Proposed ADM: Modify Blitz Rule 8 (including sub-rules 8a-8d)

Running Chess Tournaments
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I am going to be a delegate representing Oregon in 2024. I will be submitting some rules ADM’s. I would like to get feedback on the following rough draft of an ADM I’ve written up, thanks.

ADM: Replace blitz rule 8, including sub-rules 8a-8d, with the following:

“Draws under the regular rules are also draws in blitz. A game is also a draw in blitz if a player with insufficient mating material correctly claims their opponent completed an illegal move.”

Rationale: The way blitz rule 8 and its sub-rules are worded make it very confusing as to what draws exist in blitz. It starts out by stating that draw claims allowed under the regular rules are also allowed under the blitz rules but then goes on to state only some of the ways a game can end in a draw. The intent of the rule is that all draws under the regular rules are also draws under the blitz rules and this rewording clarifies this.

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Historically, the Blitz rules evolved separately.

While it is important for rules to be consistent, it is also important for them to be appropriate to their environment.

So, the questions to be answered are:

Are there situations in Blitz chess that would or should be draws that would not or should not be draws at slower time controls?

Are there situations in Blitz chess that would not or should not be draws that would or should be draws at slower time controls?

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ADMs and other Delegate related business are customarily discussed in the US Chess Issues category. I would suggest that this thread be moved to it.

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They often are, but when an AD relates to rules it is perfectly reasonable to discuss it in this forum. It’s not a sensitive issue, so I don’t see the necessity for moving it to the more restrictive forum, especially since we are months away from submitting the ADM. Right now Micah is seeking input in order to craft the best possible ADM. Accordingly I’m not going to move it. I would, however, suggest Micah revise the title so as not to lead with the word ADM, since it isn’t actually an ADM yet. Perhaps: Proposed ADM That’s a suggestion only.

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The intent of the rule is that all draws in regular are also draws in blitz. I don’t see any reason why this shouldn’t be the case. My proposed ADM simply clarifies the intent of the current rule.

Since a completed move generally loses in blitz but not in regular, there is one draw in blitz that doesn’t apply to regular and that is: “A game is also a draw in blitz if a player with insufficient mating material correctly claims their opponent completed an illegal move.”

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Draws in regular time controls that need scoresheet evidence are more difficult to give in blitz.

If insufficient losing chances claims are available in blitz then there are some that might not be awarded in both blitz and standard time controls.

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True but “more difficult to give” doesn’t mean these draws don’t exist in blitz. The intent of the current rule is that “triple occurrence of position” and “the 50-move rule” draws (along with all other draws from regular chess) still exist in blitz and without a scoresheet they are handled in the same fashion as in sudden death time pressure in regular. The point of my proposed ADM is to simply clarify that “triple occurrence of position” and “the 50-move rule” draws (along with all other draws from regular chess) still exist in blitz since the current wording makes it very unclear. On a side note, in the blitz at the national grades, there was a game that ended in a draw by the 50-move rule after one of the players asked a TD to start counting moves.

True, if a variation on variation 14H is used.

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Will you be present at the 2024 Delegates Meeting?

If not, you will want to have co-sponsors on your ADM who will be present, otherwise it goes to the end of the agenda.

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Yes, barring unforeseen circumstances.

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Any thoughts on my proposed ADM itself?

By the way, my mom was a language teacher before retiring a few years ago and she said the current language of blitz rule 8 and its sub-rules doesn’t make sense.

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It might be better to say: “Draw claims allowed under the regular rules are also allowed under the blitz rules; provided that the provisions of 14C8 and 14F4 shall apply regardless of the time remaining on the clock. A game is also drawn in blitz if a player with insufficient mating material correctly claims that their opponent completed an illegal move.”

Rule 14C8 allows for a draw by triple repetition of position to be claimed when a player has less than five minutes on the clock and the draw is observed by a tournament director, deputy or impartial witness. Rule 14F4 allows for a player who reasonably expects to meet the requirements for a draw by the 50 move rule to ask a tournament director to count moves if that player has less than five minutes on the clock. If these rules do not apply, a triple repetition of position or 50 move rule draw is only allowed if the player was notating.

When the standard time of five minutes is used, both of these rules apply during the entirety of the game. However, blitz chess can have time controls of as long as ten minutes without delay. In such cases, these rules would apply for half or more of the game but not all. Considering that there is generally not an expectation for players in blitz chess to notate their moves due to the fast paced nature of blitz, it seems odd not to apply these rules during the earlier part of the game and instead expect players to be notating if they want to claim these draws in that earlier part.

