Article 11: The conduct of the players
11.1 The players shall take no action that will bring the game of chess into disrepute.
Article 11.1 This is a vague Law and should be applied with discretion.
11.2. The ‘playing venue’ is defined as the ‘playing area’, rest rooms, toilets, refreshment area, area set aside for smoking and other places as designated by the arbiter.
The playing area is defined as the place where the games of a competition are played. Only with the permission of the arbiter can
a. a player leave the playing venue.
b. the player having the move be allowed to leave the playing area.
c. A person who is neither a player nor arbiter be allowed access to the playing area.
Article 11.2 With many buildings and campuses being no smoking throughout the Arbiter may have to declare car parks and adjacent streets as part of the playing venue. Note that there is a difference between the playing venue and the playing area which will normally be the hall in which games take place.
11.3 a. During play the players are forbidden to use any notes, sources of information or advice, or analyse any game on another chessboard.
b. During play, a player is forbidden to have a mobile phone and/or other electronic means of communication in the playing venue. If it is evident that a player brought such a device into the playing venue, he shall lose the game. The opponent shall win.
The rules of a competition may specify a different, less severe, penalty.
The arbiter may require the player to allow his clothes, bags or other items to be inspected, in private. The arbiter or a person authorised by the arbiter shall inspect the player and shall be of the same gender as the player. If a player refuses to cooperate with these obligations, the arbiter shall take measures in accordance with Article 12.9.
c. Smoking is permitted only in the section of the venue designated by the arbiter.
Article 11.3 has undergone significant revision.
11.3a Players who use scorebooks with their previous games in them leave themselves open to accusations that they have consulted notes (a previous game). For this reason some events ban their use.
11.3b This makes it an offence to have a mobile phone or other method of electronic communication in the playing VENUE (not just the hall), regardless of whether it is switched off or not. The default penalty is the loss of the game but the tournament may have a less severe penalty. The least severe penalty is a warning. To enforce this rule vigorously would require tournament organisers to provide secure storage. The Laws of Chess also now allow a player to be searched. Arbiters should be careful that to make such a request may be breaking national laws.
The Laws no longer specify what can be written on the scoresheet. See the advice for arbiters document from the CAA.
11.4. Players who have finished their games shall be considered to be spectators.
11.5. It is forbidden to distract or annoy the opponent in any manner whatsoever. This includes unreasonable claims, unreasonable offers of a draw or the introduction of a source of noise into the playing area.
Article 11.5 allows the arbiter to warn players who wear noisy shoes or jangle coins/keys that they are breaking the laws. If a player claims that his opponent is constantly offering draws this claim should be supported by the evidence of his scoresheet, (=) appearing frequently.
11.6. Infraction of any part of Articles 11.1 — 11.5 shall lead to penalties in accordance with Article 12.9.
11.7. Persistent refusal by a player to comply with the Laws of Chess shall be penalised by loss of the game. The arbiter shall decide the score of the opponent.
Article 11.7 Persistent refusal to obey the Laws shall lead to the loss of the game. This implies that several offences must be committed or the same offence repeated several times before a loss is given. Obviously the Arbiter has some discretion and a serious offence may be penalised in this way without it being persistent (12.9(f)).
11.8. If both players are found guilty according to Article 11.7, the game shall be declared lost by both players.
11.9. A player shall have the right to request from the arbiter an explanation of particular points in the Laws of Chess.
Article 11.9 is a new Law which lets players know what good arbiters have always done. Arbiters should note that whilst it is acceptable to tell a player how to capture en passant, for example, it is not acceptable to answer “Can I take this pawn?”
11.10. Unless the rules of the competition specify otherwise, a player may appeal against any decision of the arbiter, even if the player has signed the scoresheet (see Article 8.7).
Article 11.10 allows a player to sign the scoresheet and still appeal. Previously players were refusing to sign for fear of doing so would prevent an appeal being possible.