Forfeit

A forfeit occurs when the event regulations, meaning the competition’s specific rules, or the arbiter, the official who applies tournament rules, declare a game lost because of an absence, infringement, or failure to meet a competition condition. It can happen without checkmate, the situation in which the king is attacked and has no legal reply, and even when the forfeiting player has a favorable board position.

The possible causes depend on the format and event rules. Official rules cover cases such as arriving after the maximum permitted delay, carrying a prohibited electronic device, persistently refusing to follow the laws, or completing certain repeated infringements. Not every irregularity causes an automatic game loss; the specific rule must be applied.

Normally, the forfeiting player scores zero and the opponent receives the score assigned to a win. Some provisions let the arbiter decide the opponent’s score, and event regulations may announce a different consequence. An unplayed game is commonly recorded as a win or loss by default, meaning because a player did not appear.

A forfeit is different from resignation, which is voluntary, and from timeout, which is caused by the clock. Flag-fall may cause a time loss, but it is not by itself a disciplinary penalty.