From: Hans Geuns <geuns <at> FAS <dot> HARVARD <dot> EDU>
Date: 13 apr 2000
Subject: Re: Checkmate

> The real issue here is: how can one be sure that the mate-giving
> player actually notices that it is mate? It is conceivable that under
> serious byoyomi-pressure, a player might not notice he has delivered
> mate.

It is not only conceivable, it has happened. It happened to me a few years
ago in the blitz tournament of the European Championship in a game against
Hans Secelle... I was in deep time trouble, but yet I was sure I had a a
very simple mate, and I gave mate. Then my opponent, the devious Secelle,
made one of his maximally confusing moves: a move that took me completely
by surprise - I was baffled, dumbfounded, apparently I had made a mistake
and it was not mate! So we played on, and only about a second later (after
he had in fact escaped) did I realize that he had stayed in check for at
least two moves and that I could have captured his King. We had a lot of
fun that night.


> Is the mate-giving player required to announce it is mate? This
> is not the practice in tournaments I have participated in, so what
> rule should govern this situation?

Perhaps you could have a general rule about illegal moves cover this
situtation as well. That is, the mate-giving player would not generally be
required to announce mate. But if his opponent plays on (despite the
mate), the mate-giving player has to announce the mate or claim the game.
(If he does not do this, we could take this as evidence that he himself
has not noticed that it is mate.)

Hans