Can TD adjudicate a "never-ending" game? USCF or FIDE rules

Running Chess Tournaments
1

Hi,

I ran into a situation this past weekend serving as a TD in an U1200 section between two elementary school aged children rated around 1100 who were playing a game with the following setup (white to move):

White King (a8); rook (g7); pawn (a7, d5)

Black King (c8); rook (b6); pawn (c7)

This was the last board of a round (not tournament) - both players had well over 5 minutes playing over the course of the next number of moves - one then the other player stopped recording. Both players were playing quickly (usually faster than delay) so base time decreased minimally, and the game did not enter sudden-death (less than 5 minutes). There were still around 30-45 minutes until the posted start of the next round while the situation described was ongoing. I ended up observing this game and counting moves after a while because neither player was recording. [Granted I should have made the players record - and that would be relevant if either player claimed without my observation here]. There ensued a mindless repetition of moves along the lines of

  1. Rg8+ Kd7; 2. Rb8 Ra6; 3. Rg8 Rb6; 4. Rg7+ Kc8; then 5. Rg8+ Kd7 …

This (or some close variation) occurred at least 8 times - so that the identical position occurred at least 8 times (and over 50 moves had transpired since the last pawn move). However, Black never claimed a draw by either 50-move rule or 3-fold repetition (if so, I could have ended the game as witness). Black did offer a draw before the 3rd repetition of this and 50-moves, and White declined.

Eventually, White pushed d5-d6; Black blundered by not capturing the pawn and lost game.

My questions are from the USCF and FIDE Rules standpoint:

  1. I cannot find a rule in the USCF or FIDE rules that allows a TD or arbiter to step in in a non-sudden death situation and rule this game a draw if no claim is made. Is there one?

  2. If this game continued past the posted time of the following round, what options would I have available to decide the match. The one option I do not want is an adjourned game.

Yes, I am aware since neither player was recording, in a sense Black could not claim either 3-fold repetition or 50-move rule without a scoresheet (White was going to refuse a draw at all costs). However, I was noting position and counting moves to handle that.

Yes, the kids involved had no clue that they had to claim a 50-move rule or 3-fold repetition (I think Black assumed that I would say something just because I was observing). And yes, if this were an adult game at this rating level, this situation probably would not have happened, as someone would have asked about repetition.

Thank you for your time and advice on this situation!

Sincerely,

Chris Y Kim
Senior TD
Baltimore, MD

2

There is no such rule in either the USCF Official Rules of Chess or the FIDE Laws of Chess. Absent a draw claim, the director does not intervene unless the time control is a sudden death time control and both flags have fallen (USCF rule 14G).

Strictly by the book, adjourning the game is your only option.

Now, in this case, it may be worth thinking outside the box – or, in this case, outside the rule book. One “weakness” of the Official Rules of Chess is that the rules assume that the players actually know the rules. In particular, the rules assume that the players know that nothing will happen without a player making a claim.

If you’re sure that “the kids involved had no clue that they had to claim a 50-move rule or 3-fold repetition,” I think it would be appropriate for you to stop the clocks without either player making a claim and explain that you are just observing and that you can not intervene in the game unless there is a claim. Yes, I know full well that this is not allowed under rule 21D, which specifies when a TD may intervene in a game. However, at some point, practical considerations must take priority.

(Edit: Corrected faulty memory of rule 21. TD intervention is covered by 21D, not 21F.)

3

Are you sure about that…I’m not so sure… especially with rules violations going on…

4

Well, I suppose you could invoke USCF 14J, Draw declared by director, or 18G, Adjudications, or 18G1, Example of emergency. All of these, however, are highly iffy, especially since it appears white has an easily won position, and in fact white did ultimately win. You were wise to stay out of it.

I don’t really see what your worry was, with at least 30 minutes remaining.

Here’s a trick you can try, with or without adjourning the game. Stop the clocks and tell both players that, if either player offers a draw within the next five minutes, that player will be paired as a draw, and his opponent as a win. If neither offers a draw within five minutes, both will be paired as wins. If both offer a draw, game is over, draw. Then restart the clocks. After five minutes, go ahead and make next round’s pairings, while the game continues (or you can adjourn at this point, if you prefer).

That way, the next round can start on time, with the possible exception of the two games involving the players still playing. That’s a lot better than delaying all the games.

Bill Smythe

5

Other than the player having more than five minutes and not recording, what rule violations are taking place? And, without the opponent making a claim, what is the TD’s justification under the USCF Official Rules of Chess for taking any action?

(Of course, under the FIDE Laws of Chess, the arbiter can compel the player with more than five minutes who is not recording moves to record without needing a claim by the opponent.)

6

Whenever games ran late in the evening or if the game would cause the next round to be delayed, I would walk over to the game and set down an adjourned move envelope. I would tell the players I would be back in ten minutes if the game had not been drawn or a win recorded on the pairing sheet. Since no one likes adjourned games, usually both sides would offer a draw simultaneously. It got to a point that all I had to do was walk up to the board with and adjourned move envelope and a draw offer would occur. Of course, for some sterile positions, I would sometimes emphasize the word “draw”. Otherwise the old guys would play for eight hours or more to move 150+, shuffling pieces back and forth in their completely blockaded position. Maybe not quite legal to do that, but I didn’t want to come in bleary eyed at 7:30 am on a Sunday morning to oversee adjournments.

With kids I would just tell them that I would adjourn the game in 10 minutes, but only if I felt that there was no way they would be done and it would affect pairing the next round. Otherwise, let them blunder along to a conclusion. You might ask them if they know the rules concerning draws and the procedure for offering a draw… Just don’t roll your eyes when you do that.

7

But why adjourn at all? You can get the same effect without adjourning.

Simply tell the players it’s time to make pairings, so if there is not an agreed result within 10 (or 5) minutes, both players will be paired as wins in the next round. (Or, if one player offers a draw, that player will be paired as a draw and his opponent as a win.) Meanwhile, their game will continue to a conclusion.

Having their game continue, while players all around them are setting up for the next round, should be highly effective in encouraging the players to agree on a result.

Bill Smythe

8

I don’t want to put that much pressure on little kids. But I do want that game over, even if it is adjourned, before I do pairings. Letting them sit there while other kids are setting up is not fair to them. I have seen kids cry in that situation, and I don’t want to add dealing with ticked off mothers to my job. Plus, if they continue to play on and on, you are stuck and will now have to end the game while there is a lot of noise and confusion. Since these kids have had no rest or a chance to go to the bathroom, then their next round game would have to start 10 to 15 minutes late. I would rather stop the long game 10 or 15 minutes at least before the end of the previous round and avoid having any late starting games. With luck, they can complete the adjournment, or wink wink nod nod, take a draw once they know what the draw rules are all about.

BTW, I have dealt with kids that did not know that there was such a thing as a draw or that it was possible to offer one. Know a couple of adults, too, that have “forgotten” how to offer a draw in a dead position like rook pawn and wrong color bishop, hoping their opponent’s flag would fall or that he would die during the endless King shuffling. Imagine how much time one could add in an increment time control game.