Learn more about the history of the rulebook’s TD TIPs:
Just the Rules: Why TD TIPS? | US Chess.org
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I personally, as a relatively newer TD, prefer the tips to be in there. Having a second TD book with tips would be difficult to use, as you would have to read the rule and then look up the rule’s TD tip in another book.
I could see if two editions of the rulebook existed, with and without tips. But I suspect most would buy it with the tips in it.
For those who don’t need the tips, I don’t see the harm in them being there… Just my thoughts, but brighter and more experienced TDs will probably have better wisdom with which to shed light on it.
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There is also an idea that has floated around to have the TIPs published in a separate volume; the rules in one book and the TIPs in another. Would our chess-playing members be willing to buy both of those volumes? Or is having both the rules and TIPs in the same source book a better idea?
I’m never going to need a TD TIP except in the context of a specific USCF rule that I’m having trouble with, so I definitely don’t see the point in having TIPs be separate from the USCF rules.
I could imagine having a book of just the rules and a book of rules + TIPs, but I’d never buy the rules without the TIPs so I don’t really see the point.
I note that FIDE essentially has the “book of just the rules” (FIDE Laws of Chess) and the “book of rules + TD TIPS” (Arbiter’s Manual), so that option is certainly not unprecedented…but FIDE also doesn’t charge for either document.
Keep the tips in the rule book. See, for example, An Historical and Critical Dictionary - Pierre Bayle, 1734, in which most o the pages have much more space devoted to footnotes than to the actual text. In some cases, footnotes have footnotes which have footnotes which have footnotes, so you can see that you’ve a long way to go.
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The main chapters of the US Chess rulebook are freely available online as well.
Yes. But you won’t find any equipment standards in that PDF, which is the main missing item.
…also USCF updated the free PDFs for 2024 but then put up a new kindle version of the full rulebook for full price for 7th edition version 1.2, which I found annoying.
The Kindle version is supposed to have a linkable index. The linkable index is not available in the free online version. Does your Kindle version have that linkable index?
Note: a third outside vendor created that linkable index for US Chess.
The equipment standards and other chapters that aren’t currently part of the PDF should be added to the PDF. I see no good reason not have the entire rulebook available online for free.
Tim,
The kindle version does have a linkable index. The pdf version does not, but does have a search function.
One trick I have used on manuscripts without an index is to search for a term and include a period at the end of the term. For example: search for draw. or prizes. (notice the period at the end of those terms). That little trick typically gets you less hits but gets you close to what you are searching for.
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