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Drawn Games (Article 9)

Tip

If an arbiter is summoned to a game, the arbiter should make sure the clocks are stopped.

What constitutes to a draw?

  • If you are in a stalemate, it’s a draw.

  • Blocked position is a draw (no series of moves can lead to a checkmate) - This is the pawns all jammed next to each other example. As soon as the drawn position is over, the game is over. Time is irrelevant.

  • Insufficient mating material (e.g. king vs king + bishop; king vs king + knight; king + bishop vs king + bishop (bishops are on the same color))

  • Drawn by repetition (same position occurs 3 times) and then the player can claim the draw.

  • 50 move rule (75 move rule for arbiters to step in). In both cases, only the person to move can make this claim. - If there’s a 50 move thing, arbiters cannot step in, it’s only for 75 moves.

  • Agreement (not all tournaments allow this under 30 moves)

Draw by repetition

  • They don’t have to be consecutive! All of the same possible moves should be possible (e.g. en-passant doesn’t apply). The same player must have the move.

Tip

Don’t call it a “three-fold repetition”. It’s “the position occurs three times”.

  • The player making the move must claim the draw. If they make the move (not completed, which means pressing the clock), they’ve lost the right to claim (You have to

  • You should: Write the move on the score sheet (don’t actually play the move), inform the opponent and only then stop the clock (You have to write the move BEFORE stopping the clock).

  • If they’ve stopped the clock and haven’t written the move, a “sensible arbiter” is allowed to explain the laws and then restart the clock. Stopping the clock is allowed at any point to ask advice from the arbiter.

  • Losing the right to castle counts as a different position. Moving a piece on a certain player’s turn is a different position.

  • If you write the move and their flag goes, you CANNOT claim the draw - you’ve lost. HOWEVER, if it is 5 repeated positions, then it IS a draw.

  • Looking at the scoresheet isn’t enough to confirm a draw by repetition - you should actually “act it out” on another board.

The 50 and 75 move rule

  • Article 9.3.2: The game is drawn upon a correct claim by a player having the move, if the last 50 moves by each player have been completed without any captures or pawn movements.

    "A move" consists of one player making a move, followed by another player making a move. For all intents and purposes, think of it as "a pair of moves" that you would see on a scoresheet.

    As an arbiter, this only applies upon a correct claim. You do not step in unless they claim it.

    As an arbiter, you cannot tell someone it has been 50 moves. This has these weird cases:

    • If they ask how many moves it has been and it's been over 50 moves, you can tell them it has been over 50 moves. You can tell them that they can make their draw offer.

    • If they ask how many moves it has been and it's not been over 50 moves, you can give them a penalty for disruption.

  • Article 9.6.2: The game is drawn if 75 moves with no captures or pawn moves.

    If the last move was checkmate, the game is checkmate.

    After 75 moves, you as the arbiter must intervene and stop the game, declaring it as a draw.

Nuance cases with regards to the 50 move rule

Article 9.5.3: If the claim is incorrect, the opponent gets +2 minutes and the player must play the move which is written down. This is not classified as an illegal move, unless of course the intended move is illegal, in which case another move must be made.

  • If the player’s disagree that it’s a draw, this is when an arbiter normally has to play through it.

  • If the player’s agree, then it’s free and easy! The best thing to do in this case is to ask the opponent if they agree if it’s a draw.

  • The 50-move rule: If the last 50 moves have had no capture or pawn moves, you can claim a draw.

If the claim is incorrect, the opponent gets +2 minutes and the player must play the move which is written down

If you touch a piece, you lose the right to claim.

If 75-move rule, the arbiter declares the game drawn. (The game now ends)

Game is drawn if neither player can get checkmate

A good idea is get both players together, and ask them to “Play through the game and show me the first position”. The arbiter should properly be looking at the replay. You then ask “play until the second/third position” etc. Players must assist the arbiter in reconstructing the game

If the claim is wrong, the arbiter should SHOW the claim to the user stating why it’s wrong.

If the claim is wrong, you can add +2 minutes to the opponent for “disrupting the game”. If the opponent is actively making incorrect claims so they can get extra thinking time, the arbiter can take further actions/penalties

If you’re not recording moves, you can claim from the arbiter’s scoresheet (if they’re recording) or the live boards. If there’s no recording, you have no proof and cannot make a claim.

Don’t forget, if both players agree, you can have drawn by agreement (see below)

Remember, agreement is tournament-specific.

You make the move, you offer the draw then you press the clock. If a draw offer is made, it cannot be withdrawn. If you make an offer before making the move, the draw offer is valid and the opponent can wait to see the move.

To reject a draw, you can state it (i.e. say no), or touch a piece to move it, or the game is otherwise concluded (e.g. you checkmate the opponent, you make a draw offer, you’re done. Game is over because the game has already been concluded, so the draw offer is rejected)

If an arbiter is summoned to a game, the arbiter should make sure the clocks are stopped.

Make sure to write the move down then make the claim for repetition.

The 50-move rule: If the last 50 moves have had no capture or pawn moves, you can claim a draw.

If the claim is incorrect, the opponent gets +2 minutes and the player must play the move which is written down

If you touch a piece, you lose the right to claim.

If 75-move rule, the arbiter declares the game drawn. (The game now ends)

Game is drawn if neither player can get checkmate

A flag has only fallen after it has been noticed by a player or an arbiter. If a player offers a draw and it is accepted and then they notice that the flag has fallen, then the game is a draw.

If a flag falls and they can't win, it's a draw.