OTB: Writing notation before making the move

@CheerUpChess-Youtube said in #2:
> This is illegal. You need to play your move, then write down your move and then hit the clock. I was kind of dissapointed how in OTB tournaments people kept pressing the clock before writing the move and saving up to 20 minutes this way. It's simply cheating to do another move order, but it will most likely go unpunished.

hmmm.... didn't know you have to write on your time as well... interesting... I have never played and official tournament requiring moves to be written... but I just find it odd that the speed a person writes will impact the time on the clock. Thanks for sharing.

just checked the 2023 FIDE laws of chess (at rcc.fide.com/2023-laws-of-chess/) and it's very clear:

8.1.2 It is forbidden to record the moves in advance, unless the player is claiming a draw according to Article 9.2, or 9.3 or adjourning a game according to Guidelines I.1.1

Which I find rather strange, but then I find the rule that one must castle with the king first and not touch the rook until the king has moved to be excessive. FIDE does this though. They enact various refinements to the laws of chess so as to prevent even the smallest possibility of wrongdoing, and in doing so they introduce laws that probably do more damage than they were designed to prevent. One suspects a lot of arbiters give verbal warnings and let play continue without penalty for such minor infractions, then bring the hammer down on those few who try to take advantage of their laxity.

"people kept pressing the clock before writing the move and saving up to 20 minutes this way" I'm certain there is a typo in here. I suspect you meant "up to 20 nanoseconds"

OTB rules are very strict especially regarding scoresheet.

It happended to me recently (for the first time after more than 10 years of tournament practice): mutual time trouble, the opponent kept writting down his move (and my last move) after hitting his clock. So, we were both writting all of our moves on my time. It was quite unnerving, and a significant one-sided advantage while living off the 30 sec increment...

I learned after the game that it was allowed by the rules. Still, I think it's bad etiquette (only an opinion) and I'll refrain from "using that right". Don't want to inflict this sort of irritation to anybody, even rightfully.

You don’t have to write down using your time. You can even reply without writing down your opponent’s move.

But: you are not allowed to move if your previous move has not been written down. The arbiter can punish by means of a time bonus/malus.

@CheerUpChess-Youtube said in #2:
> This is illegal. You need to play your move, then write down your move and then hit the clock.
Dunno about USCF rules BUT under FIDE rules you do not need write moves before pressing the clock. You are even allowed to reply opponents move and then write them both

@Gingersquirrelnuts said in #7:
> I once had an opponent write down "resigns", then cross it out and play on for about another 20 moves in a hopeless position.
That would have been violation of rules as writing anything except move or what is remaining in the clock is "taking notea". Most likely resolution had you called arbiter would have been a warning @AACtrl said in #14:

> I learned after the game that it was allowed by the rules. Still, I think it's bad etiquette (only an opinion) and I'll refrain from "using that right". Don't want to inflict this sort of irritation to anybody, even rightfully.
It is not bad etiquette by any means. And every one does that. Here pay attention to Anand making a move. First moves then presses a clock and then writes it down youtu.be/x-dnmW62-B8?t=69 So world champion has bad Etiquette?
Frankly in tournaments I have been I cannot recall anyone writing move down before pressing the clock.

@Sarg0n said in #8:
> By the way, writing down the move and checking afterwards is called Blumenfeld‘s rule albeit illegal.
>
> Simply „log in“ a move and blunder-check in your brain virtually.

Activating the blunder-check in my brain is the difficult part. I find that having a cue is very helpful. I have been having much cleaner games since I've started writing down my move before making it.

@petri999
Sorry, I explained poorly. I meant to say, not writing down your opponent's last move before making yours.

I make a move, then hit the clock, then write it down. Before I can put my pen down, the opponent has already played his next move and hit his clock again. So he wrote all of my moves on my time, while I wrote all of his on my time too. This is legal, but I've seen this only once.

Flagging is not the goal of chess.

A player like that is just racing the clock to flag the player. Trying to win the game by positional means is more romantic.
Truly an example of today's chess behaviors because of a clock loop hole, that let's chess players get away with flagging.

The loop hole has changed romantic chess to modern times. Chess can be romantic again, if the clock is corrected by not being able to flag an opponent. Increment and bonus times have helped in fixing that loop hole of flagging others.

Chess flagging is a bit like not letting others change lanes when driving a car. There is nothing polite or romantic about time flagging a player. It's just shameful that the chess game has turned into that.