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Greater Peoria Chess Foundation


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The Greater Peoria Chess Foundation is a 501(c)3 non profit organization dedicated to encouraging chess in our community and school systems. Chess helps students to develop many life skills that will help them as they navigate with challenges that lay ahead.


Scholastic Chess Scholarship Tour The 2024-25 school schedule features our new Grand Prix Chess Tour program that offers scholarships for some lucky players to attend the USCF K-8 Championships in Bloomington or the Nationals in Orlando, Florida at the end of the chess season. Learn how you can paticipate and perhaps win a trip to the Nationals at Orlando, Click ==> here <== and get all the details.


Former Peoria player, Elbert Fang, has attatained the rating of USCF Master, 2200, at the Queen City Prairie Open in Fort Worth, Texas with a win over Sharvesh R Deviprasath (2545). See the game here.
Congratulations Elbert!!!


FIDE vs USCF Rules

Summary of Differences between the FIDE Laws of Chess
and the US Chess Official Rules of Chess, 7th edition (2019)

(effective January 1, 2018)

The USCF has recently changed its policy and now now publishes the most important rules concerning tournament play online. The full, unabridged paperback and e-book versions of the 7th edition is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2019. Chapter 1 (Official Rules of Chess), Chapter 2 (Tournament Section), and Chapter 11 (Blitz Chess) are included in the online version. The other chapters which have to do with notation, equipment standardsPlayer's rights and responsibilities,code of ethics, TD certification, the rating system, correspondence chess, and Internet chess and minor appendices are still available only in the 6th edition of the book.

Following is a brief summary of differences between the FIDE Laws of Chess and the US Chess Official Rules of Chess. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list but rather a "top ten" list of important differences (more likely to arise in practice) and more obscure differences.

Both the FIDE Laws of Chess and the US Chess Official Rules of Chess have different sets of rules based on the time control for the game


FIDE Laws of Chess:

  • Standard refers to games where each player has at least 60 minutes for the game, based on 60 moves
  • Rapid play refers to games where each player has more than 10 minutes but less than 60 minutes, based on 60 moves
  • Blitz refers to games where each player has at most 10 minutes, based on 60 moves

US Chess Official Rules of Chess:

  • Regular refers to games where each player has at least 30 minutes for the game, based on 60 moves
  • Quick refers to games where each player has more than 10 minutes but less than 30 minutes, based on 60 moves
  • Blitz refers to games where each player has at least 3 minutes and at most 10 minutes, based on 60 moves

The following tables compare US Chess regular rules and FIDE standard rules. FIDE rapid play and blitz events are still rare in the United States.

There are two sections: "important" differences and "obscure" differences. The differences labeled "important" are more likely to occur in tournament play.

Important Differences

Who can call a Flag Down

FIDE. The arbiter can call fallen flags without a claim by the player or the opponent.
USCF. Only the players may call a fallen flag.

Who makes Rule Violation Claims

FIDE. The arbiter will correct all observed rules violations (such as illegal moves and "touch move" violations) even if the opponent does not make a claim. (However, the opponent may make a claim if the arbiter does not observe the violation.)
USCF. The director will correct illegal moves observed unless either player has less than five minutes remaining in the time control. (On the other hand, variation 11H1 is often used, although not typically announced. Under this variation, the director does not correct illegal moves unless a player makes a claim.) Other rule violations (such as "touch move") require the opponent to make a claim.

Cell Phones

FIDE. The Laws of Chess forbid a player from having a cell phone or other electronic means of communication in the playing venue at all, even if the device is powered off. The penalty is loss of the game, but the rules of a competition may specify a lesser penalty. The arbiter may require the player to allow his clothes, bags, or other items to be inspected in private.
USCF. US Chess rule 20N forbids a player from having a "mobile phone or other electronic means of communication" in the playing venue unless it is completely switched off. Rule 20N1 provides for a time penalty the first time a player's cell phone rings.

Electronics Note

(Note that both the FIDE and US Chess rules are likely to change in the future as the rules try to keep up with the rapidly changing landscape of electronic cheating.)

3 Move Draw Claim

FIDE. You must make your move on the board first and only then record the move unless you are claiming a draw by triple occurrence of position or by the 50 move rule (or sealing a move). If you want to claim a draw by triple occurrence or the 50-move rule and you move a piece before making the claim, you lose the right to claim the draw.
USCF. US Chess rule 15A require the player to make the move first and only then record the move. However, a commonly used variation (often unannounced) allows a player using a paper scoresheet to write the move on the scoresheet before making the move on the board.

