I Don't See the Point of the Touch-Move Rule

                       I'm sorry about my poor impression of Jack Nickleson but, we've had people starting a thread saying that they were in prison, and clearly they are not. A thread was started once about having 6 months to live and asking for donations. We've got people who confuse us with facebook. This isn't match.com, Some people post way too many U-tube videos, so yeah we're a little defensive about neebies. No offense meant. When I was new, I had to learn. 

Well in this thread Kaynight didn't have the common sense to know the difference from the OP's quesion. OP obviously knew the rule, ergo, why he ask a quesion about it. OP was asking the logic behind the rule. He was quick to bash and didn't think first. 

Like a nice piece of aged provalone cheese, sharp but good. Haha.

But you're not saying he's cheesy or anything are you?

The point of the touch rule is to force players to play chess with the mind. To visualize the placement of the pieces on the board after moving without actually moving them takes a higher level of skill than physically moving the pieces to see what the position will look like.

See^^^^^He still doesn't know the difference.  

                      Let me apologize on behalf on kaynight. His instincts are normally good, maybe he's having a bad day. He's trying to recover from the loss of a long time personal friend a FM, he's nobody really. You are invited to the funeral services. A few of us do private investigative work for Erik, because not all threads are equal. If we were harsh, you will receive bonus points from chess.com, and to answer the initial question, may I refer the OP to one of our many site features CHESSOPEDIA. You can access it from the menu bar under the word MORE.

Basically what aww rats said & I think my point was important too. It would be too chaotic if the touch move rule didn't exist. It wouldn't be worth playing if it was just a bunch of bickering over intent, take backs, "well you touched 25 times & didn't move them but I only touched 2 so it ain't fair." It keeps it simple: touch it, move it.

No, I doubt he does. I enjoy seeing everyone here having a conversation while ignoring everything he interjects. 

Strange, I see the same posts and dont get any of the things you mention. I gathered some of his post below and would be happy if you could tell me which is "sharp and to the point" when asking the question "why is there a rule saying I have to move the pice I touch"?

"Easy, do not touch it, unless you intend to move it. Use your imagination."

"Gawwd.... A new member... Wind up alert....Wind up alert."

"O.k. Let's all change the rules, and go home."

"Rarse to you both. Does nobody know the rules of chess any more?"

"Just do not touch the fecking piece before moving it... You have a brain, don't you?"

Oh, no! I'm too drunk for this. But I'd say is a sort of natural rule, just as not asking a question without thinking a bit about it first.

Well maybe we get pissed off with people who are too ignorant such as yourself to know that isn't what the OP was asking. 

Guys, what I noticed with new players at chess clubs was that although they had been playing fun chess for a while, the big transition for them was the discipline of touch move and clocks.  Its not easy at first nor does it make much sense.  Conversely, once you have been playing seriously for a while, it becomes second nature and very easy to forget what that initial feeling was like.

                 Even in tournament play, you sometimes get an honest opponent who reminds you to hit your clock after a move.

Ronald, not just honest ones do that.  Depending on how its done, you can make them feel small or grateful; certainly the interaction creates an imbalance.  Just saying.

                       Here's a case in point for any new people.  3 weeks ago somebody noticed that you couldn't delete your old messages. At 1st, we thought it was just a one time glitch. Long story short, chess.com said its for version 3.   I think 15 diferent people started threads about, "HEY, I can't delete my messages".  There's 10 million people here. Not everybody knows everybody. Erik has posted a long list of cheaters, and banned user accounts. They come and they go.

I think it might be a collection of reasons like many folks have mentioned already.

Another good reason for touch move is that it decreases the number of illegal moves unleashed although it does not prevent them entirely.

For example suppose white has a bishop on b2 and wants to play the bishop to g7 if that person changes their mind when they have that bishop hovering around g7 and place it back on b2 sometimes the bishop is accidentally placed on another square like c3 for example.

Then after thinking a bit more about the position they might play bishop to the b4 square which would be illegal.

This is the winning answer.

One can imagine that you could be allowed to do whatever on the chessboard until you press the clock. The problem would be to make sure that there are no unintended changes in the position.

if you don't apply the touch move rule, have you guys became a champion then you don't deserve

to hold the trophy. honest and fair game will put you to the happiest moment when you become a

champion according to what the rules applied. I like touch move rules ( once you touch release it to the right square to complete the move).

What are you on, buddy?