Objection to Digital clocks

[David Blower]

Only posting on this page as I want to ask another question about digital clocks.

However I attended this AGM for the Wolverhampton League on behalf of Brewood and we certainly did vote through Alex's proposal (exactly as he has worded it) at the AGM. I can only assume someone wrongly updated the Wikipedia page, which had an already existing out-of-date league rule. Perhaps its why the league committee quietly stated the result stood!

Anyway my question is further on the use of digital clocks. Do any leagues have rules where the AWAY team can bring their own supply of digital chess clocks and then use Fischer time controls as a default time control?

[Roger de Coverly]

Do any leagues have rules where the AWAY team can bring their own supply of digital chess clocks and then use Fischer time controls as a default time control?

The Berkshire League has a rule which says that the home club has choice of equipment. It was never really known what the Atticus schism was about, but there seems reason to believe a dispute about clock use was one of the triggers. Thus if a club playing at home didn't want to use digital clocks or have an incremental move rate forced on them, they could deny it.

[Ian Thompson]

Do any leagues have rules where the AWAY team can bring their own supply of digital chess clocks and then use Fischer time controls as a default time control?

The Surrey Border League has a rule that has that effect for Division 1:

"... where a suitable digital clock is available, the default time control shall be a Fischer time control of all moves in 80 minutes initial time allocation plus an increment of 10 seconds per move."

There is nothing prohibiting the away team bringing their own digital clocks to ensure one is available.

[Colin Purdon]

The Surrey Border League has a rule that has that effect for Division 1:

"... where a suitable digital clock is available, the default time control shall be a Fischer time control of all moves in 80 minutes initial time allocation plus an increment of 10 seconds per move."

There is nothing prohibiting the away team bringing their own digital clocks to ensure one is available.

The rules for this should perhaps be clarified, one way or the other, in the Surrey Border League. As far as I can see from an admittedly quick scan of the SBL rules, it isn't even mentioned that the home venue should provide the equipment (except for adjournment scoresheets ). I am not convinced that the absence of a contrary rule overrides established custom and allows an away side to bring their own clocks, on the other hand I can see it could be argued that those clocks would become "available" if they did.

[Alex Holowczak]

Do any leagues have rules where the AWAY team can bring their own supply of digital chess clocks and then use Fischer time controls as a default time control?

The Birmingham Summer League has a rule that says the time control is All moves in 20 minutes plus 10 seconds per move, or All moves in 30 minutes if you don't have the clocks available. The away team is specifically permitted to bring sufficient clocks to enable this time control to be played.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

The Thames Valley League rules have this clause:

"Every game shall be played with a chess clock. If the club is unable to supply sufficient clocks for a match, the match captain shall notify the opposition so that they may provide the balance necessary."

I think it is allowed to bring a digital clock and ask to play with it. I remember Sue Maroroa doing that a few times when playing for Hammersmith. That must have been a TVL match. London Chess League rules simply say "It is obligatory to use clocks."

[Jon Mahony]

I really don’t understand why people stress about digital clocks, they are great. You tend to find most complaints arise from the 65+ age range, or players graded 100 or under. I have had away teams in the past, come to Leeds CC and abjectly refuse to use them.

What’s not to like? They are more accurate, you press a single button at the start of the game and that’s all you need to do. No more having to add the extra time come the control, and have some ancient old miser snatch the clock out of your hand and adjust it, because he feels you have conned him out of 15 seconds - never mind he is going to be mated in 3 on the board (speaking from experience there!).

The only trouble with them is, no matter how many times the arbiters drum it into you at the start of the round, that the time control is automatic, you always get one opponent saying “How do we add the time on?” and then looking at you with great suspicion when you tell them it does it itself

[Roger de Coverly]

What’s not to like?

What's not to like is that when you have an intermediate time control, there's a period during of the game, very possibly a critical period, where there is no obvious indication other than notes you have made yourself of whether there's any more time to be added. it's particularly dangerous when the added time is fifteen minutes, as you may not even have the flip back to hours and minutes to remind you.

[Jon Mahony]

What’s not to like?

What's not to like is that when you have an intermediate time control, there's a period during of the game, very possibly a critical period, where there is no obvious indication other than notes you have made yourself of whether there's any more time to be added. it's particularly dangerous when the added time is fifteen minutes, as you may not even have the flip back to hours and minutes to remind you.

More of a fan of analogue then Rodger?

[Roger de Coverly]

More of a fan of analogue then Rodger?

No, but a fan of programming them to add the time when the right number of moves have been played. I can accept that without increment, it gives a big hint to the players that the time control has been reached and that many arbiters have a theological objection to that. With thirty second increments, the players should know how many moves have been made and it's just a matter of maintaining synchronisation with the clock. Admittedly design decisions by DGT make that more difficult than it should be.

[soheil_hooshdaran]

If you mean non-compliant in the sense that they can't be programmed to do it automatically and need a manual adjustment at the time control, then yes. That's no worse than a clockwork clock.

What's the difference between clockwork clocks & mechanical clocks?

[soheil_hooshdaran]

League rules are 30 moves in 65 minutes, with 15 minutes added on.

Really?
Is that the case in England?

[IM Jack Rudd]

League rules are 30 moves in 65 minutes, with 15 minutes added on.

Really?
Is that the case in England?

No, it's the case in his particular league in England. G/80 is a bit faster than the typical league - my impression is that a normal time control in league games in England tends to be about G/90 for an evening league, or G/120 for a daytime league.

[Roger de Coverly]

What's the difference between clockwork clocks & mechanical clocks?

A clockwork clock is mechanical, but you could have a battery powered non-digital clock, like a battery powered analogue watch. Quartz powered clocks were popular in the USA before digital clocks became available.

http://shop.chess.co.uk/Master-Quartz-T ... b00748.htm

or

http://shop.chess.co.uk/Economy-Plastic ... b02530.htm


With most local chess leagues taking place on weekday evenings, a session length of 180 minutes is usually about the maximum possible. Thus variations of the theme of all the moves within 75 to 90 minutes are commonplace.

[soheil_hooshdaran]

I guess it's been about a decade since I last saw a mechanical clock used in tournament practice in Iran. And digital clocks are repeatedly get more advanced.

There is nothing wrong with digital clocks other than their adverse environmental effect, like other digital devices including computers