Answers.Body: <p>No.</p>
  
  <p>The relevant part in <a href="http://www.fide.com/component/handbook/?id=171&amp;view=article">FIDE's Laws of Chess</a> is Article 4.3 which contains the word <em>deliberately</em>.</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>4.3 Except as provided in Article 4.2, if the player having the move
        deliberately touches on the chessboard:</p>
    
    <p>a. one or more of his own pieces, he must move the first piece touched which can be moved</p>
    
    <p>b. one or more of his opponent’s pieces, he must capture the first piece touched which can be captured</p>
    
    <p>c. one piece of each colour, he must capture the opponent’s piece with his piece or, if this is illegal, move or capture the first
        piece touched which can be moved or captured. If it is unclear,
        whether the player’s own piece or his opponent’s was touched first,
        the player’s own piece shall be considered to have been touched
        before his opponent’s.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>The situation you describe once happened to a team mate of mine. The opponent wanted him to move the touched piece according to the rule, but the arbiter explained it had to be deliberate.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-07-05T15:34:38.087Z
Answers.Text: A touch with the elbow can be assumed not to be deliberate, otherwise it will be hard to prove a touch was not deliberate
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ian Ringrose
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-10-20T16:50:15.433Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-10-20T17:15:55.737Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2014-10-20T17:15:55.737Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Dag Oskar Madsen
Answers.Body: <p>I think the key word is elbow. Unless you were previously moving pieces with your elbow then the touch rule wouldn't apply. Disputes of this kind without a judge can easily be avoided by what we call in my area "you break it you bought it". You can touch a piece as long as you don't lift it from the board. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-05-14T18:29:51.550Z
Answers.Text: No, you are not allowed to touch a piece deliberately without calling for 'Adjust' . If otherwise, it will be considered to be a touch piece move.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Pavan Nadig
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-07-05T15:32:33.813Z
Answers.Text: @PavanNadig  A touch with the elbow can be assumed not to be deliberate.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ian Ringrose
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-05-12T23:34:58.340Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-05-12T23:34:58.340Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Chavers
Body: <p>According to the official FIDE rules for over-the-board (OTB) games, does the above description warrant the touch move rule?</p>
  
Tags: <rules><learning><fide><otb-chess><touch-move>
Title: If I accidentally knock over a rook with my elbow while reaching for another piece, do I have to move the rook?
ThreadText: # If I accidentally knock over a rook with my elbow while reaching for another piece, do I have to move the rook?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2014-10-20)
  
  According to the official FIDE rules for over-the-board (OTB) games, does the above description warrant the touch move rule?
  
  **Tags:** rules, learning, fide, otb-chess, touch-move
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2014-10-20. Score: 17
  
  No.
  
  The relevant part in [FIDE's Laws of Chess](http://www.fide.com/component/handbook/?id=171&view=article) is Article 4.3 which contains the word *deliberately*.
  
  > 4.3 Except as provided in Article 4.2, if the player having the move
  > deliberately touches on the chessboard:
  >
  > a. one or more of his own pieces, he must move the first piece touched which can be moved
  >
  > b. one or more of his opponent’s pieces, he must capture the first piece touched which can be captured
  >
  > c. one piece of each colour, he must capture the opponent’s piece with his piece or, if this is illegal, move or capture the first
  > piece touched which can be moved or captured. If it is unclear,
  > whether the player’s own piece or his opponent’s was touched first,
  > the player’s own piece shall be considered to have been touched
  > before his opponent’s.
  
  The situation you describe once happened to a team mate of mine. The opponent wanted him to move the touched piece according to the rule, but the arbiter explained it had to be deliberate.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: A touch with the elbow can be assumed not to be deliberate, otherwise it will be hard to prove a touch was not deliberate  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2015-05-12. Score: -1
  
  I think the key word is elbow. Unless you were previously moving pieces with your elbow then the touch rule wouldn't apply. Disputes of this kind without a judge can easily be avoided by what we call in my area "you break it you bought it". You can touch a piece as long as you don't lift it from the board.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_4**: No, you are not allowed to touch a piece deliberately without calling for 'Adjust' . If otherwise, it will be considered to be a touch piece move.  
  > **username_2**: @PavanNadig  A touch with the elbow can be assumed not to be deliberate.  
  
  ---
  
  