Expert: Satyajit Das - 6/13/2007

Question
Greetings:
Thank you for your time...
If a player,(without touching a piece)
consistently hovers his/her hand above pioeces about the board, and/or touches squares on the board in anticipation of a move...
isn't this considered obscuring the board and/or distracting the opponent?
I run a Library Chess Program and it comes up all the time.
A local T.D. informed me that he deems it to be illegal distraction

Answer
Very frankly NO!. A player has got full right to do what ever he wants remaining within the limits of chess rules. There is no such rule and it is not considered obscuring. Yes if he touches the pieces then he has to go by the rules. To avoid the situation generally timed games are played. A player has to move within the time prescribed or he losses the game.
If the opponent is getting disturbed by his ways, he should be patient and must wait for his time to get over.