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Excellent point ChessEntrepreneur. I had thought about this point previously but just didn’t put it in my ADM. I will add this to my ADM. How about this (I also added a couple of other additions to my ADM).

ADM: Replace blitz rule 8, including sub-rules 8a-8d, with the following:

“All of the draw rules from Chapter 1, Rule 14 and its sub-rules apply in blitz except for the following differences:

  1. Rules 14C8 or 14F4 apply in blitz even if a player has five or more minutes remaining.

  2. All two minute penalties prescribed in Rule 14 and its sub-rules shall be one minute in blitz.

  3. If Variation 14H is allowed, the player must have one minute or less to claim a draw by “Insufficient Losing Chances” in blitz.

The game is also draw in blitz if a player with insufficient mating material correctly claims their opponent completed an illegal move.”

Rationale: The way blitz rule 8 and its sub-rules are worded make it very confusing as to what draws exist in blitz. It starts out by stating that draw claims allowed under the regular rules are also allowed under the blitz rules but then goes on to state only some of the ways a game can end in a draw. The intent of the rule is that all draws under the regular rules are also draws under the blitz rules and this rewording clarifies this.

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While I will not defend the current rule construction (some of the 14H tips are grammatically suspect), I would note that “If” does not mean “only if”—there is no intent that this lists all the ways that a game can end in a draw. Your “simplification” requires someone to fish back through the rule book, while the current wording would require it only for someone using one of the less common claims. (Note also that the introductory paragraph in the current rule refers to “draw claims”. Stalemate and agreement are not “claims”—they are just the most common ways for games to end in draws).

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8d.) If one player has insufficient mating material when the opponent’s flag falls or makes an illegal move.

How does the opponent’s flag make an illegal move?

K+pawn vs. K can be claimed as a draw once the defender is immediately on the square directly in front of the pawn as long as it’s not on the 7th rank.

I assume “it” at the end refers to the pawn, but the modifier “as long as it’s not on the 7th rank” could. as written, apply to either the defender (more specifically, the defender’s King) or to the pawn.

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You do not need “in blitz” in each of the bullet points because you already have above “apply in blitz.” There is no need for unnecessary words.

Instead of “except for the following differences:” it is briefer to say “except that:”. You are also missing an n after draw in the last sentence (as in "The game is also drawn…).

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My simplification does require someone to refer back to chapter 1 a little more often but I think this is the best approach. In general I think the blitz rules only need to state the rules that are different in blitz. This is the general approach the online and correspondence rules chapters takes and also the general approach the FIDE blitz rules takes.

I agree 8d and the TD Tip are poorly worded. My ADM would eliminate the poor wording of 8d.

My ADM doesn’t do anything to the TD Tip (since TD tips are not rules) but I think that TD Tip could use some revision in both content and language.

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Thanks Caleb, these are good points. I’ve modified my ADM below:

ADM: Replace blitz rule 8, including sub-rules 8a-8d, with the following:

“All of the draw rules from Chapter 1, Rule 14 and its sub-rules apply in blitz except:

  1. Rules 14C8 or 14F4 also apply if a player has five or more minutes remaining.

  2. All two minute penalties prescribed shall be one minute.

  3. If Variation 14H is allowed, the player must have one minute or less to claim a draw by “insufficient losing chances”.

The game is also drawn in blitz if a player with insufficient mating material correctly claims their opponent completed an illegal move.”

Rationale: The way blitz rule 8 and its sub-rules are worded make it very confusing as to what draws exist in blitz. It starts out by stating that draw claims allowed under the regular rules are also allowed under the blitz rules but then goes on to state only some of the ways a game can end in a draw. The intent is that all draws under the regular rules are also draws under the blitz rules and this rewording clarifies this.

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Note that Blitz
the rules start with “This chapter covers the rules that are different for blitz and also restates some of the fundamental rules that apply to all three forms of chess and that are important to blitz.”
and rule 8 starts by saying “Except as listed here, draw claims allowed under the regular rules are also allowed under the blitz rules.”

Rule 8 then lists draws that are not claims in 8a and 8b, and blitz-relevant claims in 8c and 8d.

Rule 17 already has the standard two minute penalties changed to one minute.

