Position reinstatement

Position reinstatement is used when an irregularity requires the game to be taken back. The aim is to reconstruct the position immediately before the problem, such as the position before an illegal move. If that position cannot be established reliably, play returns to the last earlier position that can be identified.

Reinstatement does not mean guessing or automatically starting a new game. The arbiter directs the reconstruction and may use scoresheets, the records on which moves are written, matching player recollections, and other reliable information. Once the position is recovered, a player who touched a piece may still be required to move it, and the replacement move must follow the rules governing when a move is considered made.

The board is not the only part that may need correction. The arbiter decides what times the clocks should show and may adjust the move-counter, the clock mechanism that records how many times each side has been operated. The exact time spent is not always restored because the Laws require the arbiter to use best judgment based on the available evidence.

Play then continues from the reinstated position. The procedure repairs the game state, but it does not make the irregular move legal or remove any applicable penalty.