Rule 15a in the USCF rulebook states the following:
“The scoresheet shall be visible to the arbiter (tournament directors) and the opponent throughout the game.”
Later in the 2nd TD TIP, it states the following:
TD TIP: When TDs enforce the “visible scoresheet” portion of this rule they are advised to first warn players that do not make their scoresheet (or score keeping device) visible to the TD and their opponent.
In addition, in the FIDE handbook under Article 8, section 8.2, it states the following:
8.2 The scoresheet shall be visible to the arbiter throughout the game.
In the final, decisive fourth round game (decisive because both players had 2 points and were in contention for the cash prizes), the player with black left the playing room and went to the restroom and took his scoresheet with him. The player with white notified me immediately and I headed toward the nearest restroom to check on the black player. As I was approaching the restroom, the black player was exiting the restroom and was heading back to the playing room and sat back down at his board. He took his scoresheet out of his pocket and put it back on the table. It was still folded. Although, I did not take note of the elapsed time, I would estimate that this entire episode took place in less than 5 minutes total. I approached him and told him that the USCF rules require that his scoresheet needs to be visible to the tournament director and his opponent during the entire game and that he was violating the rules by taking his scoresheet with him to the restroom. Plus, both players had more than 5 minutes on their clock and they were still required to record all their moves.
Subsequently, in private after he (black) had finished his game, I reminded him that taking his scoresheet to the restroom was a serious violation of the rules and that there could be severe penalties the next time that he does this. He told me that he was familiar with the FIDE rules and told me that the FIDE rules allow this. The black player is not a native English speaker, but I am certain he understood clearly that he had violated the USCF rules even though he told me that the FIDE rules differ and should allow him to do this.
Anyway, I have a question. Even though the TD TIP states that I should not be too harsh the first time and only issue a warning, I would believe the fact that he left the playing room with his score sheet did open up the potential for doing some further misconduct. I do not believe he had anyone else to help him with his moves along the way, but there was the possibility of using a cell phone or other mobile device in the restroom. In this particular situation in my opinion, I do not believe he had enough time to do too much in under 5 minutes. It appeared that he took care of his normal business in the restroom and tried to come back as promptly as possible without dallying around to enter in the moves or the position in on any mobile electronic device, nor did he take a picture and send it to anyone else. The black player has a very good “chess memory” and has demonstrated his ability to recall specific positions when doing post game analysis with other players.
I did not see him use any mobile device the entire day, but there is the possibility that he had one, since I did not challenge him to submit to a search or turn his pockets inside out.
My question is should the penalty be greater for removing the scoresheet from the playing room and taking it with him to the restroom, contrary to the simpler situation as described in the TD TIP?
