MANHANDLING;

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MANHANDLING; THE GENTLE ART OF MAKING YOUR MOVE.

by H.T.Dearden

Chess is a war game, with implicit violence in the moves of the opponents, and it is in the maintenance of certain courtesies that the competitive nature of the contest is managed in a sportsmanlike manner. The rationale underlying the requirements of etiquette is that disturbance to your opponent (other than by the quality of your moves!) should be minimised. This brief article considers these requirements, which are for the most part implicitly or explicitly codified in the FIDE Laws of chess.

Note that, her majesty not withstanding, it is usual to refer to the pieces and pawns as `men'. The term `pieces' is usually reserved for men other than pawns.

There is a certain tactile pleasure to be had in the proper handling of chessmen. The technique recommended here is to pick up the man to be moved with the thumb and first and second finger and lift it clear of the board and then to place it on the destination square before releasing the grip. Avoid sliding rather than lifting a man, since this can lead to men being inadvertently overturned when there is some unanticipated quirk of friction. Avoid releasing the grip early and allowing the man to drop onto the board. The man should be gently lowered, not forcibly placed in some overly dramatic fashion. Such displays of triumphalism, defiance or temper simply demonstrate a want of courtesy. There are practical considerations here also; the proper handling of the men may well help you to maintain your personal discipline and composure.

Having placed the man on the destination square it should be immediately released. Do not continue to hold the man and survey the position in order to maintain the option of retracting the move. Although not strictly illegal this is an inelegant approach and is the mark of a complete tyro. Note that under FIDE laws, once you have released your man in a legal move or part of a legal move (i.e., castling), you may not change your mind and move your man to an alternative square.

Do not make a show of hesitating over your move, repeatedly extending your hand towards a man and then retracting it. Whether inadvertent and sincere, or a piece of gamesmanship intended to mislead your opponent, it is an unmannerly approach.

When capturing, the capturing man can be lifted with thumb and forefinger, and the hand rotated to allow the man to be captured to be lifted with the second and third fingers of the same hand. The hand can then be again rotated to allow the first man to be placed on the destination square and the captured man removed. Note that the FIDE laws of chess require that each move be made with one hand only.

If you wish to adjust the position of your men within the squares they occupy without running the risk of your opponent invoking the `touch and move' rule, you should, when you have the move, announce your intention by declaring “I adjust” or the French “J'adoube”. Even if your opponent is unlikely to invoke the touch and move rule, this is simple good manners. You should not adjust your men when you do not have the move. It is likely to be distracting to your opponent if you were to adjust your men during his move.

When castling, you should move the king first and the rook second, so that your intention is clear from the outset. If you should touch the rook first, under the FIDE laws you may be obliged to make a rook move and in consequence lose your right to castle that side.

Any claim or offer of a draw should be made when you have the move, but an offer made at any other time is valid. The offer cannot be withdrawn, and remains valid until your opponent declines it either orally or by touching a man with the intention of moving. You should not stop your clock until after you have made the offer.

If you claim a draw by threefold repetition, or the 50 move rule, you may stop both clocks until a determination is made on the validity of the claim. If the claim is not found to be valid you will, under FIDE laws, suffer a time penalty. The claim of a draw should be made after having written down the move that first makes the claim eligible, but before executing the move on the board, or when you have the move and the position is already eligible for a claim. You can only claim a draw when you have the move and have not touched a man with the intention of moving. It is forbidden to distract or annoy your opponent with unreasonable claims or offers of a draw.

The FIDE laws require that you operate the clock with the same hand you use to execute your move. This can be a little awkward if the clock is on the opposite side of the board to your normal playing hand. It is unlikely that your opponent will object to the use of your other hand, particularly if you have agreed a clock placement that favours him. Note that the FIDE laws give the arbiter responsibility for deciding on the clock position. FIDE laws also prohibit the practice of keeping your finger on the clock button or hovering over it.

The FIDE laws do not require you to announce check, and it would be mannerly to avoid this if the check is perfectly self evident and the announcement clearly superfluous. If the check is not self evident, perhaps for example, because it is a discovered check, it may well be appropriate to announce it.

The recording of your move is not technically part of the move, which ends when you stop your clock. Naturally, score sheets will be placed on the side most convenient for your writing hand. FIDE laws require that moves are recorded by both players as the game progresses. You should not make your move without having written down your previous move. However you may reply to an opponents move before writing it down if you wish. You may elect not to record the moves in the final five minutes before a time control, but must complete the score as soon as the time control has passed.

If your opponent is away from the board at the time you make your move, it would be polite to indicate your move to him upon his return.

Although the considerations outlined here predominantly relate to formal play as governed by the FIDE laws, once you have an appreciation of them I see no case for not adopting them in all your games. They impose no significant burden, and a mannerly, disciplined approach can only improve your play. Deviations from the rules may well be appropriate in less formal circumstances, but should be by agreement with your opponent or at his specific invitation e.g., the retraction of a blundered move. By observing the appropriate courtesies, we do honour to the royal game.


