Laws of Chess: Official Rules

Laws of Chess

Definition

The Laws of Chess are the official rules that govern how chess is played and conducted in competitions. Maintained by FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs), they define how the pieces move, special rules (castling, en passant, promotion), how games start and end, draw procedures, time-control regulations, recording moves, the role of the arbiter, and player conduct. National federations (e.g., USCF) may publish supplementary rules for local events, but FIDE’s Laws are the global standard for rated play and international events.

Scope and Structure

The Laws comprise fundamental rules of play and competition rules, plus appendices for time formats and variants:

• Articles 1–5: Basics (objective, check/checkmate, stalemate, piece movement, completion of the game).
• Articles 6–9: Clocks and time controls, irregularities and illegal moves, recording of moves, draw claims.
• Articles 10–12: Quickplay finishes (legacy), player conduct, arbiter duties.
• Appendices: Rapid chess, Blitz, Algebraic notation, and Chess960 (Fischer Random) specifics.

Event regulations may specify details like default time for late arrival, tie-breaks, and anti-cheating measures. If not specified, many defaults flow from the Laws (e.g., “zero tolerance” for late arrival unless the event sets a grace period).

Core Rules of Play

Objective and End of Game

The objective is to checkmate the opponent’s king. Checkmate immediately ends the game; there is no “capturing the king.” Other ways a game ends include stalemate (draw), resignation, draw claims (repetition/50 moves), dead position, or time forfeit.

Piece Movement and Special Moves

• Castling: King moves two squares toward a rook; that rook crosses the king to the adjacent square. Conditions:
  • Neither king nor that rook has moved previously.
  • No pieces between them.
  • The king is not in check, and cannot pass over or land on a square under attack.
• En passant: A pawn that advances two squares and lands adjacent to an enemy pawn can be captured “in passing” as if it moved only one square, but only on the very next move by the opponent. See en passant.
• Promotion: A pawn reaching the last rank must immediately be replaced by a queen, rook, bishop, or knight of the same color (player’s choice). Using an inverted rook as a “queen” is not permitted in competition; summon the arbiter if the correct piece is temporarily unavailable.

Check, Stalemate, and Dead Position

• Check: You are not required to announce “check.” A move leaving your own king in check is illegal.
• Stalemate: Side to move has no legal moves and is not in check — the game is a draw.
• Dead position: No legal sequence can lead to checkmate (e.g., K vs K; K+B vs K; K+N vs K) — draw immediately.

Draw Rules You Must Know

Repetition and Move-Count

• Threefold repetition (claim): If the same position (same player to move, same rights such as castling and en passant) occurs three times, a player who is to move may claim a draw before making their move.
• Fivefold repetition (automatic): If the same position occurs five times, the arbiter declares a draw even without a claim.
• Fifty-move rule (claim): If the last 50 consecutive moves by each side have been made without any pawn move or capture, a player may claim a draw.
• Seventy-five-move rule (automatic): If 75 consecutive moves by each side have been made without any pawn move or capture, the arbiter declares a draw even without a claim.

Note: The “claim” rules require the player to pause the clock and summon the arbiter; the “automatic” rules can be enforced by the arbiter when noticed.

Clocks, Scoresheets, and Conduct

Chess Clocks and Time Controls

• Make your move and then press your clock with the same hand used to move the piece.
• You must play only on your own time; pressing the clock without making a move is prohibited.
• Flag fall: If your time expires before fulfilling the conditions to draw or checkmate, you generally lose (unless the opponent has insufficient mating material or a dead position arises).
• Default time: Event regulations specify how late you may arrive; if unspecified, default time is zero (you forfeit at start).

Recording Moves

• In classical chess and in rapid with 30 seconds (or more) per move increment, both players must record all moves using algebraic notation.
• Without such increment, a player with less than five minutes remaining in a time period may stop recording; they must update the scoresheet after the time control.

Touch-Move and Adjusting Pieces

• Touch-move: If you deliberately touch a piece on your move, you must move it if legal; if you touch an opponent’s piece, you must capture it if legal.
• To adjust a piece on its square without obligation, first say “j’adoube” or “I adjust.”

Player Conduct

• No outside assistance, analysis devices, or notes. Anti-cheating and electronic device restrictions are strict; a ringing phone can result in loss.
• Disturbing the opponent or distracting behavior is forbidden. The arbiter may impose penalties up to loss of the game.

Illegal Moves and Irregularities

What Counts as Illegal

• Leaving your king in check or moving into check.
• Castling while in check, through check, or after king/rook has moved.
• Executing en passant not on the immediate next move after the double-step, or from the wrong file.
• Using two hands to castle or press the clock, promoting to an improper piece, or making moves when it is not your turn.

