The upcoming Kalahari Associates Gaborone chess championship will come with new rules imposed by FIDE. The Botswana Chess Federation (BCF) has revealed that screwed will be tightened at the tournament scheduled for July 1 to 2.
Slated for Legae academy in Gaborone, the tournament will be played in three sections including open, ladies and youth category.
It has emerged that some of the new rules expected to be witnessed at the event include the use of two hands making a single move.
‘‘If a player uses two hands to make a single move in case of castling, capturing or promotion, the arbiter shall warn the player and may give two minutes extra thinking time to his opponent,” reads the new law.
The other factor reported be critical is the use of electronic device at the playing venue. The law states that “during a game, a player is forbidden to have any electronic device not specifically approved by the arbiter in the playing venue. However, the rules of the competition may allow such devices to be stored in a player’s bag, provided the device is completely switched off.
“This bag must be placed as agreed with the arbiter. Both players are forbidden to use this bag without permission of the arbiter”.
It is said that if it is evident that a player has an electronic device in the playing venue, the player shall lose the game to their opponent. However, it is said the rules of a competition may specify a different, less severe, penalty.
Newly elected BCF spokesperson Kutlwano Jady Tatolo said the new laws will not affect much on the role of players on the board. She said the new laws still fall on the rail within the old laws.
“There is nothing complicated in the new laws as they remain on line with the older ones. It was just a matter of aligning the rules for easy interpretation of the game,” Tatolo told said.
Meanwhile, she said the tournament was expected to attract players from neighbouring countries.
“The Gaborone Open Championship has always attracted some of the best chess players in the region and we expect to witness a number of foreign players contesting at the upcoming tournament.
“Foreign players have brought weight to this championship and it is interesting to have local players testing their mettle against the best as it assists in developing and giving players necessary experience,” said Tatolo.
