Jul 6, 2026, 11:25 PM#xkcd No. 3268
Date: 2026-7-6
Title: Offside
Alt text: The arbiter gave my knight a red card for capturing with cleats up :(
https://xkcd.com/3268/
![Description:
Chess game in progress. A red dashed line and sports flag mark a white rook near a black king.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[A chessboard is shown with various pieces in mid-game. A horizontal red dashed line runs across the top section of the board, ending outside the board on the right with a small red-and-yellow checkered referee flag. A white rook has moved past this dashed line to the top row, sitting next to the black king. The square under the white rook is highlighted in yellow.]
I THOUGHT I HAD CHECKMATE, BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE MY ROOK WAS OFFSIDE.](https://me.ns.ci/system/media_attachments/files/116/875/613/649/118/075/original/e7918d4960308aff.png)
- Jul 6, 2026, 11:25 PM
![Description:
Chess game in progress. A red dashed line and sports flag mark a white rook near a black king.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[A chessboard is shown with various pieces in mid-game. A horizontal red dashed line runs across the top section of the board, ending outside the board on the right with a small red-and-yellow checkered referee flag. A white rook has moved past this dashed line to the top row, sitting next to the black king. The square under the white rook is highlighted in yellow.]
I THOUGHT I HAD CHECKMATE, BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE MY ROOK WAS OFFSIDE.](https://media.mstdn.social/cache/media_attachments/files/116/875/613/967/573/825/small/16be25fa9399fca4.png)
Replies
Midtown Masochist 🐻 (RB-050) 🐷Richboy50@woof.groupJul 7, 2026, 12:27 AM@xkcdbot 😂😂😂 love this!
David Nashdpnash@c.imJul 7, 2026, 1:49 AM@xkcdbot I was on the Footchess team for black in this game.
After they called the white rook offside, we kept playing and were level at king, three pawns, one rook, and one knight each at the end of regular time. A tie. Both teams snagged a pawn in stoppage time, so…still a tie. It went to penalty piece kicks. Black won, three pawns and a bishop to white’s three pawns.
Joe Wdrchaos@sauropods.winJul 7, 2026, 6:30 AM@xkcdbot don't worry, I heard it's really easy to get a red card taken back now...