Irregularity

Irregularity is a broad category for problems that occur during a game. It does not describe one specific offense or imply bad faith by itself. It means that the board, pieces, clock, or conduct of play has departed from the required state.

Common cases

• An incorrect starting position or a board turned so that the near right-hand corner is not a light square.
• A game started with the colors reversed.
• An accidentally displaced piece.
• An illegal move, pressing the clock without moving, or using two hands for one move and then pressing.
• An incorrect clock setting or press count.

The remedy depends on the case. The arbiter, the official who applies the rules, may restart the game, transfer the position to a correctly oriented board, restore an earlier position, adjust times and the counter, allow play to continue, or impose an illegal-move penalty. There is no single penalty for every irregularity.

When a problem appears, the safest response is to pause the clock only when the rules permit and call the arbiter. Continuing to play may make reconstruction harder or cause the opportunity to make a timely claim to be lost.