Penalties (overview)

• Classical and Rapid with adequate supervision: After the first illegal move, the position is corrected and the opponent typically receives extra time (commonly two minutes). A second illegal move by the same player usually results in loss.
• Blitz or Rapid without adequate supervision: Often, the first completed illegal move loses if the opponent claims before making their next move. Event regulations clarify details.

If an irregularity is noticed later (e.g., an illegal position), the arbiter restores the last correct position and resumes from there using the players’ scoresheets.

Examples

Threefold Repetition

White to move can claim a draw after the third occurrence of the same position:

Sequence: 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. Ng1 Ng8 3. Nf3 Nf6. The two positions after 1...Nf6, 3...Nf6, and potentially repeating again are identical with the same player to move and identical rights.

En Passant

Black’s last move ...d7–d5 allows 3. exd6 immediately; if White plays something else, the right is lost.

Try it interactively:

Castling Legality

Legal: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O. Illegal would be attempting to castle if the king passes through check, e.g., if Black had a bishop attacking f1 or g1.

50/75-Move Rules in Practice

In endings like KBN vs K, play must deliver mate within 50 moves from the last pawn move or capture (unless a claim is made), or the defender can claim a draw. If neither side claims and 75 such moves pass, the arbiter declares a draw automatically.

Strategic and Historical Significance

Why the Laws Matter

• Fair competition: They create uniform expectations across countries and events.
• Time management and technique: Knowledge of draw rules (repetition/50-move) informs defensive resources and conversion plans.
• Endgame mastery: Awareness of dead positions and move-count resets helps avoid unnecessary risks.

Historical Notes

• Piece movement and special moves were standardized in Europe by the 16th century; modern en passant and castling rules evolved to speed up play.
• FIDE has periodically refined the Laws, including:
  • Zero-tolerance late-arrival default (events may override with a specified grace period).
  • “Automatic” fivefold-repetition and 75-move draws to ease arbiter intervention.
  • Illegal-move penalties harmonized across time controls for supervised play.
• World Championship disputes (e.g., Karpov–Korchnoi 1978; Kramnik–Topalov 2006) spurred clarifications about arbiter authority and player conduct.

Common Misconceptions

• You do not say “check” in formal play.
• You never “capture the king”; checkmate ends the game immediately.
• An upside-down rook is not a queen in tournament chess.
• Stalemate is a draw, not a win for the side delivering it.
• Repetition and 50-move draws require a proper claim; the fivefold/75-move rules are automatic.

Practical Tips for Players

• Before each event, read its regulations: default time, time control, increments, draw-claim procedures, and electronic device policy.
• When in doubt, pause your clock and call the arbiter. Do not try to resolve disputes on your own.
• In rapid/blitz, be extra careful with touch-move and illegal-move claims; the threshold for losing can be stricter without direct supervision.
• Use algebraic notation consistently and legibly; it’s required in most classical events.

More Examples (Mini Demos)

Stalemate Pattern

A classic trap: 1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6?? 4. Qxf7# is checkmate, not stalemate. For stalemate, imagine Black king on h8, pawns blocked, and White to move locking Black with a non-checking move like Qg7.

Claiming Threefold Properly

On your turn, write your intended move that creates the third occurrence, stop the clock, and inform the arbiter you are claiming a draw by threefold repetition. Do not make the move and press the clock first.

Touch-Move Scenario

If you touch your rook on a1 and it has a legal move, you must move that rook. If you intended only to center it, say “j’adoube” before touching.

Appendices and Variants

• Rapid Chess: Typically 10–60 minutes per player. Recording may be required with 30s increments; illegal move handling generally mirrors classical with supervision.
• Blitz: Less than 10 minutes per player. Without supervision, a completed illegal move can immediately lose on claim.
• Chess960: Same Laws with special castling rules defined in the appendix; castling ends with king and rook on their usual castled squares.
• Online events: Governed by FIDE Online Regulations and platform rules (disconnects, premoves, fair play). These complement, not replace, the Laws.

Famous Anecdotes

• Top-level forfeits have occurred due to mobile phone sounds under strict device rules — a reminder to keep electronics off and away from the playing area.
• “Toiletgate” (Kramnik–Topalov, World Championship 2006) highlighted the importance of clear event regulations and the arbiter’s role; one game was forfeited amid disputes and appeals.
• Early codifications in the 19th century (influenced by players like Howard Staunton) paved the way for FIDE’s modern, uniform Laws adopted worldwide.

Quick Reference Mini-PGNs

• Legal castling:
• Threefold setup:
• En passant: