Advice for improvement OTB

Originally posted by malinga
I have a separte notebook where I intend to scribble away. No rule against that.

Wrong. In fact, there are rules against that. USCF Rule 20C. The use of notes made during the game as an aid to memory is forbidden, aside from the actual recording of moves, draw offers and clock times, and the header information normally found on a scoresheet.

FIDE Rule 12.2a seems to cover this as well.

12.2
1. During play the players are forbidden to make use of any notes, sources of information, advice, or analyse on another chessboard.


Originally posted by DoctorScribbles
Is this allowed under USCF rules? Can the scoresheet be used to write calculations and analysis?

No. See above.

Originally posted by welsharnie
I believe FIDE rules (used for almost all OTB tourneys) now state that you cannot write down a move on the scoresheet, until the move has been played.

FIDE rules are used in England, and Canada, and in all the world. But in the United States, we play by our own rules. The USCF rules allow a player to record the move before playing it, while FIDE forbids it.

Originally posted by Wulebgr


Originally posted by DoctorScribbles
[b]Is this allowed under USCF rules? Can the scoresheet be used to write calculations and analysis?

No. See above.
[/b]

Thanks, I didn't think so.

Now, here's something I see a lot in tournaments. An opponent will write down a move, ponder it, scratch it out, write down another, ponder it, scratch it out, and so on, often as a matter of routine. Does this constitute using the scoresheet for calculations? He is effectively using it to help keep track of his mental search for a move. Do I have a legitimate complaint to the TD when I observe this happening?

What if I just observe it once? He writes down a move, sees that it's a blunder and decides not to play it, writes down another move, ponders it and then makes it. Is this any different? It seems like it's still using the scoresheet to aid in calculation.

Here's a third case that really steams me. Many people have scorebooks with diagrams in them. Throughout the game, people will make marks in their diagrams during a long think, presumably using the diagram to help mentally move the pieces around and keep track of them on paper. Is this allowed, or may the diagram on a scoresheet only be written on in the case of adjournment?

Do I have a legitimate complaint about any of these, and what can I ask the TD to do?

Originally posted by DoctorScribbles
Thanks, I didn't think so.

Now, here's something I see a lot in tournaments. An opponent will write down a move, ponder it, scratch it out, write down another, ponder it, scratch it out, and so on, often as a matter of routine. Does this constitute using the scoresheet for calculations? He is effectively using it to help keep track of his menta ...[text shortened]... t?

Do I have a legitimate complaint about any of these, and what can I ask the TD to do?

I write down my move, erase it, and write down a different move. Playing by the USCF rules, this practice is acceptable, as well as according with advice given by many chess teachers. Playing by FIDE rules, however, the move must be played first, then recorded.

Making notes on the diagram (my scorebook has these, too) appears to be a violation of USCF Rule 20C, referenced in my previous post.

Originally posted by Wulebgr
I write down my move, erase it, and write down a different move. Playing by the USCF rules, this practice is acceptable, as well as according with advice given by many chess teachers. Playing by FIDE rules, however, the move must be played first, then recorded.

Making notes on the diagram (my scorebook has these, too) appears to be a violation of USCF Rule 20C, referenced in my previous post.

Thanks Wulebgr that clears that up - no extra notebook so... Just will have to rely on those grey cells again. There may be trouble ahead...