rmc@cca.UUCP (Mark Chilenskas) (01/13/84)
Speed chess actually does have more or less official rules. The
King may indeed be taken, even by a pinned piece if it is moved into
check or not moved out of check. The "justification" is that the losing
player violated a rule earlier.
Secondly, the game is drawn when mating material is no longer
present. Thus, if you have King + Bishop vs King, the game is a draw
regardless of the actual time left on the clocks (even if one person's
flag has fallen - the time forfeit must be claimed while mating material
still remains on the board). Note that a pawn is indeed mating material
whether the position is a theoretical draw or not (as it could be
queened), and the player losing by time forfeit could be the only player
with mating material!
Finally, regardless of what you see at high schools and such, speed
chess is a "touch move" game - you touch an oponent's piece and you must
take it if you legally may do so (though you don't have to move a pinned
piece to do so). If you touch your piece and it has a legal move, you
must make the legal move.
These rules are used in the New England Speed Chess Championship
(played every year as part of the New England Open) and, as far as i
know, in international speed competitions as well.
R Mark Chilenskas
Chilenskas @ CCA-VMS
decvax!cca!rmc