All he has to do to eliminate this possibility is not bring his cell phone with him to the playing area. This seems like something any tournament director would prefer that all players avoid doing, and this rule seems to provide players a significant incentive to play along. Harsh, yes, but the reasoning behind it makes a fair amount of sense to me.

I agree that some FIDE rules are a bit too harsh, but I completely disagree with you on this one Pyramid. The problem is that a cell phone ring does not only affect your opponent, but every single player in the room. Have you ever played a super important game for a substantial sum of money during which some guy's on 46th board cell phone rang and completely distracted your thought process? I have, and I sure was glad that he got a 0 for that. It is a professional sport after all, and that is simply not acceptable at all. There are so many ways to avoid it, if you are dumb enough to allow that to happen to yourself, you deserve a 0 IMO.

In a lot of smaller tournaments for players who mainly play for leisure, I think it is up to the tournament director to make that decision, he can allow the play to continue even if cell phone rang. But when it comes to serious tournaments with a lot at stake, I think that this rule is perfectly sound.

Okay, truth time. Playing in a tournament and the TD had JUST told everyone to make sure their cell phones are off/silent. We're about to start the clocks and my cell phone's alarm goes off. I forgot it was set and even though the phone was set to silent, the alarm still goes. I was properly embarrassed and have never made that mistake again. FWIW, this was the first round in a small, cheap tournament. I do agree with YKW about important events, especially where lots of money is involved.

1. e4 e5
2. Qh5

White says something about a magnet under the Black King. Black picks up his King to look for magnet. White claims Black must move the King because he touched it and didn't say j'adoube.

Black is forced to play the only legal move.. Ke7.

3. Qxe5#. Checkmate!

I wanna give a check with my bishop.. But wait.. There's a pawn in the way.. Ahhh **** it, do it anyway.. (land the bishop on the checking square, passing through the pawn in the process).

I often do this one just to make fun in my university's chess club (of course in casual games).

White leaves the club later and mysteriously finds his car towed.