So something else weird happened. I was watching their game. One guy moved his pawn to the 8th rank, and then HIT HIS CLOCK. THEN, he got his Queen and replaced his pawn with it.
My thought, when he hit his clock, didn't that mean it was over? He didn't promote BEFORE hitting his clock. What's the ruling on this?
I actually only found out a couple of weeks ago what the actual FIDE rules were when someone doesnt press his clock - he counts as not having completed his move and you are not supposed to move till he does. I have always told opponents straight away, with gesture or word, and still will. What I had thought for over 20 years was that "as soon as you were sure of your move in that situation you were supposed to play it, thats the rules" - I had been told this at my first chess club and believed it. I felt a bit dumb with hindsight lol.