09-08-2017, 09:46 AM
The Laws of Chess are now written on the assumption that increments are being used. Anything without increments is now regarded as the exception.
Restarting the opponent's clock and thereby adding increments is not allowed. The clock may be stopped (or, more accurately, paused) for anything requiring an arbiter.
7.4.1 represents the case where the player displacing the piece has not yet pressed the clock.
7.4.2 covers both the situation where the clock has been pressed and/or the players disagree or are uncertain about the position of the displaced piece or pieces.
7.8.1 Is designed for the situation where the player on the move tries to gain some valuable thinking time by disturbing the opponent by pressing the clock without making a move. This was previously seen as a way of overcoming the penalty for making an illegal move and still gaining valuable thinking time.
It is not intended to be used in situations of genuine confusion so I would hope that a player who restarted the opponent's clock following the displacement of a piece would not be deemed to have made an illegal move.
A player who thinks he forgot to press his clock on the previous move MAY also be regarded as an exception (though proving this may be difficult - the time when it is done would be significant eg early in the game give benefit of doubt but if in time trouble then almost certainly counts as an illegal move).
Some tournaments, particularly blitz ones, have a rule which states that the penalty for displacing a piece and pressing the clock before replacing it will be the loss of the game. The problem area is usually when a player going to press the clock knocks over a piece in the same movement and cannot stop themselves from pressing the clock. It has also been known for pieces to fall after the clock has been pressed.
As in all situations not exactly cover by the Laws the Preface to the Laws comes into consideration.
Restarting the opponent's clock and thereby adding increments is not allowed. The clock may be stopped (or, more accurately, paused) for anything requiring an arbiter.
7.4.1 represents the case where the player displacing the piece has not yet pressed the clock.
7.4.2 covers both the situation where the clock has been pressed and/or the players disagree or are uncertain about the position of the displaced piece or pieces.
7.8.1 Is designed for the situation where the player on the move tries to gain some valuable thinking time by disturbing the opponent by pressing the clock without making a move. This was previously seen as a way of overcoming the penalty for making an illegal move and still gaining valuable thinking time.
It is not intended to be used in situations of genuine confusion so I would hope that a player who restarted the opponent's clock following the displacement of a piece would not be deemed to have made an illegal move.
A player who thinks he forgot to press his clock on the previous move MAY also be regarded as an exception (though proving this may be difficult - the time when it is done would be significant eg early in the game give benefit of doubt but if in time trouble then almost certainly counts as an illegal move).
Some tournaments, particularly blitz ones, have a rule which states that the penalty for displacing a piece and pressing the clock before replacing it will be the loss of the game. The problem area is usually when a player going to press the clock knocks over a piece in the same movement and cannot stop themselves from pressing the clock. It has also been known for pieces to fall after the clock has been pressed.
As in all situations not exactly cover by the Laws the Preface to the Laws comes into consideration.