Open Letter by Mr. Jonathan Berry (IA, FM, GMC)
Evil Days Ahead: End of the Rubinstein Rule
FIDE is proposing that, as of July 2009, games be forfeitedif a player is not present at the scheduled start of the game.There may be a “compromise” of 15 minutes suggested, but thattoo is flawed.
I need not tell other Canadians about the vagaries of publictransit. A bus may be late or not appear at all. To avoidforfeiture, bus-enabled players will have to arrive over 30minutes early, at the start of a 12-hour day of play, and often stand outside a locked door in the snow or rain.
That is just one of the nightmares of a zero or 15- minuterule. Among the others are logistical and administrative.
But here’s one that they surely didn’t think of: a zero or15 minute rule encourages cheating. A nasty form ofcheating is the thrown game. In 2008, if a player doesnot show up at the start of the round, he is often hunteddown by friends or tournament directors and dragged to theboard before the Rubinstein one hour has elapsed. If hewants to throw the game, he has to make bad moves, orintentionally exceed the time control: quite an investmentin time for doing nothing. Either way, he loses bothrating points and face. In 2009, the same player justappears ten seconds late, apologizes to the opponent, losesno rating points, experiences no internal conflicts, andthe rest of the day is his.
If forfeit games are rated, that opens up the fullpanoply of thrown-game cheating.
If games in which no moves are played are left unrated (as at present) the zero or 15- minute rule opens up a newmethod of cheating. The norm hopeful will have to pay theunscrupulous opponent simply to show up on time for thegame.
I encourage all FIDE member nations to vote against thisrule change at the 2008 General Assembly in Dresden.
Jonathan Berry
IA, FM, GMC
Johnathan’s arguments are clear and concise: get rid of the forfeit rule. Give people time to get there. We don’t all own cars and shouldn’t be forced to arrive really early and stand out in the cold.
I fully agree. If only I could vote as he suggests!
Hi John, you seem to know a lot about cheating in chess?
I agree. This rule should be applied only to GMs and players over 2500 rating. Arbiters and spectators included.
FIDE should pay some money for each minute a player comes earlier to the game, for players above 2300 rating.
Maybe you Canadians are cheat-freaks, but over here, in the civilized world that just doesn’t happen.
Men should be allowed to come late, even after one hour passed.
Women should not be allowed to come late to the game and should be penalized appropriately.
Why should there be equality, when we have different championships, with direct proof of mens total domination over women in chess?
This rule must be applied for American and Canadian citizens only.
somewory
‘I encourage all FIDE member nations to vote against thisrule change at the 2008 General Assembly in Dresden.’
So, how did the voting end up??
What idiot would rate a game that has not been played?? Are you saying FIDE proposed this? Has everyone went mad?
I really love this game.
Abolishing the “1 hour late rule” is the only smart thing FIDE did in the past 20 years.
I asked my boss can I be up to one hour late for work every day.
He agreed. So why not in chess games also??
I think 30 minutes late should be allowed, if not a whole hour. Making the limit below 30 minutes is too strict especially if someone was already there just before the start and then went to the toilet for 5 minutes- why should he lose??
Sometimes you are just unavoidably late. What is the big deal if your clock is ticking? Once you are there you can go stand in the corner for an hour if you want to (while your clock is ticking). But maybe 30 minutes would be better.
Sometimes you are just unavoidably late. What does it matter – if your clock is running? Once you are there you can go stand in the corner for an hour while you clock runs, if you want to. But 30 minutes should be OK.
Somtimes you are just unavoidably late. What does it matter – if your clock is running? Once you are there you can stand in the corner for an hour if you want to, while your clock runs. But 30 minutes should be OK.