As far as the ADM goes:
using draw rules instead of draw claims eliminates the need to refer to stalemate or agreement.
the reference to 14C8 and 14F4 take into account increment and longer blitz time controls. It would be simpler to say that regardless of the time remaining, all standard sudden death rules (when under five minutes) still apply. That way if there are newer rules changes (or an insertion that changes the rule numbers of 14C8 and 14F4) we are still covered.
We could strengthen existing rule 17 instead of adding your rule 2, but it is reasonable to have your wording at part of the blitz rule.

I want to keep the (current 8d) wording that insufficient mating material (IMM) applies if an illegal move occurs. Before that was added (and 7d had the IMM wording included) there were claims that an illegal move was a loss even against a lone king. In the regular rules the rule defining a win lists flagging as a loss unless IMM applies and then the rules defining a draw again lists flagging if IMM applies. Since winning due to an illegal move is not mentioned in the regular rules (under winning or drawing) it would be consistent with the regular rules to list it in both places in the blitz rules.
Personally I prefer wording referring to (no legal moves available to deliver mate) instead of (insufficient mating material) because that would include totally blocked positions, but that would also require a change to 7c (and nothing wrong with adding that change).

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Note that Blitz
the rules start with “This chapter covers the rules that are different for blitz and also restates some of the fundamental rules that apply to all three forms of chess and that are important to blitz.”
and rule 8 starts by saying “Except as listed here, draw claims allowed under the regular rules are also allowed under the blitz rules.”

Rule 8 then lists draws that are not claims in 8a and 8b, and blitz-relevant claims in 8c and 8d.

Yes but trying to decipher what draws exist from all this is making things way too complicated.

Also, as a side note, the only reason the note “This chapter covers the rules that are different for blitz and also restates some of the fundamental rules that apply to all three forms of chess and that are important to blitz.” is even in the blitz rules chapter is because I wrote it and suggested to Tim Just that it would be good to add at the beginning of the blitz rules chapter.

Rule 17 already has the standard two minute penalties changed to one minute.

I thought about this and since my proposed ADM states that the rules of chapter 1, rule 14 and its sub-rules apply in blitz (with a few exceptions), I thought it would be good to make it clear that the two-minute penalties referenced in rule 14 and its sub-rules are only one minute in blitz.

the reference to 14C8 and 14F4 take into account increment and longer blitz time controls. It would be simpler to say that regardless of the time remaining, all standard sudden death rules (when under five minutes) still apply. That way if there are newer rules changes (or an insertion that changes the rule numbers of 14C8 and 14F4) we are still covered.

Possibly but this wording seems a little confusing to me.

I want to keep the (current 8d) wording that insufficient mating material (IMM) applies if an illegal move occurs. Before that was added (and 7d had the IMM wording included) there were claims that an illegal move was a loss even against a lone king. In the regular rules the rule defining a win lists flagging as a loss unless IMM applies and then the rules defining a draw again lists flagging if IMM applies. Since winning due to an illegal move is not mentioned in the regular rules (under winning or drawing) it would be consistent with the regular rules to list it in both places in the blitz rules.

Unless I’m misunderstanding what you are saying here, I believe this is covered in the last sentence of my proposed ADM which says “The game is also drawn in blitz if a player with insufficient mating material correctly claims their opponent completed an illegal move.”

As a side note, The TD Tip after blitz rule 17 had the issue I think you are talking about. It used to say

“TD TIP: A completed illegal move for any reason loses instantly if claimed correctly. The one-minute penalty does not apply to illegal moves. The standard penalty of one minute applies to other Blitz rules infractions.”

I mentioned this to Tim Just and he changed the TD Tip to say:

“TD TIP: A completed illegal move for any reason loses instantly if claimed correctly by an opponent with mating material. If the opponent does not have mating material the game is a draw (see rule 8d). The one-minute penalty does not apply to illegal moves. The standard penalty of one minute applies to other Blitz rules infractions.”

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In the position below both sides have mating material but neither side has a way to legally mate. A draw claim can be made but things get messy if the claim is made after a flag fall.
White Pa4, Pc4, Pe4, Pg4, Ke3, Be2
Black: Pa5, Pc5, Pe5, Pg5, Ke6, Be7

A few days ago I had a situation like this on-line and if a draw hadn’t been accepted then I would have had to play until a 50-move claim was available.