user825: In a FIDE rated blitz (3+2) tournament (following the official FIDE rules), the following position occurred:
[FEN "8/1k5P/q7/8/8/8/6K1/6Q1 w - - 0 1"]

White played 1.h8Q. But since both queens were on the board, the White player had no choice but to take a White rook, flip it and then place it on the h8 square. He then pressed the clock to complete the move.
The Black player immediately stopped the clock, complained to the arbiter because the flipped rook wasn't a legal chess piece. Thus, the Black player argued his opponent had made an illegal move in the blitz game.
The arbiter agreed and awarded the game as a win for Black due to the illegal move.
Q1: What does the FIDE rule say? Was the arbiter's decision correct?
Q2: If it was indeed an illegal move under the FIDE blitz rule. What should the White player have done? How would the player promote to queen (not rook!) when the White queen was already on the board? All other chess boards (and the queens) were occupied.

user924: The rules do not mention a flipped rook, nor is there any rule that says a move can be illegal due to how the piece is placed on the square. It's a legal move.
That said, it's just a rook. The opponent could have said "j'adoube" and placed it correctly, or waited for the rook's first diagonal move and then claim illegal move.
The player absolutely did have a choice: if a piece you want to promote to isn't readily available, that's a perfectly good reason to stop the clock and ask the arbiter to give you one. Rule 6.12.b:

6.12.b A player may stop the chessclock only in order to seek the arbiter’s assistance, for example when promotion has taken place and the piece required is not available. 

That all other queens are in use is not the player's problem, but the arbiter's. Personally when I'm arbitering I always have one of each color in my pockets, and my games aren't even FIDE rated. An arbiter without spare material (also a spare clock or two) in a FIDE tournament is extremely incompetent.

825: <p>In a FIDE rated blitz (3+2) tournament (following the official FIDE rules), the following position occurred:</p>

<pre><code>[FEN "8/1k5P/q7/8/8/8/6K1/6Q1 w - - 0 1"]
</code></pre>

<p>White played <code>1.h8Q</code>. But since both queens were on the board, the White player had no choice but to take a White rook, flip it and then place it on the h8 square. He then pressed the clock to complete the move.</p>

<p>The Black player immediately stopped the clock, complained to the arbiter because the flipped rook wasn't a legal chess piece. Thus, the Black player argued his opponent had made an illegal move in the blitz game.</p>

<p>The arbiter agreed and awarded the game as a win for Black due to the illegal move.</p>

<p><strong>Q1:</strong> What does the FIDE rule say? Was the arbiter's decision correct?</p>

<p><strong>Q2:</strong> If it was indeed an illegal move under the FIDE blitz rule. What should the White player have done? How would the player promote to queen (not rook!) when the White queen was already on the board? All other chess boards (and the queens) were occupied.</p>
 924: <p>The rules do not mention a flipped rook, nor is there any rule that says a move can be illegal due to how the piece is placed on the square. It's a legal move.</p>

<p>That said, it's just a rook. The opponent could have said "j'adoube" and placed it correctly, or waited for the rook's first diagonal move and then claim illegal move.</p>

<p>The player absolutely did have a choice: if a piece you want to promote to isn't readily available, that's a perfectly good reason to stop the clock and ask the arbiter to give you one. Rule 6.12.b:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>6.12.b</strong> A player may stop the chessclock only in order to seek the arbiter’s assistance, for example when promotion has taken place and the piece required is not available. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>That all other queens are in use is not the player's problem, but the arbiter's. Personally when I'm arbitering I always have one of each color in my pockets, and my games aren't even FIDE rated. An arbiter without spare material (also a spare clock or two) in a FIDE tournament is extremely incompetent.</p>
