Question on USCF Biltz Rules

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exceptionalfork

This question arises from a casual blitz game I played with someone I know a few months ago. I don't remember the position, so this is just a random example:

(Again, not the actual position)
 

Let's say I was black here, and it's my move. Seeing as I was in a hopeless position, I went for a cheap trick here– Kg4, to hope he hangs his king. My opponent, who was completely focused on the other side of the board, does not move his king, and plays a move on the queenside. I take his king and claim a win. He says this is not allowed, since it's illegal to take a king with a king (at least I think that's what he said).

My opponent is a more experienced and higher-level TD than I am, so I believed them, but I just want to clarify. Again, it was just casual, but assuming we were playing by USCF blitz rules, what would be the ruling here? If taking the king is not allowed there, am I supposed to claim that they made an illegal move without taking the king? Or am I even able to claim a win there?

Thanks in advance!

MasonMirabile

*I am not a TD, nor do I have the USCF rulebook memorized*

I believe that since Kg4 was the first illegal move, your opponent could definitely argue that they would be able to claim the win. However, it may be up to the tournament director, I’m not 100% sure. I feel as if something similar happened in some chess tournament with Hikaru a little while ago that I heard about, not sure if anyone here remembers that but was wondering if they would know how it was resolved.

exceptionalfork
MasonMirabile wrote:

*I am not a TD, nor do I have the USCF rulebook memorized*

I believe that since Kg4 was the first illegal move, your opponent could definitely argue that they would be able to claim the win. However, it may be up to the tournament director, I’m not 100% sure. I feel as if something similar happened in some chess tournament with Hikaru a little while ago that I heard about, not sure if anyone here remembers that but was wondering if they would know how it was resolved.

How it normally works in USCF blitz is if an illegal move is you can only claim an illegal move if it's still on the board. If the illegal move had already passed, then it's too late to make a claim on it. Since they made a move and didn't catch my illegal move, I would think they can't claim a win on it anymore, since that's how it usually works.

Also, not sure about the situation with Hikaru, sorry.

guineapig25

In USCF blitz rules, you can only claim an illegal move right after they make it. Once you make a move, you cannot make a claim anymore. However, after Kg4, white making a move on the queenside is an illegal move since they left their own king hanging. White can no longer claim a move, but now black can. You are allowed to take a king with a king in USCF blitz rules (in FIDE blitz, you cannot take kings). Therefore, you should win and your opponent is wrong.

EDIT: I am wrong, black would lose the game, thanks for the correction

Martin_Stahl

I'll have to double checked the rules later but purposely moving your king into check lii that is illegal and I believe if you do that, you can lose the game, regardless of if your opponent didn't claim the illegal move initially.

That completely different than accidentally leaving your king in check.

douglas_stewart
guineapig25 wrote:

In USCF blitz rules, you can only claim an illegal move right after they make it. Once you make a move, you cannot make a claim anymore. However, after Kg4, white making a move on the queenside is an illegal move since they left their own king hanging. White can no longer claim a move, but now black can. You are allowed to take a king with a king in USCF blitz rules (in FIDE blitz, you cannot take kings). Therefore, you should win and your opponent is wrong.

I am a USCF Local TD. I believe you are wrong. Read 7d under the US Chess Blitz Rules. https://new.uschess.org/sites/default/files/wp-thumbnails/2018/12/US-Chess-Rule-Book-Online-Only-Edition-v7-chp-11-1-1-20-1.pdf

Hotdogbob

Rule 7d.- A player who moves his King adjacent to the opponents king and then attempts to claim a win under this rule based On the opponents, failure to notice the check shall lose the game. King cannot capture king

exceptionalfork
coachbrian wrote:

When a player moved into check, either intentionally or otherwise, it was my understanding that the chess engine would auto reject the move. Is this correct?

Online, yes, it would be auto-rejected, but I'm talking about over-the-board USCF blitz where the rules are different from online.

exceptionalfork

Thanks everyone for your responses.