Isn’t there a minimum number of moves (maybe just one) which must be made by each player for a game to be ratable?
I think I remember seeing this discussed before, but couldn’t locate the thread. I also don’t recall if it’s in the rule book (I looked but couldn’t locate) or is a USCF policy.
Insights appreciated. Thanks!
One move by each player.
Bill Smythe
That’s what I thought… is it in the rule book (if so, where?), or is it a USCF policy?
I don’t have a copy of the USCF rulebook, but I hope that it prohibits unethical behavior. Since it is impossible to win a game where only one move is made by each player, or to ethically reach a draw in only one move, shouldn’t a one-move impossible game agreed to by the players before or after the clock was started be considered an unethical and unratable non-game unless there were extraordinary circumstances?
If someone asks where to draw the line (2 moves, 3 moves, etc.), I do not know. However, unless there is an extraordinary circumstance, I think a one-move game should not be rated.
Why do you believe this?
Alex Relyea
Per the "USCF Rating Regulations’ section of the rulebook (Page 260):
So, if your opponent doesn’t show up for the game and loses on time, that’s not a ratable game.
But if your opponent makes one move and then disappears from the playing hall and loses on time, that’s a ratable game.
A one-move draw is a sham game that undermines the principles of chess and would bring disrepute upon the game. Do you disagree?
Or if the opponent makes one move (or just a few) and then falls ill and cannot continue. Ratable game as opposed to a forfeit loss/win.
Depends.
Suppose you were playing in a club tournament, and you were playing your long-time friend and rival who was rated about the same as you, and with whom you have had many entertaining and even games over the years. You each make one move, at which point someone comes to your friend and tells him a family member of his has suffered a serious accident, and that he needs to go to the hospital at once.
Would it be unethical for you to offer a draw?
Bolding added.
It’s possible to have a checkmate after two moves by each player. Is that where you want the line drawn?
Has anyone ever seen a one move game?
I don’t know where to draw the line after one move. I already said that.
One move by one player? Quite often. There were at least a half-dozen at the Midwest Class when the player with black never showed.
Ok I meant one move by each player. My thinking is that if it happens it is extremely rare and just so much noise that gets eventually filtered out of the rating system.
No. I said earlier (9:02 AM) that an extraordinary circumstance would be an exception.
There was once reportedly a game in an international event that went like this:
Back in the late 80’s there was a tournament in Europe where several games in the last round
had identical moves leading to about a 5 move draw. Perhaps the players were in a hurry to get out of town.
I know of a few games that never got past move 10 before one player ran out of time, and more than one where a player had to leave for an emergency and offered his opponent a draw before move 10. In one case, his opponent accepted the draw offer, in another his opponent declined it and the first player resigned.
There have been events where one player got sick (and in at least one case died) in the middle of a game and lost on time.
I recall an incident where two players, bitter rivals, in a last round had a dispute over the use of a particular chess set, whether it was “standard”. Eventually, the TD made a ruling and the two irritated players started the game. After one move, one of the players was still so upset that he resigned, telling his rival that if he wanted the rating points so badly, he could have them. His opponent refused the “gift” and resigned as well! The TD accepted their double forfeit.
In the 1970 Interzonal, Oscar Panno lost to Fischer after one move in the last (23rd) round.
Panno insisted that all of the games should start at 7 pm (Fischer and Reshevsky started their games at a different time for religious reasons). When he was refused, he declined to play.
“Fischer thought some minutes, perhaps wondering whether to default, as he knew Panno was intending not to play. Eventually he moved and went to find Panno to persuade him to play, but the Argentinian came back (he had been in the tournament hall around 4 pm when the other games had begun) and resigned, without actually exceeding the one hour time limit.”–Palma 1970, R.G. Wade & L.S. Blackstock.
I don’t think it would be unethical to accept a draw in this situation, but I see no reason why the game should be rated, since the outcome wouldn’t provide any information on either player’s current playing ability.
Bob
If one feels differently than the current rule regarding a ratable game, get a Delegate to make a motion changing the rule to meet your views.