Author: KarinsDad
Date: 14:00:28 01/07/99
I found the following on the USCF web page: Q: My opponent made an insufficient losing chances claim (we were using a mechanical clock). The TD said it was a close call, and watched the game for no progress. After a few moves, I made a silly blunder and lost my Queen. Before the TD could make his ruling, my opponent said he was withdrawing his claim. Is that legal? A: An insufficient losing chances claim can be interpreted as an extended draw offer. The TD has two options if the situation is too close to call. He may watch for no progress or temporarily deny the claim and invite either player to make a re-claim if the situation changes. The usual interpretation is, if the TD invites a re-claim, the offer is off the table, so to speak. If the TD is watching for a lack of progress, the offer is live for however long it takes the TD to resolve the claim. The TD can declare the game drawn at any time while he is watching for a lack of progress (even if the claimant's flag falls). The TD should resolve the claim as soon as the situation changes sufficiently to clearly show either the player does or does not have insufficient losing chances. When your opponent made his insufficient losing chances claim, he was announcing that he was willing to accept a draw (if he could get one). Once you dropped your Queen, it became clear that your opponent had no losing chances, and the TD should have declared the game a draw. Note: If your opponent had dropped his Queen, the TD would then have been able to deny his claim. This seems strange to me. Let's take the following example: ........ ....Kpk. ......p. .......r ....Q... ........ ........ ........ Black has set up a fortress that white may have a difficult time penetrating. So, black claims insufficient losing chances. White denies the claim thinking that he may be able to win f pawn. The TD thinks 1. Qd4+, kg8, 2. Qd8+, kg7, 3. Qf8+ and white can win the pawn with Kxf7 or Qxf7 on the next move and possibly the game, so it is unclear and denies the claim. White had the option here of declining the draw, but did not. White accidently moves 1. Qe5+ thinking that if kg8, 2. Qb8+, kg7, 3. Qf8+, but forgets that black can play 1... Rxe5. Suddenly, black has a won game but white is able to declare a draw since the insufficient drawing chances is still on the table? My questions are: 1) Does this seem strange to anyone else, or just me? White had the chance to accept the draw when black made the claim, but chose not to. Due to the whim of the TD either to watch the game (the offer is live) or to not watch the game (the offer is off the table), the results of the game changes. 2) Does any of the computer chess programs understand these USCF rules, or does the operator of the program have to understand them and attempt to handle them? 3) If any of the computer chess programs DO understand the rules, how much effort is it when the USCF comes out with another set of rules? Thanks, KarinsDad
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