John Philpott wrote:Alex Holowczak wrote
I don't read C5 and see where it says the default time control is what you say it is.
C5 on the ECF website states
C5. The duration of play shall be a maximum of five hours and all games shall be played with clocks. Each player shall make not less than 40 moves in two hours and then to a conclusion with 30 minutes extra for each player for the remainder of the game. Except in the Finals, the rate of play and duration of the sudden death finish may be varied by mutual agreement between the respective match captains.
That sounds remarakably like a default rate of play to me!
The way I read them, it just gives a range of parameters that a suitable time control can be.
Option one: Anything "not less than 40 moves in two hours". So 48 in 2 hours is fine, for example.
Option two: Thirty minute quickplay finish is clearly stated. This becomes an option in the next sentence, when it says that the duration of the thirty minute quickplay finish may be varied.
Option three: "the rate of play" can be varied, so your 40/120 or 48/120 can be varied now to 40/100 or 48/100.
So I interpret this that:
(1) There is a thirty-minute quickplay finish, which can be varied by mutual agreement.
(2) Anything you want goes for the first time period, as long as it has at least 40 moves in it. No default though, because there's no specific number quoted as being the default if you don't agree.
On the other hand, "not less than 40 moves" could mean you lose on time if you don't make 40 moves in the first time period. But then this would imply that 40 moves and 40 moves only was the right number of moves for the first time control.
So there's two conflicting interpretations of what the rule means!