Sudden Death Specific Rules & Basic Chess Rules

To help familiarize players with some of the basic rules for chess and specific rules for Sudden Death play, I'm providing the following info from the USCF Offical Rules of Chess, 5th Edition:

Non-Sudden Death Specific Rules

11. Illegal Positions

Director corrects illegal move in non-sudden death. Except in the last five minutes of any time control, a director who witnesses an illegal move being made shall require the player to replace that move with a legal one in accordance with 10B, Touch-move rule. The time on the clocks shall not be adjusted; however, move counters on clocks that have them may be adjusted. See also 11J, Deliberate illegal moves; and 21D, Intervening in games. 11H, page 26

13. The Decisive Game

Non-Sudden Death: The player who properly claims that the opponent has not completed the prescribed number of moves in the allotted time wins the game, provided that the claimant has mating material (14E) and a reasonably complete score sheet (13C7) when the flag falls (5G). Move counters, on clocks equipped with them, may not be used as the only evidence in claiming that the prescribed number of moves were not completed in the allotted time. 13C pg 30
Player may call own flag for protection in non-sudden death. A player may call attention to the fall of his or her own flag. This initiates the time-forfeit procedures, the same as if the opponent had made a claim. A player will likely exercise this option in order to make it clear that any moves the opponent may subsequently fill in or correct on the score sheet are invalid for the purpose of having an adequate score. See also 13C3, Filling in moves with flag down. 13C2, page 31

TD TIP: This rule was designed to protect the player who is short of time, in a non-sudden death time control from an opponent, who has plenty of time to write down moves as they are being made, who instead ‘blitzes’ or rushes move after move without filling in a score sheet contrary to 15A, Manner of keeping score 13C2 page 31

Definition of reasonably complete score sheet. Unless otherwise posted or announced in advance at the site, a reasonably complete score sheet is one that has no more than three missing or incomplete move pairs (consecutive moves, white and black or black and white). The absence of three consecutive individual moves, e.g. white-black-white, counts as two incomplete move pairs. The move pair is considered incomplete if either side’s move is omitted or incomplete. No move pair is ever considered to be half complete. Minor ambiguities in scorekeeping or errors involving no more than one symbol are of no consequence. The common error of omitting one move by one player and subsequently putting moves in the wrong columns counts as only one error. Moves that are indecipherable or recorded only with check marks are considered missing. TD TIP: An example of minor ambiguity would be for the player of the black pieces to write Nf3 on a score sheet in place of Nf6 in the opening when Nf3 is clearly not even possible. 13C7 pages 32-33
Use of opponent’s score sheet in non-sudden death. The director may use the score sheet of the claimant’s opponent to determine that the requisite number of moves has been made or that the claimant’s score sheet is in error. The director may also use the opponent’s score sheet to assist in playing over the game. No player, however, may be forfeited based solely on the evidence of his or her own score sheet. 13C8 page 33
Sudden Death Specific Rules

11. Illegal positions: (page 23)

In sudden death the time on the clocks can be adjusted. NOTE: This rule is not in effect during sudden death time pressure (either player has less than 5 min on clock) 11A page 23
Illegal move in sudden death. (pg. 25): If, in a sudden death control, a player completes an illegal move by pressing the clock, in addition to the usual obligation to make a legal move with the touched piece if possible, two minutes shall be added to the remaining time of the opponent of the player who made the illegal move. 11D pg 25
Illegal move in sudden death time pressure. A director should not call attention to illegal moves in sudden death time pressure. If either player has 5 minutes remaining in a sudden death time control and the illegal move is not corrected: (a) before the opponent of the player who made the illegal move completes two move, or, (b) before either player resigns (13B) or ( c) before either player is checkmated with a legal move (13A) or (d) before either player is stalemated with a legal move (14A)…then the illegal move stands and there is no time adjustment if the game is still in progress. 11D1 pg 25

