Primary Schools One-day Tournaments
Rules

NSW JUNIOR CHESS LEAGUE

PRIMARY SCHOOLS ONE-DAY TOURNAMENTS

SUMMARY OF RULES OF COMPETITION

The following are some of the rules generally applied in chess competitions – it is not a complete set of the rules (and does not include the basic laws such as how the pieces move), but rather a summary of the rules that are most commonly misunderstood. Please make sure that you are familiar with these rules, particularly the Touch Move rule, as most opponents are quick to claim Touch Move and it can be disconcerting for a player who is unfamiliar with this practice.

For this tournament, a time limit for each game will be set by the Director of Play (DOP), after which unfinished games will be adjudicated, except that where both players have JCL ratings of 400 or above chess clocks will be used.

1. Check. When a king is under attack (in "check") from an opponent's piece, it must escape the attack in the next move. If the king cannot escape the check, then it is checkmate and the game is over.

2. Illegal move. Any illegal move (a move not in accordance with the laws of chess, such as leaving the king in check) must be retracted and a legal move played instead (subject to the touch move rule, see below).

3. Castling. When castling the player must touch the king first, or king and rook together. (If the rook is touched first then the rook only should be moved.) Castling is illegal in the following circumstances: (a) if the king or rook have previously moved, (b) if the king is currently in check, (c) if the king would move to or pass across a square under attack from an opponent's piece.

4. En passant. If a player advances one of his pawns two squares on its initial move, and if his opponent has a pawn that could have captured it had it moved only one square, then on his next turn, but only his next turn, the opponent may capture the advanced pawn as if it had only advanced one square.

5. Promotion. A pawn may be promoted to any piece (apart from a king) upon reaching the other end of the board. The piece to which it is promoted does not have to have been previously taken. (In theory you may have 9 queens on the board!)

6. Touch Move, Touch Take. If a player at his turn intentionally touches one of his pieces, he MUST move it provided it has a legal move. If a player at his turn intentionally touches one of his opponent's pieces either with his own piece or with his hand, he must capture that piece if it is legal to do so. Once a player, having moved a piece, removes his hand from that piece, he cannot change his move, unless the move was illegal (in which case he can change the move but not the piece to be moved, unless that piece has no legal move).

7. Checkmate. Once a player agrees to a claim of checkmate (or stalemate), either verbally or by shaking hands, the result stands. No spectator may point out to the player that checkmate (or stalemate) has not been reached – it is up to the player to examine his own position. Both players should remain at the board until agreement is reached. Obviously, if a player cannot find a way out of a claimed checkmate, then he should concede the game. An arbiter should be called if there is any dispute.

 8. Draw. There are several ways in which a game may be drawn:

(a) stalemate – when the player to move is unable to make a legal move with any of his pieces and his king is not in check then the game is drawn;

(b) insufficient material – it is not possible to checkmate with only two kings on the board, king and knight versus king, or king and bishop versus king – the result in these cases must be a draw;

(c) 50-move rule – when 50 consecutive moves by each player have been played without the capture of a piece or pawn or the movement of a pawn, then a draw may be claimed. (Where the moves of the game are not being written down a player hoping to invoke the 50 move rule should call an arbiter to arrange a witness as the 50 moves are counted);

(d) threefold repetition – if the same position occurs three times during a game, with the same player to move, then a draw may be claimed (the most common occurrence of this is perpetual check);

(e) by agreement – players are permitted to agree to a drawn game (it is up to the two players to agree to this without interference by spectators).

 

      CONDUCT RULES FOR COMPETITION              

A high standard of conduct is expected in chess competitions. The laws of chess provide for penalties when the rules relating to the behaviour are breached – these penalties may include the loss of the game.

1. Players are forbidden to distract or annoy their opponent in any way.