Melody Amber: Fast and Blind

The Fourteenth Amber Blindfold and Rapid Chess Tournament will take place at the Monte Carlo Grand Hôtel in Monaco, from 19th to 31st March 2005. The Maecenas Mr. J.J. van Oosterom is the exclusive sponsor of this event.

Every day, the grandmasters will play one rapid game and one blindfold game of about one hour each. The blindfold games will be played with computers. An empty chessboard will appear on the player’s screen. The moves are made with a mouse or with the keyboard. Each move will appear on both screens. After confirmation of receipt, the opponent’s clock will start and the move will disappear. However, the arbiter and the spectators can follow the entire game on monitors that are not visible to the grandmasters.

Chief Arbiter : Geurt Gijssen
Assistant arbiter: Patrick Lebel
Press Officer : Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam
General manager : Edwin Tolsma

Links

• Official web site
• Biographies of the players
• Schedule
• 2004: Kramnik and Morozevich win 13th Amber
• 2003: Anand wins 12th Amber Tournament

Full details of the previous 13 events

Rules of play

Rules for the rapid games

1. Play will be governed by the FIDE Laws of Chess, except where they are overrid­den by the following rules.
2. Players do not need to record the moves.
3. At the start of the game each player has twenty-five minutes on his clock. Before a player makes his move ten seconds will be added to his remaining time.
4. The monitor will show when the same position has appeared on the board three times or that the "50 moves rule" can be applied. The arbiter will draw the players' attention to this. In this case either player has the right to claim a draw.
5. If the computer does not recognize a position because a piece has not been put in the middle of a square, the arbiter has the right, using his own judgement, to put the piece in question in the centre of the square.
6. In case of a dispute, either player may stop the clocks while the arbiter is being summoned.

Rules for the blindfold games

1. Play will be governed by the FIDE Laws of Chess, except where they are overridden by the following rules.
2. Players are not allowed to record the moves.
3. At the start of the game each player has twenty-five minutes on his clock. Before a player makes his move twenty seconds will be added to his remaining time.
4. The computer clock marks the end of the time-control period.
5. The monitor will show the players when the same position has appeared on the board three times or that the "50 moves rule" can be applied. In this case either player has the right to claim a draw.
6. If a player makes an illegal move, the monitor will display the message: "Illegal move, make another move". In this case there is no need for additional action by the player.
7. If a player needs the assistance of the arbiter, he may call the arbiter. The arbiter will in this case interrupt the game; interrupting of the game takes about 5 seconds. In this situation the players may not leave the playing area of the playing hall and may not watch the position on the monitors.
8. Players, who leave the playing area without permission of the arbiter, will lose the game immediately.

Regulations in case of computer breakdown

1. After a computer breakdown, it is forbidden to speak to anybody except the arbiter.
2. The games will be continued on empty boards in the two playing halls and, if three games are in progress, also in a room of the hotel.
3. The time will be controlled using the Fischer clock; the time will be transferred as accurately as possible from the computer system to the Fischer clock. 25 seconds extra will be added for each move (instead of 20 seconds).
4. Two persons will control the game; the arbiter will write the moves down on a scoresheet, which is hidden from the players, and operate the clock. The assistant will play the moves on a pocket set, which is hidden from the players. The arbiter will check the intended move for legality, and if it is legal he will operate the clock and then write the move on the scoresheet.
5. Note: it is possible that it takes a few seconds for the arbiter to check the move and press the clock, but in any case the time taken is not more than for the player to enter the move on the computer.
6. The players shall show their moves on the empty board by pointing to the start and destination square of the move they intend to make; at the same time, they will speak the move aloud. If the move spoken differs from the move indicated on the board, then the arbiter shall say, "What do you mean?"
7. If a player makes an illegal move, then the arbiter will say "Illegal move" and he will not push the clock. For example, if a player says "Rook takes d6" and the move is not a capture, then the arbiter will say "Illegal move", or if the player shows d1-d6 on the board and says "Queen d6", but the piece on d1 is actually a rook, then the arbiter will again say "Illegal move".