-cigarettes should be treated in the same way as conventional cigarettes. 20

21. Reconstruction of a Game
When a game has to be reconstructed for any reason, eg illegal move or draw claim then Article requires that both players assist.
Article requires both players to check repetition draw claims or 50 move draw claims with the arbiter involved. 21

22. Arbiter’s Role
Arbiters are now instructed to follow Anti-Cheating Rules and Guidelines (separate section).
Article issues this instruction.
This is an important duty of the arbiter. Players suspecting an opponent of cheating is one of the most difficult things for an arbiter to deal with.
Oops! Wrong type of roll 22

23. You are a great guy, Mr Arbiter
Penalties
Added to the list of penalties that an arbiter can enforce is exclusion for a number of rounds (Art ).
An example of where this might be used would be if a player was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
You are a great guy, Mr Arbiter 23

24. Rapidplay + Blitz (Appendices A & B)
There have been a number of changes many of which do not affect a normal tournament but only top level ones.
The important changes are that only a second illegal move loses and the time penalty in blitz is one minute rather than two.
The arbiter shall indicate flag fall in both rapid and blitz.
The extra illegal move allowed in blitz is a significant difference. 24

25. Rapidplay + Blitz (Appendices A & B)
For top level events the differences involve scoresheets.
Where a scoresheet is kept by the arbiter the player may, on his own time, ask to see it up to a maximum of 5 times. That scoresheet may be used when making draw claims. 25

26. Notation
The long form of algebraic is now confirmed as acceptable. 26

27. Visually Disabled
The Laws have been changed to recognise digital clocks for the visually impaired as the main clock.
If a player with sight problems meets a player with hearing difficulties then an assistant must be used. 27

28. Quickplay Finishes
These have now been relegated to Guidelines. It is very likely that in the next revision of the Laws they will be removed completely.
FIDE is working towards all games being played with increments. 28

29. Clock Flags
Where both clocks show 0.00 and electronic clocks are used, the Arbiter can establish which flag fell first, with the help of the "-" or flag () indicator. Therefore there is always a winner.
Where mechanical clocks are used then article III.3.1 of the Guidelines about games without increment including Quickplay Finishes shall be applied. 29

30. Discussion
Comments and questions welcomed at this point. 30