Greetings from Asheboro!
The way I read the rules, a player should move after his opponent’s move is completed. In other words, after he hits the clock. However, there are things that throw a monkey wrench into this idea.
I have had times when I was obviously winning and did not feel like just running my opponent’s clock down. However, it still seems that I should wait a few seconds to see if my opponent intends to hit the clock, or exercise certain rights (such as offering a draw).
Consider the following scenario: A player in time trouble moves immediately after his opponent’s move is determined, but not completed
by hitting the clock. In this way, he avoids using any of his own time to execute his move. This practice creates many problems and questions.
I have been informed by a Senior TD that in such a case, the player NOT in time trouble may still hit his clock, forcing the time troubled player to use some time. The time troubled player is then free to immediately hit the clock again.
Here are some of the issues I see arising from this: First, the overriding issue is this: should a player be allowed to determine his move before his opponent’s move is completed, without allowing any time interval at all for a draw offer or for the clock to be hit? (If nothing else, this could be considered annoying behavior). Since the proper time to offer a draw is in this interval, is it fair to allow someone to in effect eliminate the natural interval between determining the move and completing it?
Let’s say I am the player without time trouble…I make my move, and my opponent immediately moves before I have a chance to offer a draw or hit the clock. So I hit the clock (since I never had the chance to before) and offer a draw. My opponent stops the clock, and calls the director. Improper draw offer, he claims. 
Let’s say a delay clock is being used. What would be the purpose of the
player in time trouble making his move before his opponent hits the clock? If he can move immediately, no time would be used off of his clock to start with. I would say in this situation it certainly falls under annoying behavior.
If the player in time trouble moves before I hit the clock, I then have the right to punch his clock. Fine, but this seems to be a remedy for a situation best avoided. Perhaps the best thing to do in such a situation for the player NOT in time trouble is to stare at the board for about five minutes, then suddenly punch the clock. Is this tit for tat attitude the way one should play chess? I don’t think so.
I do not see that the issue of exactly when a player is legally allowed to
move is addressed specifically. I think someone on the move should be allowed some interval to punch his clock, for it is in this interval that he should properly offer a draw.
I do not see that this interval is defined anywhere in the rules. By definition, though, a time interval should contain some time. I guess in the above described situation, the proper time to offer a draw would be before hitting the clock after your opponent has moved (since your move is still as yet not completed).
The likelihood of illegal moves must also rise significantly when moves are being “blitzed off.”
If BOTH players are in time trouble, and try to make their moves before their opponent hits the clock, this could lead to a free for all and a lot of hard feelings. If there is no delay, the game would come down to who has the best clock slapping technique.
I am not aware of any chess rule prohibiting slapping the clock too hard,
except as an interpretation of 20G (Annoying behavior). In my mind,
attempting to move quickly before your opponent can hit the clock would fall under annoying behavior.
I would appreciate everyone’s input on this. I can see the Senior TD’s
point on the issue–but it seems that there is more than one issue here.
There is the bare bones legal issue, and also etiquette issues.
Sincerely submitted,
William T. Hales, LTD