I think there is much overreaction to this rule. You can now in some places lose your game just because you forgot to turn your mobile off. It happened to a good friend of mine. I think the punishment is disproportional to the crime!

Yes but the thing is this is one of the few crimes which the automatic and necessarily punishment is spelt out in the Laws of Chess. If the arbiter is to follow the Laws of Chess (which they must according to the Laws) then they must rule the game forfeit by the player whose phone rings. (That doesn't necessarily mean the other player scores a win.) To do otherwise is to now follow the clear intention of the Laws.

With regards disproportion, I see it like this. The rule makes made the punishment that punitive so as to ensure players took every measure to make sure that their phone doesn't ring. Some people forget and get caught out, but that's life. Without the rule, mobile phone interruptions would be much more common.

So if someone farts loudly that would distratc me during a game. Does that mean people who fart should forfeit the game they are playing?

I like the rule and appreciate the reminders to switch them off. It's also one less thing the juniors can find to distract us with.

I had the chance to briefly see Patrick Byrom, the CAQ Ratings Officer, a few weeks ago. I asked him if he thought that the ACF should release everyone's RD's so that people can do their own rating calculations without waiting a quarter for the ACF to do it. Currently only an estimate of one's RD is released.

Patrick told me that he agreed with me that RD's should be common knowledge and released.

This just goes to show how out of step Bill Gletsos, the National Ratings Officer and ACF Deputy President, is with at least some of his state counterparts - and perhaps with a sizable majority of Australian chess players.

AO

I would be happy to coach this "Gletsos" chappie at my going rate of $110 per hour.

I cannot make him a Statistician, but he will have some knowledge of statistics. This is better than nothing!

You like the rule? But the rule is too hard! What if the DOP forgot to give the reminder and then your mobile goes off? Then you complain about the rule I bet!

The rule is in the FIDE Laws of Chess, and therefore the arbiter is not compelled to remind players of the mobile phone forfeiture rule prior to the tournament or round starting. If a player complains about the rule because they lose the game and were not aware of the rule, then the issue is their ignorance, not the rule itself.