FIDE Article 9.6 (new)

In his excellent column on chesscafe.com, Geurt Gijssen speaks about a new FIDE rule, article 9.6 (new), which states:

If one or both of the following occur(s) then the game is drawn:

a. the same position has appeared, as in 9.2b, for at least five consecutive alternate moves by each player.

b. the last 75 moves have been completed by each player without the movement of any pawn and without any capture.

Mr. Gijjsen then notes that the triple-repetition and fifty-move rule are still valid and haven't changed.  For b. wouldn't the fifty-move rule always come before the 75 moves?  And I don't really understand a. and how it relates to the three-fold position.  Anyone have insights or can point out cases where these rules differ from the three-fold repetition and fifty-move rules?

THe way it reads to me, it seems that the draw happens without a claim.

I Cant remember exactly, but I'm sure it was quite explicit that the draw had to be claimed. Maybe in these cases an outsider (probably TD or arbiter) can enforce the draw?

That's what it sounds like. Before this rule, you -could- play 200 moves of Kb1 Kb3 Ka1 Ka3 Kb2 Kc3 Ka1 Ka3....and as long as neither player claimed the draw, they keep playing. This way you can claim a draw after 3 (non-consecutive) repetitions or 50 moves, but even if you don't claim the draw, the game is drawn regardless after 5 consecutive repetitions or 75 moves.

EDIT: I could see some KQ v KQ endgames being played by lower rated players (not GMs probably) with the hope that the other would blunder, say if both sides needed a win. This limits those games.

Ah - that would make sense.

I've been thinking (I know, I really shouldnt do that):

If that interpretation is correct, then this site will need some upgrades?