The Chess Code AKA The Rules of Chess

So far you have learned the various chess pieces and how the chess pieces move around the board, chess notation, chess definitions and have seen some illustrations of technical chess terms. Now it's time for the rules of chess...

DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED
Whenever the word "Umpire" is used herein, it stands for any Committee having charge of Matches or Tournaments, with power to determine questions of chess-law and rules; or for any duly appointed Referee, or Umpire; for the bystanders, when properly appealed to; or for any person, present or absent, to whom may be referred any disputed questions; or for any other authority whomsoever having power to determine such questions.

When the word "move" is used it is understood to mean a legal move or a move to be legally made according to these laws.

When the word "man" or "men" is used, it is understood that it embraces both Pieces and Pawns.

THE CHESS-BOARD AND MEN
The Chess-board must be placed with a white square at the right-hand corner.
If the Chess-board be wrongly placed, or if there is a deficiency in number, or a misplacement of the men, at the beginning of the game, the game shall be annulled, provided the error is discovered before the second player makes four moves.

FIRST MOVE AND COLOR
The right of first move must be determined by lot.

The right of first move shall alternate, whether the game be won, lost or drawn.

Whenever a game shall be annulled, the party having the move in that game shall have it in the next game. An annulled game must be considered, in every respect, the same as if it had never been begun.

CONCESSIONS
The concession of an indulgence by one player does not give him the right of a similar or other indulgence from his opponent.

ERRORS
If, during the course of the game, it be discovered that any error or illegality has been committed in the moves of the pieces, the moves must be retraced, and the necessary correction made, without penalty.
If the moves cannot be correctly retraced the game must be annulled.

If a man be dropped from the board and moves made during its absence, such moves must be retraced and the man restored. If this cannot be done, to the satisfaction of the Umpire, the game must be annulled.

CASTLING
The King can be Castled only:

• When neither the King nor the Castling Rook has been moved, and
• Where the King is not in check, and
• Where all the squares between the King and Rook are unoccupied, and
• Where no hostile man attacks the square on which the King is to be placed, or the square he crosses.

In Castling, the King must be moved first, or before the Rook is quitted. If the Rook be quitted before the King is touched, the opposing player may demand that the move of the Rook shall stand without the Castling being completed.

The penalty of moving the King prohibits Castling.

EN PASSANT
Taking the Pawn "en Passant," when the only possible move, is compulsory.

PROMOTING THE PAWN
A Pawn reaching the eighth square must be at once exchanged for any piece of its own color (except the King) that the player of the Pawn may elect.

CHECK
No penalty can be enforced for an offence committed against these rules in consequence of a false announcement of "check." When check is given it is not obligatory to announce the check

"J'ADOUBE"
"J'adoube," "I adjust," or words to that effect, cannot protect a player from any of the penalties imposed by these laws, unless the man or men touched, obviously need adjustment, and unless such notification be distinctly uttered before the man, or men, be touched, and only the player whose turn it is to move is allowed so to adjust.

The hand having once quitted the man, but for an instant, the move must stand.

Men overturned or displaced accidentally may be replaced by either player, without notice.
A wilful displacement, or overturning of any of the men, forfeits the game.

PENALTIES
Penalties can be enforced only at the time an offence is committed, and before any move is made thereafter.

A player touching one of his men, when it is his turn to play, must move it. If it cannot be moved he must move his King. If the King cannot move, the offender must move a man selected by his opponent.

For playing two moves in succession the adversary may elect which move shall stand.

For touching an adversary's man, when it cannot be captured, the offender must move his King. If the King cannot move, the offender must move a man selected by his opponent. But if the man touched can be legally taken, it must be captured.

For playing a man to a square to which it cannot be legally moved, the adversary, at his option, may require him to move the man legally, or to move the King. If the latter penalty be exacted, and the King cannot legally be moved, the offender must move any piece designated by the opposing player.

For illegally capturing an adversary's man, the offender must move his King, or legally capture the man, as his opponent may elect. If neither is possible, the offender must move a man selected by his opponent.

For attempting to Castle illegally, the player doing so, must move either the King or Rook, as his adversary may dictate.

