Can one move before the opponent pressed the clock?

@nadjarostowa said in #10:

Quite annoying, especially as this passage seems to have been edited multiple times in the past, yet they didn't manage to come up with something clear and concise.
I had the same impression from most sport rules and regulations I have come across so far. I'm not paranoid enough to believe that it's on purpose so I rather suspect that people writing these documents have some specific way of thinking and expressing themselves that is just incompatible with mine. :-)

Believe it or not:

-A moves
-B moves
-A presses the clock to complete his move
-B presses his clock to complete his move

is legal.

Edit: neither of the players is allowed to stop the other one from pressing the clock i.e. completing his move. The above scenario can lead to problems with the increment and is not recommended.

@Sarg0n

Bonus question: Is player B allowed to leave the table while waiting for A to press the clock?

After A has moved B „has the move“ with all consequences.

First of all, the rules are made for playing without a clock. So everything should be consistent.

Is there any way to encourage my opponent to press the clock if he refuses to do so? Like in "I need the increment in time trouble, but my opponent has lots of time and doesn't press the clock during a forced sequence".

Well, I guess I need to wait then. Quite hypothetical question anyway.

Although the question arises also when you are an overly fair player, return to your board, the opponent has moved but forgotten to press the clock...

I usually just point at the clock. But it's still more often me who forgets to press the clock (thankfully not too often but it happens). And even if my opponent does, there is a good chance I won't notice until I try to press the clock myself.

I am no arbiter or expert in the rules but I believe FIDE has tried their best to be clear and logically divided a move into two separate acts:

1. Making the move. You have made the move when your hand releases the piece on its destination square.
2. Completing the move. You have completed the move when your press your clock.

Once you make the move, it is binding and you cannot change it. But it is not completed until you press the clock and your opponent must give you the right to do so. In the old days of analog clocks, there were time trouble addicts like Mecking or Browne who permanently keep one hand pressed on the clock while moving with the other. Nowadays, such behavior is illegal and the use of increments has largely made it disappear.
If your opponent moves but does not press the clock, you do not have to do anything and that is the best policy. If you make your move or point out they have not pressed the clock, they could complain of distraction and it is up to the arbiter to decide if you receive a penalty.
At the highest level, in game 1 of the Kasparov-Karpov world championship match 1987, Kasparov was short of time while Karpov had about 20 minutes left. Kasparov made his move and forgot to press his clock and Karpov just sat there. Kasparov only realized his mistake seconds before his time ran out.
At the amateur level in which I play, it is considered polite to go ahead and make your move instead of spending extra long because your opponent forgot the clock. But we are amateurs!

@lizani said in #17:

If your opponent moves but does not press the clock, you do not have to do anything and that is the best policy.

But there is a minor bathroom issue...

A has lots of time, B is close to time trouble but needs to see the bathroom shortly.

A moves, doesn't press the clock... now B must not leave the table. So he makes his move, but - as pointed out in #12, A can still press the clock at any time to complete his previous move, so B is effectively still tied to the table, although not his move. So A now has a long think, pressed the clock, B presses the clock, and A moves again, so the game continues... But you probably are not keen on being invited to that tournament again, if this is your strategy. :-)

@nadjarostowa said in #18:

But there is a minor bathroom issue...

The bathroom issue is a separate one. There is no rule that says you must sit at the board while waiting for your opponent to move. There is no rule that says you must sit at the board even when it is your own move.
So, you can go to the bathroom at any time although players will naturally avoid it during a time trouble scramble. In the specific scenario you mention, if your opponent makes a move but does not complete it, your leaving the table is likely to remind them to press the clock and they will do so while you are away. Your call whether the clock or the bathroom is more important.

@lizani said in #19:

The bathroom issue is a separate one. There is no rule that says you must sit at the board while waiting for your opponent to move. There is no rule that says you must sit at the board even when it is your own move.
So, you can go to the bathroom at any time although players will naturally avoid it during a time trouble scramble. In the specific scenario you mention, if your opponent makes a move but does not complete it, your leaving the table is likely to remind them to press the clock and they will do so while you are away. Your call whether the clock or the bathroom is more important.

To add to that, even if he presses the clock, you make your move and go to the bathroom, nothing is stopping him from making a waiting move and pressing the clock to make it run on your move