Rules Governing Blitz: Moves & Clock Use

An opponent has claimed that I am unable to touch my pieces until he has stopped his clock (blitz).  I've searched the FIDE and USCF sites and could find no such rule.  Does anyone know of a formal rule that prevents me from moving my pieces until after my opponent has stopped their clock?

From the FIDE Laws of Chess, Rule 6.2.5 states: "Only the player whose clock is running is allowed to adjust the pieces"

https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012018 

I reached out to a person who directs both USCF and FIDE events.  He helped me immensely better understand the rules and pointed me directly to relevant sections.  I have compiled my notes below.

In short: for blitz in both USCF and FIDE, a player is allowed to make a move after their opponent but before the clock is hit.

Let's start with USCF.

• Chapter 1, Rule 6B: "A player on move. A player is said to be on move or to have the move when the opponent’s move has been completed."
• Chapter 1, Rule 9 covers the difference between a "determined" move and a "completed" move. In short, a move is "determined" when a player releases a piece for a legal move; a move is "completed" when a player hits the clock. This applies for regular (classical) and quick (rapid) time controls.
• For blitz, however, see Chapter 11, Rule 15 regarding blitz: "A legal move is completed when the hand leaves the piece."

So with the above rules in mind for USFC, let's look at two examples.

• Example 1
  • Player 1 and Player 2 are playing regular (classical) time control.
  • Player 1 releases a piece for a legal move.
  • Player 1 has determined their move.
  • Player 1 hits the clock.
  • Player 1 has completed their move.
  • Player 2 now has the move. He can touch his pieces and make a move.
• Example 2
  • Player 1 and Player 2 are playing blitz time control.
  • Player 1 releases a piece for a legal move.
  • Player 1 has both determined and completed their move.
  • Player 2 now has the move. He can touch his pieces and make a move.
  • Player 1 hits the clock.

• Additional Information:
  • Chapter 11, Rule 7d covers the penalties for illegal moves and makes a couple of clarifications
  • "[A game is won by a player who], after an illegal move is completed by the opponent, takes the king (if the king is in check) or claims the win and stops the clock, before the player determines a move and provided the player has sufficient mating material as defined in rule 7c. A player who moves his king adjacent to the opponent’s king and then attempts to claim a win under this rule based on the opponent’s failure to notice the check shall lose the game."

FIDE rules are a bit more simple:

• FIDE does not have distinction between "determined" and "completed" moves; FIDE only defines whether a move is "made".
• 1.3: "A player is said to ‘have the move’ when his opponent’s move has been ‘made’."
• FIDE Laws of Chess Glossary - "made: A move is said to have been ‘made’ when the piece has been moved to its new square, the hand has quit the piece, and the captured piece, if any, has been removed from the board."
• Therefore, in all time controls (including blitz), a player is allowed to make a move before his opponent hits the clock (identical to the USCF Example 2 above).

Concerning adjusting:

• Note that a player can make a move before the clock is hit, but he cannot adjust his pieces yet.  A player is only allowed to adjust his pieces if it is his turn with his clock running:
  • 4.2.1: "Only the player having the move may adjust one or more pieces on their squares, provided that he first expresses his intention (for example by saying “j’adoube” or “I adjust")."
  • 6.2.5: "Only the player whose clock is running is allowed to adjust the pieces."

Alramech, thank you so much for putting the work in to dig this up.  I'm so grateful for your assistance and your effort!  Much appreciated!!

Just a note, FIDE does have a distinction between a move being made and being completed.

Article 6: The Chess Clock

6.2.1 During the game each player, having made his move on the chessboard, shall stop his own clock and start his opponent's clock (that is to say, press his clock). This "completes" the move. ...

6.2.1.1 and 6.2.1.2 also talk about completed moves, the first by game ending moves and if the player takes their next move when their previous one wasn't completed.

Doesn't materially impact the results of everything else mentioned.

I don't run many blitz events, but I'm going to have to reread the US Chess rules since I thought it was technically not allowed to make a move unless your opponent's move was completed.

Thank you for pointing out these other rules; I didn't catch these as I was investigating.  There always seems to be one more nuance when going through all these regulations