Chess Etiquette: Never Make a Mistep

Magnus Carlsen, the #1 chess player in the world, recently made headlines for having "bad chess etiquette" at the end of an exciting chess match. He lost for the first time against Gukesh Dommaraju at Norway Chess 2025. Carlsen was in a winning position for most of the chess game but blundered into a losing position and had a visceral reaction.

But did Magnus really show bad etiquette? And what does good behavior look like in chess? Here's a guide to chess etiquette so you never make a mistep. 

The Table Bang Heard Round the World: Balancing Sportsmanship with Being Human

It was another rare time when mainstream media commented on chess current events when Magnus Carlsen blundered a winning position into a lost position at Norway Chess 2025. He was under time pressure against Gukesh, the reigning World Chess Champion. When he realized what he had done, he banged his hands on the table so hard that pieces fell over!

While it's easy to criticize this action as bad behavior, especially when you don't play chess, what's important is how he followed up. He immediately shook Gukesh's hand, said "I'm sorry," gave him a congratulatory pat on the shoulder, and excused himself. 

This was Gukesh's first time beating Magnus in a classical chess game. Immediately afterward, Gukesh impressively maintained a reserved reaction in front of his opponent.

Even though he just beat the greatest chess player alive, he still made a point to hide the expression on his face. Later, once he was in a different room, he fist-pumped Peter Heine Nielsen and celebrated his victory more openly.

In the end, Magnus ended up coming in first in the tournament overall, while Gukesh came in second place.

We should probably strive to have Gukesh's class and grace in this situation. But we also could learn from Magnus' recovery after expressing his frustration with himself.

Here's more on the basics of chess etiquette.

The Basics of Chess Etiquette

Maybe you're a tournament player at a high-pressure chess match. Or you are simply enjoying a casual game. Regardless, there are some basic rules of etiquette that should always be followed.

Here are some of the basics to remember:

• Begin and end every game by shaking hands. For more casual settings, you could verbally wish your opponent good luck and congratulations instead. 
• Do not distract your opponent. In tournament games and chess matches, no talking is allowed.In a more casual setting, you might talk a bit, but you don't want to be distracting to your opponent.
• Do not comment on other people's games! This is selfish and rude. By giving your unwelcome input, you're robbing both players in the chess match of the opportunity to think for themselves.
• Do not gloat if you win, or become aggressive when you lose. This rule can actually be hard to follow, especially if you're playing under intense time pressure. Competitive chess physically feels like a sport at its most critical moments. If you have a colorful reaction to the outcome of a chess match, you can always apologize after.
• Analzye your game with your opponent afterward. If you're in a tournament setting, move away from active chess matches to a less distracting area to analyze your game.

Remembering Tricky Legal Moves and Maneuvers

The legal moves I'm about to highlight might not so be tricky on paper. However, when you're in a tournament, you could forget how to apply these rules at a crucial part of the game! 

Here are some top rules, legal moves, and processes you should keep in mind, especially when they become relevant in your game. You want to know these moves so you can recognize when to call an arbiter to resolve a dispute.

Touch Move Rule

In a tournament setting, USCF and FIDE rules require if you touch a piece, you have to move it. However, a chess player only finalizes a move once they let go of the piece on a different square. 

If you want to adjust a piece because it isn't centered on a square correctly, you must clearly say "adjust." 

In casual settings, establish if you are playing touch move before beginning the game!

En Passant

En passant, French for "in passing," is a unique term for what is potentially the most infrequent move in chess. This is a special pawn move that prevents players from exploiting the two-square pawn move to avoid capture. 

When a chess player moves a pawn up two squares so that it is adjacent to the pawn on the next file, the opponent has the opportunity to capture. But they can only capture on their immediate next move.

Here's a more in depth explanation of the reasoning behind en passant.

In earlier versions of the game, pawns could only move forward one square at a time–even on their first move. But this made the opening part of the game even longer. By allowing pawns to move two squares on their first move, the game largely played out the same. En passant closes a loophole where players could use the two-square rule to evade capture.

Take a look at this example, which is a line from the Scotch Gambit, Dubois Réti Defense. It's white's turn to move. They can play en passant here:

While it's not a good move in the position, here is what the board would look like if they take en passant:

When calculating pawn on the board, it's important to consider en passant as a rule that both you and your opponent could play. It's also critical that you play it correctly and recognize when an en passant move needs to be disputed.

Castling

Castling is the only move in the game where a player can move two of their own pieces at once.

The correct way to castle in tournaments is to touch the king first, move it over two squares, and then move the rook. If you touch the rook first, technically, your opponent could claim touch move and require you to move the rook. Then you'd have to give up castling rights on that side of the board! 

The irony is that it's probably bad etiquette to call an arbiter if your opponent touches the rook first when castling.

Know How a Game Could End

To eliminate confusion and make it clear when you need to call an arbiter, you should familiarize yourself with the different ways a game could end.

Drawn Games

Draw by insufficient material: A draw by insufficient material happens when neither player has enough material to force a checkmate in any logical context. Here are examples of draw by insufficient material:

• Two lone kings
• Knight vs lone king
• Bishop vs lone king

One special case is a lone king vs a king and two knights. The player who is up two knights has an opportunity to checkmate. However, they can only do so if the opponent with no material "helps" by making mistakes and moving into a checkmate.

According to USCF rules, two knights vs a lone king counts as a draw by insufficient material because there is no forced mating pattern. Oddly enough, if the player with two knights faces a king and another piece, they can still force a potential mate.

Draw by insufficient material and time out: If a chess player's clock runs out, they lose on time, right? Wrong! 

If a player has insufficient mating material but runs their opponent down on time, this game ends in a draw. They literally had no chance of winning otherwise.

Draw by threefold repetition: When a game reaches the same position three times, it is draw. You can use perpetual check to force a threefold repetition, but you can also reach any other position three times.

Knowing these rules will make it easier to advocate for a fair chess experience.

Resigning in Losing Positions

It is actually considered good etiquette to resign in certain situations. Here's how to recognize when it's time.

The greatest chess players in the world will resign losing positions in the biggest chess matches under the assumption that the opponent knows how to win. Generally you too should resign when you can reasonably assume your opponent knows how to win the game from that point. 

However, at beginner and intermediate levels, there can be chances for you to recover and draw or even win the game from that point. So keep that in mind and use your best judgment based on your opponent's rating level.

What to do When Your Opponent Breaks a Rule 

So you're in a formal chess match and your opponent breaks a crucial rule. Here's how to handle the situation.

Explain to your opponent that they broke a rule. Usually, you both can reach a quick agreement and resolve the issue.

If they dispute your claim, then you must pause your clock on your turn and call an arbiter to settle things. When arbiters and tournament directors assess the situation and make a judgment, their decision is final.

FAQ: Chess Etiquette