RAPID PLAY RULES

GENERAL

1 A Rapid Play game is one in which each player has a specified period in which all moves must be played.

2 The FIDE Laws of Chess which regulate the normal game of chess and the BCF Tournament Rules apply except where specifically modified below.

3 Spectators must never interfere. Normally the Arbiter will not intervene.

STARTING A RAPID PLAY GAME

4 Except in special circumstances, the clock shall be placed at the left hand of the player with the white pieces.

5 Before commencing the game, the players must inspect the positions of the chessmen and the settings on the clock. An error cannot normally be corrected after each player has made a move.

6 Players are not obliged to record their moves, except in games where each player has at least one hour for all moves.

USE OF THE CLOCK

7 Only one hand shall be used to move the pieces and the same hand must be used to press the clock button.

8 The clock must not be picked up by either player.

9 Any player using undue force on a clock may, after a warning by the Arbiter, be penalised by the loss of the game.

10 The clocks must not be stopped except for a query requiring the presence of the Arbiter.

ILLEGAL MOVE

11 An illegal move is not completed until the player has stopped his clock. An illegal move retracted prior to that, suffers only the normal penalties of the touch-move rule.

12 A completed illegal move loses if either player has less than five minutes remaining. When both players have more than five minutes, the Arbiter may award the opponent extra time.

13 An illegal move discovered only after it has received a reply, suffers no penalty. It cannot normally be corrected unless both players agree without recourse to the Arbiter.

WIN ON TIME

14 A player will win on time if he can stop the clocks showing that his opponent's flag has fallen and his own flag has not fallen, unless the player who makes the claim cannot possibly checkmate, in which case the game is drawn.

DECLARED DRAW

16 A player may claim a draw during the last two minutes on his clock and before his own flag falls. He must stop the clocks and summon the Arbiter. The Arbiter may then, or subsequently, declare the game drawn if he is satisfied that the opponent is making no effort to win the game by normal means or that it is not possible to win by normal means. The Arbiter may declare the game drawn even after the claimant's flag has fallen.

17 After a draw has been claimed, the fact that the opponent has mating material does not necessarily mean that he will be awarded a win on time.

APPEAL

18 An Appeal against the Arbiter's decision must be made immediately and will be resolved in a manner chosen by the Chief Arbiter of the event.

GUIDANCE FOR PLAYERS WHO ARE SHORT OF TIME (less than two minutes)

If you are holding a position so that your opponent cannot make progress, offer them a draw. If they reject the offer, stop the clocks and summon the Arbiter.

GUIDANCE FOR ARBITERS

In Rule 14 "cannot possibly checkmate" is defined as there being no mating possibility even with the help of the opponent eg Where a player has a bishop or knight against a queen, or a bishop against a rook, then no mating position can be constructed.

Rule 16 is the only rule that requires some chess judgement from the Arbiter. In positions such as where a player has a bare king blocking the opponent's sole rook's pawn, the Arbiter may declare the game drawn if he believes the defending player is of adequate playing strength.

The Arbiter is not expected to adjudicate a position, but should make himself aware of the circumstances, usually by watching a few moves. For example, if a player:

(a) makes tangible progress before his opponent's flag falls, he will be awarded a win.

(b) makes no progress, either because of lack of ability or because of his opponent's sound defence, the player will not be awarded a win.

(c) makes no progress because his opponent makes little effort to move, the player will be awarded a win when his opponent's flag falls.

ADDITIONAL RULES FOR RAPIDPLAY OR QUICKPLAY FINISH EVENTS WHICH DO NOT HAVE AN ARBITER - eg Club or County Matches

1 A player may claim a draw during the last two minutes on his clock and before his own flag falls.

He must claim the draw and stop the clocks. There will be no further play.

2 There are two grounds for claiming a draw under this section of the rules

He must claim

(a) that his opponent cannot win by normal means, and/or

(b) that his opponent has been making no effort to win by normal means.

3 In case 2(a) the player must write down the final position and his opponent should verify it.

4 In case 2(b) the player must write down the final position and submit an up-to-date score sheet, which may not be completed after play, has ceased. The opponent should verify the score sheet final position.

5 The claim should then be discussed by the players, and if not resolved it should be submitted - in the case of a match - to the two captains. If it is still not resolved, the position and relevant information should be referred to an independent Arbiter and the claimant shall deposit a fee to be decided by the Organising Committee.

6 The Arbiter's decision shall be final. If the claim is upheld, the fee will be returned to the claimant and the game declared a draw. If the claim is not upheld, the claimant will lose the game and the fee will not normally be returned.

GUIDANCE FOR THE APPEAL ARBITER

Some chess judgement is required. This is not an adjudication but an attempt to determine the probable result of the game. The benefit of any doubt should be given to the opponent of the claimant.

A player with king and rook claiming a draw against an opponent with king and knight would be awarded a draw under 2(a).

A player with a lone king blocking his opponent's king and solitary central pawn would need to rely on their score sheet to show that their opponent was making no attempt to advance when the opportunity arose. The claim would be under 2(b) and would be likely to fail if the opponent was trying to make progress.

A good rule of thumb is that the award of a win to the opponent should not bring the game into disrepute