13. The Decisive Game

Sudden Death: The player who properly claims that the opponent has not completed the game in the allotted time, and has mating material (14E), wins the game. A score sheet is not required to win on time in a sudden death time control (15C). See also 15H, Reporting of results, and 19G3, Loss on time and invalid move. 13cpg 30

14. The Drawn Game.

Sudden death time pressure. In sudden death, a player with less than 5 minutes remaining may be awarded a draw by triple occurrence of position based on the observation of a director, deputy or impartial witness(es). A play may stop both clocks to see a director… 14C8 pg 45
Both flags down in sudden death. The game is drawn if both flags are down in a sudden death time control and either player points this out. If a player whose flag is still up claims a win on time but does not stop the clock in time to prevent the flag from falling, the game is drawn. 14G page 48
Players apparently unaware of situation. If a sudden death game continues with both flags down, the director may rule it a draw. 14G2, page 49
Checkmate and both flags down. In a sudden death control, if a player points out that both flags are down prior to a checkmate, the game is drawn. 14G1 pg 49
No Claim of insufficient losing chances in sudden death. No claim of insufficient losing chances in sudden death will be allowed. This variation does not need to be announced in advance publicity. 14H6 Rulebook Changes 2003-2011

15. The Recording of Games

Scorekeeping in time pressure, sudden death control. If either player has less than 5 minutes remaining in a sudden death time control, both players are excused from the obligation to keep score. A score sheet is not required to win on time in a sudden death control. (13C), 15C, page 57
All Quick Chess (from G10 but less than G/30) rules are identical to regular USCF sudden death rules herein except that scorekeeping is not required. 5C pg. 9

Basic Rules

10. The Touched Piece

Touch-move rule. Except for 10A (Adjustment of Pieces), a player on move who deliberately touches one or more pieces, in a manner that may reasonably be interpreted as the beginning of a move, must move or capture the first piece touched that can be moved or captured. 10B pg 21

11. Illegal positions: (page 23)

If one of either player’s last ten moves was illegal the position shall be reinstated to what it was before the illegal move. The game shall then continue by applying Rule 10, The Touched Piece, to the move replacing the illegal move. 11A, page 23

14. The Drawn Game

Triple occurrence of position (14C, pg. 42-43)
Insufficient material to continue: The game is drawn when one of the following endings arises, in which the possibility of a win is excluded for either side. 14D1, pg 45-46

King vs. King
King vs. king with bishop or knight
King and bishop vs. king and bishop
No legal moves leading to checkmate by the opponent

Insufficient material to win on time. The game is drawn even when a player exceeds the time limit if one of the following conditions exist. 14E, page 46

Lone king. Opponent has only a lone king.
King and bishop or king and knight (Opponent has only king and bishop or king and knight and does not have a forced win)
King and two knights: Opponent has only king and two knights, the player has no pawns, and opponent does not have a forced win.

Claim of Insufficient Losing Chances does not apply in increment games. 14K Rulebook Changes 2003-2011

The 50-move rule. The game is drawn when the player on move claims a draw and demonstrates that the last 50 consecutive moves have been made without capture or pawn move. 14F1, pages 46-47
Director may count moves in sudden death. In sudden death, a player with less than 5 minutes remaining and a simplified position in which no pawn moves or captures seem likely may stop both clocks, declare to a director an intention to invoke the 50-move rule when possible, and ask for assistance in counting moves. A director who agrees this is appropriate may count moves or use a deputy or a clock with a move counter to do so. 14F4 pg 47
Proper timing of draw offer. Except for a draw claim, which is an implicit draw offer (14), a player should make a proposal of a draw only after determining a move (9G) and before pressing the clock. The opponent may accept the proposal or may reject it either orally or by deliberately touching a piece (10B). In the interim, the player who made the offer cannot withdraw it. 14B1, pg 41-42

16. The Use of the Chess Clock

Special Rules for Time Pressure: if an illegal move is not corrected before the opponent of the player who made the illegal move completes two more moves, then the illegal move stands, and there is no time adjustment. See also 11D Illegal move in sudden death and 11J, Deliberate illegal moves. 16D1 page 63