Susan Polgar recently reported on a new FIDE rule. Check it out:

FIDE has implemented the new rule about players arriving to tournament late.

It used to be that players are forfeited after being late for one hour. Now, players are forfeited immediately, even if they are late for only seconds. GM Hou Yifan arrived 5 seconds late to her board during one of the rounds at the 2009 Chinese Championship and she was forfeited.

Similar situations happened at the 2008 Dresden Olympiad when this was implemented.

How do you feel about the new rule? Is it a good idea to forfeit players for being late, even for just seconds, or is it too strict?

This simple thread received 40+ comments. The general consensus seems to be that a few seconds late just isn't a good enough reason to forfeit a game but the amount of time necessary to call the game forfeited varies by the person.

What's wrong with the hour forfeit rule? Yes, it's a terrible long wait for a free win ... but what about someone with car trouble? It takes at least an hour to do minor repairs (change a tire, etc.) I don't mind waiting for an opponent with their clock running. Get up from the board, stretch, watch the other games.

In summary, why mess with a rule that's working? Bureaucratic silliness.