What happens if a chess player is late for a game?
A · Advanced · At the board · 2 of 6It depends on the event. Every event sets a default time, which is how late a player may arrive at the board. A player who arrives after it loses, unless the arbiter decides otherwise. If the event sets no default time, it is zero. A player not at the board at the start then loses.
How it works
- Default time: set in advance by the regulations of the event.
- If none is set: it is zero.
- After the default time: the late player loses, "unless the arbiter decides otherwise".
- The clock starts on time: White's clock is started at the time set for the game, whether or not White is there.
- Within the default time: a late player may still play, with whatever time is left on their clock.
- Both absent: where the default time is not zero, White loses all the time that passes until White arrives, unless the event or the arbiter says otherwise.
- The score: a win by forfeit counts as a win.
The glossary has the chess clock, the arbiter, the scoring, the time control, the flag fall and white and black.
Tricky cases
The event's rules say nothing about lateness. How late can a player be?
Not at all. "If the default time is not specified, then it is zero."
The default time is 30 minutes and a player arrives after 20. What have they lost?
Twenty minutes of thinking time. Their clock has been running since the start.
A player is five minutes late under zero tolerance because the lift broke down. Do they lose?
It depends. The player loses "unless the arbiter decides otherwise", so the arbiter may let the game be played.
Does a forfeit win count the same as a played win?
Yes, for points. It may be treated differently in tie-breaks, and an unplayed game is not rated.
Why the rule exists
An opponent who has arrived on time should not sit waiting for an unknown period. A stated default time tells everybody where the line is. Leaving a discretion with the arbiter covers the player held up by something that was not their fault.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| No default time stated | Zero: be at the board at the start | FIDE Laws 6.7.1 |
| Default time stated | Late arrival within it costs clock time only | FIDE Laws 6.6; 6.7.1 |
| Chess Olympiad 2026 | Default time of 15 minutes | Olympiad 2026 Regulations 4.3.3 |
| Player absent without notice in a tournament | Treated as withdrawn unless the absence is explained in time | FIDE General Regulations for Competitions 6.5 |
From the rule book
FIDE, Laws of Chess (approved 7 August 2022, applied from 1 January 2023), Articles 6.6, 6.7 and 10.1. FIDE, Chess Olympiad 2026: Regulations for the Main Competition, Article 4.3.3. FIDE, General Regulations for Competitions, Articles 6.5 and 6.7. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: FIDE Laws of Chess taking effect from 1 January 2023 (FIDE Handbook E.01).