For touching more than one of the player's own men, he must move either man that his opponent may name.

For touching more than one of the adversary's men, the offender must capture the one named by his opponent, or if eitherneither can be captured, then the King must be moved.

A player moving into check may be required, by the opposing player, either to move the King elsewhere, or to move some other piece designated by the opposing player.

For discovering check on his own King, the player must either legally move the man touched, or move the King at his adversary's option. In case neither move can be made he must move a piece designated by his adversary.

While in check, for touching or moving a man which does not cover the check, the player may be required to recover with another piece, or move the King, as the opposing player may elect.

ADJOURNED GAME
Upon a game being adjourned, the player whose turn it is to move shall seal his move. Sealing a move consists in writing it legibly on a piece of paper which shall remain in the keeping of a third party during the adjournment.

Upon the resumption of an adjourned game the position existing at the time of adjournment shall be set up and the sealed move made on the board.

If the position existing at the time of adjournment cannot be ascertained the game shall be annulled.

If upon opening a sealed move the record cannot be interpreted as expressing a legal move, the offending player may be required to move his King, or, if the King cannot legally be moved, a piece designated by his opponent. If the record can be interpreted as expressing either of two moves, the offender shall make the one selected by his opponent.

DRAWN GAMES
A game is drawn:

1. When the players agree to treat it as drawn.
2. Upon the proof by either player that fifty moves have been made on each side without a piece being captured.
3. When either player claims a draw upon his turn to play, and proves that the existing position has occurred at least twice before during the game.
4. When either player claims a draw and demonstrates that he can subject the opposing King to an endless series of checks.
5. When a stale-mate occurs.

TIME LIMIT
The penalty for exceeding the time limit is the forfeiture of the game.

It shall be the duty of each player, as soon as his move be made, to stop his own register of time and start that of his opponent, whether the time be taken by clocks, sand-glass, or otherwise. No complaint respecting an adversary's time can be considered, unless this rule be strictly complied with. But nothing herein is intended to affect the penalty for exceeding the time limit as registered.

ABANDONING THE GAME
If either player abandon the game by quitting the table in anger, or in an otherwise offensive manner; or by momentarily resigning the game; or refuses to abide by the decision of the Umpire, the game must be scored against him.

If a player absent himself from the table, or manifestly ceases to consider his game, when it is his turn to move, the time so consumed shall, in every case, be registered against him.

DISTURBANCE
Any player wilfully disturbing his adversary shall be admonished; and if such disturbance be repeated, the game shall be declared lost by the player so offending, provided the player disturbed then appeals to the Umpire.

THE UMPIRE
It is the duty of the Umpire to determine all questions submitted to him according to these laws, when they apply, and according to his best judgment when they do not apply.

No deviation from these laws can be permitted by an Umpire, even by mutual or general consent of the players, after a match or tournament shall have been commenced.

The decision of the Umpire is final, and binds both and all the players.

RULES FOR PLAYING THE GAME AT ODDS

1. In games where one player gives the odds of a piece, or "the exchange," or allows his opponent to count drawn games as won, or agrees to check-mate with a particular man, or on a particular square, he has the right to choose the men, and to move first, unless an arrangement to the contrary is agreed to between the combatants.
2. When the odds of Pawn and one move, or Pawn and more than one move, are given, the Pawn given must be the King's Bishop's Pawn when not otherwise previously agreed on.
3. When the odds of two or more moves are given, the player receiving the odds shall begin the game with these moves, but may not, in making them, advance any piece beyond his fourth rank.
4. When a player gives the odds of a Rook he may move his King as though to castle with the Rook given, provided the square of the missing Rook has been unoccupied throughout the game, and provided the ordinary conditions as to squares and the King are complied with.
5. When the odds of a Pawn, Knight, Bishop, or Rook, are given, it is understood that the King's Bishop's Pawn, or the Queen's Knight, Queen's Bishop or Queen's Rook, is intended unless special agreement to the contrary is made.

Check back for the next post in this free learn how to play chess series when I explain some general chess observations about chess strategies and chess tactics.