FIDE Arbiters´Magazine – February 2016
Case E: 2015 World Cup Armageddon game
This case occurred during the 2015 World Cup,
September-October 2015, in Baku, Azerbaijan.
This incident occurred during the tremendously tense tiebreaks of the third round. It was the Armageddon game between GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS) and GM Hikaru Nakamura (USA), which
was overseen by two Match Arbiters. This game was also watched in person by other Arbiters.
Quite simply, GM Nakamura used both hands to castle, and may have even touched his rook first.
GM Nepomniachtchi did NOT make a claim and made his reply move very quickly.
The game was playing according to the Appendix B, article B.3 of the Laws of Chess, i.e. the Competition Rules were in effect. Neither of the Match Arbiters (nor any of the other Arbiters who were
watching the game) intervened, BUT THEY SHOULD HAVE, as what GM Nakamura did was a violation of the Laws of Chess, according to articles 4.1 and 4.4.b. GM Nakamura eventually won the
game, and GM Nepomniachtchi then made an appeal asking for the result to be changed in his
favour.
Unfortunately for GM Nepomniachtchi, in the Laws of Chess is clearly stated:
Article 4.8: A player forfeits his right to claim against his opponent’s violation
of Articles 4.1-4.7 once the player touches a piece with the intention
of moving or capturing it.
Despite the existence of Article 4.8,
Arbiters must always be in alert in
such games (Blitz games with Competition Rules in effect), and must intervene in case of any violation of the
Laws, without waiting for any claim
by the opponent.
However, even though the Appeals Committee did not really have any choice, and
could not rule in favour of GM Nepomniachtchi, they recognized that it should have
been illegal for GM Nakamura to castle with
both hands, and graciously refunded the significant appeal fee ($500) to GM Nepomniachtchi:
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