Answers.Body: <p>If you're allowed to touch a piece, you can also pick it up and land it on another square, look how the new position would look like, and return it to its original square if you don't like the new position. Repeat this over and over again, and it becomes very annoying for your opponent.</p>
  <p><sub>This explains <em>why</em> the rule might exist, but not since <em>when</em>. I do not know the answer to that question.</sub></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-03-01T20:47:26.100Z
Answers.Text: ...and also it would be less clear whether a move was done. With the rule enforced you can be sure that once a player has let go of a piece on the destination square the move is done and it is the opponent's turn. Without the rule you would need some additional sign (at least in games without clock) to end a turn. Wikipedia says the rule exists for a very long time (15th century at least).
Answers.UserDisplayName: user1583209
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2022-03-02T14:05:12.670Z
Answers.Text: As for the when: variations of it have existed since the beginning of chess, when chess was derived/adapted from the older games. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touch-move_rule#History
Answers.UserDisplayName: L. Scott Johnson
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Answers.CreationDate: 2022-03-03T10:19:46.310Z
Answers.Text: Some players are very annoying even WITH that rule in place, arguing to no end whether they've really made that move or not. Some even go as far as challenging past moves in classic, when two separate records of them exist! Without the rule, it'd be an utter chaos...
Answers.UserDisplayName: Lodinn
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2022-03-04T08:03:37.063Z
Answers.Text: Also, with all the back and forth, against an unfocused opponent it would be possible to 'restore' a different position from the initial one, either intentionally or by mistake.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Federico Poloni
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Answers.CreationDate: 2017-03-01T20:39:33.450Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2022-03-02T13:21:18.050Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2022-03-02T13:21:18.050Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Glorfindel
Answers.Body: <p>If you're allowed to touch a piece, or touch a square with a piece, without having to commit to the move, you could <em>pretend</em> to move, look at your opponent's reaction, and then retract the move if you see a reaction indicating you've just made a blunder.</p>
  <p>Chess is not Poker, and the game should be decided on skills over the chessboard, not on psychological tricks or how good of a poker face you can make.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2022-03-02T10:43:53.237Z
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Answers.LastEditDate: 2022-03-02T13:43:51.367Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: vsz
Body: <p>Where did this rule originate? Why does it exist?</p>
  
  <p>I just recently learned about it, and in my casual coffeeshop chess games, it has never been mentioned or enforced.</p>
  
Tags: <rules>
Title: What is the idea behind the touch move rule?
ThreadText: # What is the idea behind the touch move rule?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-03-01)
  
  Where did this rule originate? Why does it exist?
  
  I just recently learned about it, and in my casual coffeeshop chess games, it has never been mentioned or enforced.
  
  **Tags:** rules
  
  
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  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2017-03-01. Score: 10
  
  If you're allowed to touch a piece, you can also pick it up and land it on another square, look how the new position would look like, and return it to its original square if you don't like the new position. Repeat this over and over again, and it becomes very annoying for your opponent.
  
  This explains *why* the rule might exist, but not since *when*. I do not know the answer to that question.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: ...and also it would be less clear whether a move was done. With the rule enforced you can be sure that once a player has let go of a piece on the destination square the move is done and it is the opponent's turn. Without the rule you would need some additional sign (at least in games without clock) to end a turn. Wikipedia says the rule exists for a very long time (15th century at least).  
  > **username_3**: As for the when: variations of it have existed since the beginning of chess, when chess was derived/adapted from the older games. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touch-move_rule#History  
  > **username_4**: Some players are very annoying even WITH that rule in place, arguing to no end whether they've really made that move or not. Some even go as far as challenging past moves in classic, when two separate records of them exist! Without the rule, it'd be an utter chaos...  
  > **username_5**: Also, with all the back and forth, against an unfocused opponent it would be possible to 'restore' a different position from the initial one, either intentionally or by mistake.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2022-03-02. Score: 7
  
  If you're allowed to touch a piece, or touch a square with a piece, without having to commit to the move, you could *pretend* to move, look at your opponent's reaction, and then retract the move if you see a reaction indicating you've just made a blunder.
  
  Chess is not Poker, and the game should be decided on skills over the chessboard, not on psychological tricks or how good of a poker face you can make.
  
  
  ---
  
  