Come 2021 and a few pawns and rooks are being moved around a bit in online chess. Following a year of active online chess tournaments, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) has introduced a new set of rules and regulations to steer official online competitions.
Since the pandemic, competitive chess has flourished online and a couple of first-ever online chess tournaments drew large audiences on various online platforms worldwide. The need for new regulations, though, was felt the most at the International Chess Olympiad 2020. The event was marred by multiple issues like power outages and internet disconnections.
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During the quarterfinals, the Armenian team protested over their losing a game due to poor internet connection at Chess.com, the portal where the tournament was played. The team withdrew from the game when the appeal was rejected paving the way for India to enter the semi-finals. The finals between India and Russia also witnessed a worldwide global server outage leading to both the teams sharing the gold medal.
New Rules for Competitive Chess Online
Though the framework of instructions used for the tournament remains the same, newer rules have been set regarding the video conferencing software, cameras, and player conduct. As per Article 14 of the new charter that concerns cameras and microphones, virtual backgrounds or green screens are not permitted and players’ faces, as well as surroundings, must be clear with proper lighting. The article also demands extra cameras to keep track of the contestants’ eye movements. The microphones must be of high quality, being sharp enough to transmit any audible sound from the players’ surroundings – including the click of the mouse to validate a move.
According to Indian GM Srinath Narayanan on the need for such a rule, compromises cannot be made on the visibility of the player in a video conferencing game. Ensuring multiple camera angles is necessary towards defending the integrity of the game and seal off any cheating online. More than bad internet, chances of fair-play violation could be rampant.
Yellow and Red Cards –Changing colours
Now online chess tournaments too will flash the yellow and red cards. Internet disconnections will be dealt with by the yellow and red card system so that multiple internet disruptions would result in the match going in favour of the opponent. The new rules have cemented those that were used during the Online Olympiad and the Asian Nations tournaments.
As GM Srinath puts it, the cards would be more of a warning where the decision would solely rest on the discretion of the arbiter. The unpredictability of internet outages remains a matter of concern as specific locations could be affected.
Hybrid chess is an area where FIDE has pressed the pedals stronger. The format where an over-the-board style of play blends with online options a player can play over the board while the opponent chooses to play online. This format had picked popularity especially during the COVID-19 lock-down times and had kept the traditional chess clubs kicking.
For the over-the-board player, the rule applies that the arbiter must check the bags, clothes and bodies to ensure that devices intended for cheating are not carried in. Though personal electronic devices are permitted and can be kept in the player’s bag, they must be switched off.
Another addition to the rules concerns the gender of the arbiter. The rule insists that the arbiter or anyone authorised by the arbiter must be of the same gender as the player.
Black or White
In over-the-board games, the players can sit directly on that side of the table where the colour of their choice is set. As per FIDE’s new rule, if the online game starts with the wrong colours due to any software errors, both teams can approach the arbiter within 10 moves. A fresh game can be started henceforth with the colours set accordingly. But in case the players are unaware of the errors and have gone past 10 moves, the results will be undeterred.
As Srinath puts it, such an error seldom happens over-the-board but could be frequent in online chess as players get paired automatically, validating the necessity for such a regulation.
As online chess seems to re-invent the game for the days to come, it brings in a positive note as well, ensuring the growing popularity and ‘accessibility’ of the game. With the hard truth that the impact of the pandemic might keep us all online for some more months, new rules and regulations are sure to add to the excitement and integrity of competitive chess online.
Conclusion
As platforms change, so do rules and it becomes all the more important to practise your game. To hone your child’s skills in online chess, let them enjoy the game and learn through fun. At Mind Mentorz, we make learning and practising the game fun for kids. To enrol your child for online chess classes that not only fine-tune their innate talents but develop personal discipline and add on to their cognitive skills, feel free to contact us at 9606847428.