Illegal Moves

FIDE. The penalty for the first illegal move is to add two minutes to the opponent's time. A second illegal move results in loss of the game.
USCF. The penalty for an illegal move is to add two minutes to the opponent's clock. There is no limit on the number of illegal moves a player may make in a game.

Illegal Move Correction Window

FIDE. There is no limit how far back in the game an illegal move may be corrected.
USCF. If an illegal move is not corrected within ten moves (or within two moves in a sudden death time control in a time pressure situation), the illegal move stands.

Recording Moves

FIDE. You must continue recording moves if you have at least five minutes on the clock, even if the opponent has less than five minutes remaining. If the time control has an increment of at least 30 seconds per move, both players are required to record moves at all times.
USCF. A player may stop recording moves for the rest of the time control if the either player has less than five minutes remaining. If the time control has an increment of at least 30 seconds per move, both players are required to record moves at all times.

Pawn Promotion

FIDE. If the player moves a pawn to the last rank and presses the clock without replacing the pawn with a promotion piece, the player has completed an illegal move (see illegal move above for implications) and the pawn shall be replaced by a queen of the same color as the pawn. By leaving the pawn on the last rank and pressing the clock, the player loses the right to choose a different promotion piece, even if promoting the pawn to a queen causes stalemate.
USCF. If a player does not replace a pawn on the last rank with a promotion piece and presses the clock, the opponent may immediately press the clock or stop the clock and summon a director (advisable in an increment time control). The player does not lose the right of choice of promotion piece, and this is not treated as an illegal move.

Complete Scoresheet for Claim

FIDE. It unnecessary to have a complete scoresheet to win on time in a non-sudden death time control. Calling your own flag to prevent the opponent from filling in moves on an incomplete score sheet won't help.
USCF. To claim a win on time in a non-sudden death time control, the opponent must have a reasonably complete scoresheet with no more than three missing or incorrect move pairs for the time control. A player may call his own flag as a means of preventing the opponent from filling in missing moves on the scoresheet. (Once the flag has been called, the opponent may not update the scoresheet.)

Castling

FIDE. When castling, the player must touch the king first. If the player touches the rook first, castling with that rook is not allowed, and the touch move rule is applied to the rook.
USCF. When castling, the player must touch the king first. However, a variation of rule 10I2 (announced at the start of the tournament) allows the player to touch the rook first.

Move with Both Hands

FIDE. Using both hands to make a move is considered an illegal move. Pressing the clock without making a move is considered an illegal move. Both of these violations count toward the "second illegal move results in loss of game" rule (see illegal move above for implications).
USCF. The US Chess rules has no explicit rule requiring moves to be made with one hand (except in blitz). The director may assess a penalty for pressing the clock without moving (unless the rules explicitly allow the player to press the clock, such as forcing the opponent to replace a promoted pawn with a piece on his own time). The penalty is likely to be a warning for the first infraction.

Obscure Differences

Tardiness

FIDE. The "zero tolerance" rule (introduced in 2009) that, unless specified otherwise, a player who is late at all for the start of the round forfeits the game was modified in 2014. The rules of a competition may specify a different "default time" for the tournament. If the rules of the competition allow players to arrive late and both players are late, all the elapsed time comes off White's clock.
USCF. The game is lost by a player who arrives at the chessboard more than one hour late. If both players are late, the elapsed time from the start of the round until the first player arrives is divided in half, and that time is subtracted from each player's clock. (So, for instance, if the first player is forty minutes late, twenty minutes should be subtracted from both sides of the clock.)

Making Draw Claims

FIDE. If claiming a draw by triple occurrence of position or the 50 move rule, you must write your move on the score sheet without making the move on the board. If you make the move on the board, you are no longer considered to be "on the move" (even if your clock is still running), and a draw claim will be rejected. (Also see item 2 in "obscure differences" below.)
USCF. If claiming a draw by triple occurrence of position and the player's next move would cause the third occurrence, the correct procedure is to write the move on the scoresheet but not to execute the move on the board. However, under US Chess rules, a player is considered to be "on the move" until the player presses the clock. So, if the player (incorrectly) makes the move on the board but does not press the clock, the player does not lose the right to claim the draw. Also, to claim a draw by the 50 move rule, the player should make the move on the board (if needed to reach the count of 50 moves by both sides) and must claim the draw before pressing the clock.