	Llandudno Chess Club \| home WHY PLAY CHESS? \| MANHANDLING; \| BOARD MEETINGS \| ACHIEVEMENT SCORING; \| DESCRIPTIVE NOTATION; A LOST ENDGAME? \| THE CHESS UNIVERSE PART 1 \| THE CHESS UNIVERSE PART 2 \| CHESS COMBAT \| THE REAL MATRIX MANHANDLING; THE GENTLE ART OF MAKING YOUR MOVE. by H.T.Dearden Chess is a war game, with implicit violence in the moves of the opponents, and it is in the maintenance of certain courtesies that the competitive nature of the contest is managed in a sportsmanlike manner. The rationale underlying the requirements of etiquette is that disturbance to your opponent (other than by the quality of your moves!) should be minimised. This brief article considers these requirements, which are for the most part implicitly or explicitly codified in the FIDE Laws of chess. Note that, her majesty not withstanding, it is usual to refer to the pieces and pawns as `men'. The term `pieces' is usually reserved for men other than pawns. There is a certain tactile pleasure to be had in the proper handling of chessmen. The technique recommended here is to pick up the man to be moved with the thumb and first and second finger and lift it clear of the board and then to place it on the destination square before releasing the grip. Avoid sliding rather than lifting a man, since this can lead to men being inadvertently overturned when there is some unanticipated quirk of friction. Avoid releasing the grip early and allowing the man to drop onto the board. The man should be gently lowered, not forcibly placed in some overly dramatic fashion. Such displays of triumphalism, defiance or temper simply demonstrate a want of courtesy. There are practical considerations here also; the proper handling of the men may well help you to maintain your personal discipline and composure. Having placed the man on the destination square it should be immediately released. Do not continue to hold the man and survey the position in order to maintain the option of retracting the move. Although not strictly illegal this is an inelegant approach and is the mark of a complete tyro. Note that under FIDE laws, once you have released your man in a legal move or part of a legal move (i.e., castling), you may not change your mind and move your man to an alternative square. Do not make a show of hesitating over your move, repeatedly extending your hand towards a man and then retracting it. Whether inadvertent and sincere, or a piece of gamesmanship intended to mislead your opponent, it is an unmannerly approach. When capturing, the capturing man can be lifted with thumb and forefinger, and the hand rotated to allow the man to be captured to be lifted with the second and third fingers of the same hand. The hand can then be again rotated to allow the first man to be placed on the destination square and the captured man removed. Note that the FIDE laws of chess require that each move be made with one hand only. If you wish to adjust the position of your men within the squares they occupy without running the risk of your opponent invoking the `touch and move' rule, you should, when you have the move, announce your intention by declaring “I adjust” or the French “J'adoube”. Even if your opponent is unlikely to invoke the touch and move rule, this is simple good manners. You should not adjust your men when you do not have the move. It is likely to be distracting to your opponent if you were to adjust your men during his move. When castling, you should move the king first and the rook second, so that your intention is clear from the outset. If you should touch the rook first, under the FIDE laws you may be obliged to make a rook move and in consequence lose your right to castle that side. Any claim or offer of a draw should be made when you have the move, but an offer made at any other time is valid. The offer cannot be withdrawn, and remains valid until your opponent declines it either orally or by touching a man with the intention of moving. You should not stop your clock until after you have made the offer. If you claim a draw by threefold repetition, or the 50 move rule, you may stop both clocks until a determination is made on the validity of the claim. If the claim is not found to be valid you will, under FIDE laws, suffer a time penalty. The claim of a draw should be made after having written down the move that first makes the claim eligible, but before executing the move on the board, or when you have the move and the position is already eligible for a claim. You can only claim a draw when you have the move and have not touched a man with the intention of moving. It is forbidden to distract or annoy your opponent with unreasonable claims or offers of a draw. The FIDE laws require that you operate the clock with the same hand you use to execute your move. This can be a little awkward if the clock is on the opposite side of the board to your normal playing hand. It is unlikely that your opponent will object to the use of your other hand, particularly if you have agreed a clock placement that favours him. Note that the FIDE laws give the arbiter responsibility for deciding on the clock position. FIDE laws also prohibit the practice of keeping your finger on the clock button or hovering over it. The FIDE laws do not require you to announce check, and it would be mannerly to avoid this if the check is perfectly self evident and the announcement clearly superfluous. If the check is not self evident, perhaps for example, because it is a discovered check, it may well be appropriate to announce it. The recording of your move is not technically part of the move, which ends when you stop your clock. Naturally, score sheets will be placed on the side most convenient for your writing hand. FIDE laws require that moves are recorded by both players as the game progresses. You should not make your move without having written down your previous move. However you may reply to an opponents move before writing it down if you wish. You may elect not to record the moves in the final five minutes before a time control, but must complete the score as soon as the time control has passed. If your opponent is away from the board at the time you make your move, it would be polite to indicate your move to him upon his return. Although the considerations outlined here predominantly relate to formal play as governed by the FIDE laws, once you have an appreciation of them I see no case for not adopting them in all your games. They impose no significant burden, and a mannerly, disciplined approach can only improve your play. Deviations from the rules may well be appropriate in less formal circumstances, but should be by agreement with your opponent or at his specific invitation e.g., the retraction of a blundered move. By observing the appropriate courtesies, we do honour to the royal game.