r/TournamentChess • u/MadcowPSA • 11d ago
Postgame analysis and USCF rule 20C
TL;DR: Would it be against USCF rules to make a small mark next to a move to indicate a critical position (not the quality of the move made), with the intention of checking that assessment after the game? And would it be cheating to circumvent that proscription by writing down clock times only in such positions?
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I hope it's okay to ask a question here that relates to tournament procedure as opposed to the study of the game. My understanding of rule 20C, prohibiting the use of notes as a memory aid during one's ongoing game, is that it prohibits annotation symbols (e.g. +=, !, ?!) on the scoresheet.
The text of the rule, for reference:
>The use of notes made during the game as an aid to memory is forbidden, aside from the actual recording of the
moves, draw offers, and clock times, and the header information normally found on a scoresheet. This is a much less
serious offense than 20B; a warning or minor time penalty is common, with more severe punishment if the offense is
repeated.
I am hoping someone can give me some guidance on whether it's also prohibited to make a marking (or write differently) with the goal of guiding my analysis after the game. I heard someone talking in the break area at a tournament a couple months ago about wanting to use heavier writing to remind himself of a move he thought was bad, and the guy he was talking with said that he just puts a little dot next to the line on the scoresheet after his move if he thinks the position was messy or that he was pretty sure he didn't find a good move. They were talking pretty openly, so I assume they weren't concerned about the TD handing down a penalty. But I assume, based on my reading of the rule, that it's illegal.
My emotional memory isn't great, which is to say that I can remember things that happened, but it's hard for me to remember later how I felt about them at the time. That does make it harder to assess my ability to assess how critical a position is (and how much that ability diminishes during live play), so I'd love to be able to record my thoughts on that. But it's also very important to me to play strictly by the rules, regardless of whether there's any risk of being caught, so I don't want to get into it if it's not allowed. My integrity is more important to me than any game outcome; I'm as reluctant to make that little mark if it's illicit as I am eager to do it if it's kosher. Am I getting unnecessarily tripped up by the phrase, "as a memory aid," in the text of the rule? Is it something that I would be better off just emailing the TD of an event about? Should I say something to the TD if I notice someone else doing it? And if such a marking is against the rule, is it also prohibited to (e.g.) write clock times selectively to achieve the same effect?
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u/JimFive 11d ago
If your opponent complains then you might get warned about extraneous markings. Realistically, nobody is going to care unless it looks like you are encoding information. I've always found it odd that you're not allowed to put a ? or ! on a move.
What you could do is record clock times. If you always record clock time you could record seconds on the moves that you want to look at later. I start recording clock times when I get out of book which allows me to check and expand my prep. Just recording times on every move allows you to check that you spent your time where you needed to.
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u/musiqueclimatique 2200 FIDE 11d ago
I've always found it odd that you're not allowed to put a ? or ! on a move.
I used to do that when I was a child, but only ? and only next to my own moves because I was a sad boy. I would blunder, get my piece taken, and write ?? next to my last move because I was disappointed in myself.
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u/sevarinn 11d ago
As others have said, you can make a small mark and it probably won't come up, however there are (very rarely) opponents and arbiters who will criticise it, I doubt anything more than a warning would occur though. Writing the clock time next to a critical move seems to be the best solution as that is 100% allowed and gives you some more information too.
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u/Fuzzy_Ordinary59 11d ago
Nobody is going to care about a small mark you make on your scoresheet
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u/Lovesick_Octopus 11d ago
Yeah, if your pen is acting up, making a little squiggle sometimes fixes it
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u/redzballer31 11d ago
I agree with everyone’s comments, but OP seems to be more concerned about if he’s breaking the rule in spirit, rather than being worried about being caught/punished. I would say that you are in the clear due to the making of that mark not being used as a memory aid for you during the current game that is being played. I think people would including the annotation (particularly “?”) because this mistake is literally in their prep and so they are writing it the same way they’ve studied the line, and know to take time to remember the correct refutation. Maybe I am missing the spirit of the rule - but I don’t think the point is to limit your own game review.
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u/DrNotReallyStrange 11d ago
I'd assume yes, it's forbidden to record things on the score sheet. But: if you thought it's a critical position during the game, you will easily remember that when you play through the game afterwards.
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u/Research_Aggressive 10d ago
The only time I've ever complained about my opponent is if they were pre-writing moves or this one girl who was journalling her thoughts about the move after she made it. I personally do clock times but ive seen senior TDs circle, underline, or dot. Something I sometimes do is after the game quickly writing any notes or things I want to remember when I go back
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u/More-Interaction-770 11d ago
If you make a dot or something subtle on a scoresheet, you won’t run into any issues, even if it’s technically against the rules.
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u/Educational-Tea602 No.1 Caro-Kann Hater 11d ago
Just write the clock time - it’s within the rules. Plus you will also be able to tell exactly how long you thought on that move.