Answers.Body: <p>According to <a href="https://handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/OnlineChessRegulations.pdf" rel="noreferrer">https://handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/OnlineChessRegulations.pdf</a></p>
  <p>Rule 9.7 states that &quot;Players are not allowed to have headphones in or over their ears during play.&quot;</p>
  <p>I think that should clear any doubts in your mind. I have also personally played a couple of online chess events and I can definitely say that under no circumstances are you allowed to wear headphones during the match.</p>
  <p>As in Hikaru's case, he is basically chess.com's main display man, so I can see why chess.com wouldn't mind him doing whatever he wants. You could say that chess.com literally doesn't care.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-11-27T14:14:21.320Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2023-11-27T14:14:21.320Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: IshA
Body: <p>Recently Vladimir Kramnik accused Hikaru Nakamura of cheating in online chess. He Tweeted : &quot;It is impossible to imagine a player to be allowed to wear headphones during a game of chess.&quot; Or somethings along the lines of that. But is it actually illegal on chess.com? And also, are the FIDE rules forbidding it?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2023-11-27T12:04:49.547Z
Comments.Text: For FIDE my understanding is that they are OK to be worn if, *and only if*, they are specifically OK'ed by the arbiter. Relevant rule "11.3.2 During a game, a player is forbidden to have any electronic device not specifically approved by the arbiter in the playing venue." taken from https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023 . I am not an arbiter, but no arbiter I know would allow such a use.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Ian Bush
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2023-11-29T09:17:35.920Z
Comments.Text: As an arbiter, that is accurate. Just to extend this. Generally speaking we don't allow them. I have made exceptions in the past , generally with much younger players (children) , who have a medical condition (eg Developmental Disabilities) which loud environments can be challenging, and if the opponent is happy.  Again, its extremely rare cases that I have seen this / allowed this.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Dheebs
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2023-12-01T12:54:56.497Z
Comments.Text: Possibly relevant: [Comment from Chess.com's Chief Chess Officer](https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/ykfc21/comment/iuu0xzp/)
Comments.UserDisplayName: SecretAgentMan
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2023-12-03T03:33:23.397Z
Comments.Text: [Chess.com Official Event Rulebook](https://www.chess.com/article/view/chesscom-event-rulebook), updated Nov 22, 2023, 12:36 PM
Comments.UserDisplayName: SecretAgentMan
Tags: <rules><fide><cheating><chess.com><nakamura>
Title: Is wearing headphones during chess games against the rules in FIDE and Chess.com?
ThreadText: # Is wearing headphones during chess games against the rules in FIDE and Chess.com?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2023-11-27)
  
  Recently Vladimir Kramnik accused Hikaru Nakamura of cheating in online chess. He Tweeted : "It is impossible to imagine a player to be allowed to wear headphones during a game of chess." Or somethings along the lines of that. But is it actually illegal on chess.com? And also, are the FIDE rules forbidding it?
  
  **Tags:** rules, fide, cheating, chess.com, nakamura
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: For FIDE my understanding is that they are OK to be worn if, *and only if*, they are specifically OK'ed by the arbiter. Relevant rule "11.3.2 During a game, a player is forbidden to have any electronic device not specifically approved by the arbiter in the playing venue." taken from https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023 . I am not an arbiter, but no arbiter I know would allow such a use.  
  > **username_2**: As an arbiter, that is accurate. Just to extend this. Generally speaking we don't allow them. I have made exceptions in the past , generally with much younger players (children) , who have a medical condition (eg Developmental Disabilities) which loud environments can be challenging, and if the opponent is happy.  Again, its extremely rare cases that I have seen this / allowed this.  
  > **username_3**: Possibly relevant: [Comment from Chess.com's Chief Chess Officer](https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/ykfc21/comment/iuu0xzp/)  
  > **username_3**: [Chess.com Official Event Rulebook](https://www.chess.com/article/view/chesscom-event-rulebook), updated Nov 22, 2023, 12:36 PM  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2023-11-27. Score: 6 | Accepted answer
  
  According to <https://handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/OnlineChessRegulations.pdf>
  
  Rule 9.7 states that "Players are not allowed to have headphones in or over their ears during play."
  
  I think that should clear any doubts in your mind. I have also personally played a couple of online chess events and I can definitely say that under no circumstances are you allowed to wear headphones during the match.
  
  As in Hikaru's case, he is basically chess.com's main display man, so I can see why chess.com wouldn't mind him doing whatever he wants. You could say that chess.com literally doesn't care.
  
  
  ---
  
  