Chess Rules

B. Rapidplay

B1. A 'rapidplay game' is one where all the moves must be made in a fixed time between 15 to 60 minutes.

B2. Play shall be governed by the FIDE Laws of Chess, except where they are overridden by the following Laws.

B3. Players do not need to record the moves.

B4. Once each player has made three moves, no claim can be made regarding incorrect piece placement, orientation of the chessboard or clock setting.

B5. The arbiter shall make a ruling according to Articles 4 and 10, only if requested to do so by one or both players.

B6. The flag is considered to have fallen when a valid claim to that effect has been made by a player. The arbiter shall refrain from signalling a flag fall.

B7. To claim a win on time, the claimant must stop both clocks and notify the arbiter. For the claim to be successful, the claimant's flag must remain up and his opponent's flag down after the clocks have been stopped.

B8. If both flags have fallen, the game is drawn.

C. Blitz

C1. A 'blitz game' is one where all the moves must be made in a fixed time less than 15 minutes.

C2. Play shall be governed by the Rapidplay Laws as in Appendix B except where they are overridden by the following Laws.

C3. An illegal move is completed once the opponent's clock has been started. The opponent is then entitled to claim a win before making his own move. Once the opponent has made his own move, an illegal move cannot be corrected.

C4. In order to win, a player must have 'mating potential'. This is defined as adequate forces eventually to produce a position legally, possibly by 'helpmate', where an opponent having the move cannot avoid being checkmated in one move. Thus two knights and a king against a lone king is insufficient, but a rook and king against a knight and king is sufficient.

C5. Article 10.2 does not apply.

D. Quickplay finishes where no arbiter is present in the venue.

D1. Where games are played as in Article 10, a player may claim a draw when he has less than two minutes left on his clock and before his flag falls. This concludes the game. He may claim on the basis

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

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

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

In (b) the player must write down the final position and submit an up-to-date scoresheet which must be completed before play has ceased. The opponent shall verify both the scoresheet and the final position.

The claim shall be referred to an arbiter whose decision shall be final.