Rule 20N and the accompanying TD Tip in the US Chess rulebook state the following:
20N. Electronic communication devices.
Players are not allowed to leave the playing venue without permission from the arbiter. The playing venue is defined as the playing area, rest rooms, refreshment and smoking area, adjacent hallways and other places as designated by the arbiter/TD.
Without the permission of the arbiter/TD a player is forbidden to have a mobile phone or other electronic means of communication in the playing venue, unless they are completely switched off.
TD TIP: “Permission of the director” allows for maximum flexibility. No specific penalty is prescribed. In the absence of announced rules for a specific event, the standard penalties apply (see 20N1). Organizers are free to announce whatever penalty is appropriate for their event. This rule addresses possession of a communications device. In practice, the device ringing or making some other sound may be the only practical way to detect a cell phone—but this rule is not aimed at penalizing the noise; it is aimed at penalizing the possession of a communications device.
I’m confused when the TD Tip says the rule is “not aimed at penalizing the noise; it is aimed at penalizing the possession of a communications device.” I see nothing in rule 20N that says possession of a communication device (that is completely switched off) is not allowed.
I don’t see what is confusing. Poorly worded, perhaps, but isn’t it clear that a “communication device” that is turned completely off is not really a “communication device” or, at the very least is not functioning as one?
No doubt any of us writing an Arbiters Guide would write some of the “Tips” differently, omit some, add others, but that doesn’t mean that Mr. Just isn’t perfectly clear.
Over the years the cell phone rules have morphed from being primarily anti-noise to being primarily anti-cheating.
Originally, FIDE provided that a ringing cell phone in the tournament room resulted in an automatic forfeit. Many U.S. Chess organizers followed suit with the same rule.
Under current FIDE rules, it is more up to the organizer / arbiter to decide which cell phone behaviors are not allowed, and what the penalties should be, case by case. Again, U.S. Chess organizers seem to be following suit. IMHO this is a Good Thing.
The above version of the TD Tip seems to be a slightly awkward and slightly obsolete way of stating the same message. It could use a little softening, and a little more flexibility.
Thanks for the nod; however, this TD TIP came from someone else, not me. Some deep digging would be in order to find the author - perhaps the author of the rule or the Rules Committee? There was no 20N in the 5th edition. It first appeared in the 6th edition. So, my first guess is that 20N (and the TIP) came from the Rules Committee.
TD TIPs come from many sources. My memory says that eons ago, for legal reasons, the Delegates approved some governance changes that defined the responsibilities of various US Chess governance groups (Board, Delegates, Committees, etc.). In that process TD TIPs slipped through the cracks and left the Delegates with only the rules as their responsibility, not TIPs. My practice was to advise that rules proposals that included TIPs simply instruct the editor to do so. I have yet to decline including any TIP that had such an advisory. I suspect that this was the case with this 20N TD TIP.
As a bit of history the TD TIPs in the 5th edition came from myself or Dan Burg. TIPs after that came from many sources.
With the concerns about electronic cheating these days, I wonder if rule 20N should be updated to be about electronic devices in general instead of just electronic communication devices.
The title of Rule 20N could be updated to say “Electronic devices” instead of just “Electronic communication devices”.
The last sentence of the rule could be updated from:
“Without the permission of the arbiter/TD a player is forbidden to have a mobile phone or other electronic means of communication in the playing venue, unless they are completely switched off.”
to
“Without the permission of the TD, a player is forbidden to have a mobile phone or other electronic device (except for an approved electronic notation device) in the playing venue, unless they are completely switched off.”
Someone who wears a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) with bluetooth capability has something that could easily be called an ‘electronic communications device’, as could the device to which it communicates, often but not always a cell phone. And you can’t just take the CGM sensor off and put it back on a few hours later.
I know several people who have hearing aids that communicate with each other via bluetooth, too, and they can receive audio from phones, TVs and other devices.
Then there are insulin pumps, cochlear implants, pacemakers, TEMS units, etc. The idea of placing a two-way communication device in a dental implant was classic science fiction 30 years ago but is probably well within the limits of current technology. It’s been 20+ years since I’ve been to the spy shop in NYC, I wonder what they have available today?
It’s getting hard to decide what’s what, and probably even harder coming up with a list of devices that should be exempt for medical reasons.
It may be impossible to come up with an exact “term”. The rule should, however, make it clear that it is aimed at situations where the device is helping the player find good moves.