Answers.Body: <p>First of all: unbiased sources might be available. A spectator might have noticed it or a player might have recorded clock readings on the scoresheet. DGT boards record the exact time, too.</p>
  <p>Naturally, the player who lost time <em>should</em> get back exactly the time he lost.</p>
  <p>Now three unreliable sources of information are available to the arbiter: the person who accidentally pressed the wrong clock and the two players on the other board. They should be able to agree on a rough estimate of the time elapsed. (Has it been five minutes or ten? You should be able to tell.) The arbiter should adjust <em>both</em> clocks accordingly, maybe adding a minute for the disturbance caused.</p>
  <p>This is governed by article 6.13 in the FIDE laws of chess:</p>
  <blockquote>
  <p>If an irregularity occurs and/or the pieces have to be restored to a previous position, the arbiter shall use his best judgement to determine the times to be shown on the clocks. He shall also, if necessary, adjust the clock’s move counter.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-11-14T16:33:44.313Z
Answers.Text: "The arbiter should adjust both clocks" - Why adjust the clock of the one who made the error? They failed to hit their clock as required. You don't get time back if you simply forget to hit the clock, after all.
Answers.UserDisplayName: D M
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-11-15T02:13:02.277Z
Answers.Text: @DM As in, the arbiter should adjust the time of both players on the *affected* board. Of course, the player who pressed the wrong clock should not get any time back. As per FIDE rule 6.1, I refer to one player's time display as a "clock".
Answers.UserDisplayName: chaosflaws
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-11-15T05:32:23.227Z
Answers.Text: Hmm, so you want to reduce the time of the person on the other board whose clock should have been running but wasn't? OK.
Answers.UserDisplayName: D M
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-11-16T07:26:25.010Z
Answers.Text: @DM I have just added the relevant section of the laws, which does indicate that the time of both white and black should be adjusted.
Answers.UserDisplayName: chaosflaws
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-11-16T11:38:36.053Z
Answers.Text: It doesn't *quite* say that; it says the arbiter should use his best judgement. I'd say there are situations where it wouldn't be appropriate to charge time (like if that side only had a minute left - I don't think it would be appropriate to flag someone if this happened.) Regardless, it's a good answer.
Answers.UserDisplayName: D M
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-11-17T00:06:24.660Z
Answers.Text: @DM I concur that the corner case you mention merits a different approach. In general, however, the "best judgement" would be to try and re-establish the clock readings as if there had been no disturbance.
Answers.UserDisplayName: chaosflaws
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-10-18T21:49:52.220Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2020-11-15T02:19:43.373Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2020-11-15T02:19:43.373Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: chaosflaws
Body: <p>Today at the local tournament I noticed something strange. It was my turn, and my opponent's clock was running.</p>
  <p>My opponent had pressed the his neighbor's clock by accident. We were playing two boards on each table, sitting four people on each table in a room. Some time had gone while our dear neighbor had lost time on the clock. How much extra time would our neighbor get, the one whose clock had been pressed accidentally?</p>
  <p>I called the arbiter and we tried to correct the mistake in a very improvised manner.</p>
  <p>We did not know how long it had been this way. What to do?</p>
  
Tags: <rules><time-control>
Title: If an opponent's clock is pressed by mistake, how much extra time is given?
ThreadText: # If an opponent's clock is pressed by mistake, how much extra time is given?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2015-10-18)
  
  Today at the local tournament I noticed something strange. It was my turn, and my opponent's clock was running.
  
  My opponent had pressed the his neighbor's clock by accident. We were playing two boards on each table, sitting four people on each table in a room. Some time had gone while our dear neighbor had lost time on the clock. How much extra time would our neighbor get, the one whose clock had been pressed accidentally?
  
  I called the arbiter and we tried to correct the mistake in a very improvised manner.
  
  We did not know how long it had been this way. What to do?
  
  **Tags:** rules, time-control
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2015-10-18. Score: 4 | Accepted answer
  
  First of all: unbiased sources might be available. A spectator might have noticed it or a player might have recorded clock readings on the scoresheet. DGT boards record the exact time, too.
  
  Naturally, the player who lost time *should* get back exactly the time he lost.
  
  Now three unreliable sources of information are available to the arbiter: the person who accidentally pressed the wrong clock and the two players on the other board. They should be able to agree on a rough estimate of the time elapsed. (Has it been five minutes or ten? You should be able to tell.) The arbiter should adjust *both* clocks accordingly, maybe adding a minute for the disturbance caused.
  
  This is governed by article 6.13 in the FIDE laws of chess:
  
  > If an irregularity occurs and/or the pieces have to be restored to a previous position, the arbiter shall use his best judgement to determine the times to be shown on the clocks. He shall also, if necessary, adjust the clock’s move counter.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: "The arbiter should adjust both clocks" - Why adjust the clock of the one who made the error? They failed to hit their clock as required. You don't get time back if you simply forget to hit the clock, after all.  
  > **username_1**: @DM As in, the arbiter should adjust the time of both players on the *affected* board. Of course, the player who pressed the wrong clock should not get any time back. As per FIDE rule 6.1, I refer to one player's time display as a "clock".  
  > **username_2**: Hmm, so you want to reduce the time of the person on the other board whose clock should have been running but wasn't? OK.  
  > **username_1**: @DM I have just added the relevant section of the laws, which does indicate that the time of both white and black should be adjusted.  
  > **username_2**: It doesn't *quite* say that; it says the arbiter should use his best judgement. I'd say there are situations where it wouldn't be appropriate to charge time (like if that side only had a minute left - I don't think it would be appropriate to flag someone if this happened.) Regardless, it's a good answer.  
  > **username_1**: @DM I concur that the corner case you mention merits a different approach. In general, however, the "best judgement" would be to try and re-establish the clock readings as if there had been no disturbance.  
  
  ---
  
  