Up to Date Scoresheets

FIDE. Score sheets must be brought up to date at the end of a non-sudden death time control. If one player must complete his score sheet, he does so while his clock is running before he makes a move in the new time control. If both players must complete score sheets, the arbiter may assist, and both clocks are stopped during the reconstruction.
USCF. The director may waive the requirement to bring scoresheets up to date at the end of a non-sudden death time control. In practice, this requirement is almost never enforced.

Pawn Promotion

FIDE. When promoting a pawn, the choice of promotion piece is final as soon as the piece touches the promotion square (even if the player has not yet released the promotion piece).
USCF. When promoting a pawn, the choice of promotion piece is final as soon as the piece touches the promotion square (even if the player has not yet released the promotion piece). (This changed to match the FIDE rule as of 1 January 2018.)

What is a Queen

FIDE. An inverted rook is not allowed to be used as a "queen" when promoting a pawn. If a promotion piece is not readily available, the player must stop the clocks and ask the arbiter for assistance. An upside-down rook is treated as promotion to a rook. If the arbiter sees this, he will turn the rook right side up and the game continues.
USCF. The US Chess rules explicitly state that, when promoting a pawn, an upside-down rook is to be considered to be a queen.

Insufficient Losing Chances

FIDE. A player with less than two minutes remaining on the clock may claim a draw under Article G.5 (the vague equivalent of US Chess rule 14H, "insufficient losing chances"), even if there is a delay clock already in use for the game. Article G.5 does not apply if the time control uses any increment.) The player may claim a draw based on the opponent not making any attempt to win the game by normal means. Article G.2 requires that it be announced before the start of an event whether appendix G applies to the event.
USCF. US Chess rule 14H (insufficient losing chances) does not apply if the time control includes either delay or increment and the game is played with a properly set delay or increment capable clock.

Insufficient Material

FIDE. It is possible to lose on time in situations that are a draw under US Chess rules. For instance, GM Friedel (IM Friedel at the time) lost on time with a king and rook vs. king and knight. Under the FIDE laws of chess, the game is drawn when one player runs out of time only if there is no legal sequence of moves by which the opponent could checkmate the player. Since there is a helpmate that allows a king and one knight to checkmate a player with a king and rook, GM Friedel lost the game. (Note: Earlier versions of this page incorrectly attributed this loss to GM Nakamura. The game in question is IM J. Friedel - GM S. Halkias, Bad Wiessee Open, Germany, 2007. See this story on Chess Life Online for more details.)
USCF. US Chess rule 14E (insuffient material to win on time) specifies cases where the game is drawn even if one player runs out of time. One of the cases listed in rule 14E is the opponent having only a king and knight (and not having a forced win).

Illegal Move Time Adjustment

FIDE. When correcting illegal moves, the arbiter may use his best judgment to determine the time on each clock. (This includes the right of the arbiter to choose not to adjust the clocks at all.)
USCF. In the case of an illegal move, there is no adjustment of the times shown on the clock.

Illegal Starting Position

FIDE. If the players start the game with the colors reversed, before ten moves have been made by both players, the game continues unless the arbiter rules otherwise. (After ten moves, the game continues with no change.) If the game started with the pieces incorrectly set up, the game is canceled and a new game played in its place, regardless of how many moves have been made when the error has been noticed. (While it is a common fix, it is incorrect to fix a reversed king and queen [the most common case of an incorrect initial position] by just swapping the king and queen back to their correct squares.)
USCF. Starting the game with the colors reversed is treated as an illegal move at the start of the game, as is starting the game with the pieces set up incorrectly. In both cases, the mistake must be corrected within the first ten moves by both players, or the game will continue as is. (While it is a common fix, it is incorrect to fix a reversed king and queen [the most common case of an incorrect initial position] by just swapping the king and queen back to their correct squares.)

Tournament Director Draws

FIDE. The game is drawn without either player making a claim if the same position occurs on the board after five occurrences of the same position with the same player on the move each time and the same possible moves each time ("five-fold repetition") or if both players have completed 75 moves without a capture or a pawn move.
USCF. The TD may declare the game drawn if the same position occurs on the board after five consecutive pairs of moves for each player ("five-fold repetition") or if both players have completed 75 moves without a capture or a pawn move. However, the draw is not automatic, and the TD is not obligated to call the draw. (This is a weaker form of the FIDE rule.)