LEAP Digital Chess Clocks

[Adam Raoof]

I recently saw this advertised on the net, and then on eBay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... SS:GB:1123

the LEAP Professional Chess Clock Timer is obviously a tribute to the DGT 2010, but the price is a lot cheaper. Has anyone used one of these clocks at all? Are they as robust and flexible as the DGTs? Is it morally correct to buy one?!

[Ray Sayers]

A tribute is very diplomatic for copy!

It just seems a slightly more rounded version of the DGT, down to the digital layout, colour and even the writing on the base with all the timing modes (same font and layout).

I'd be surprised if a lawyer wasn't looking at it right now!

[Alex McFarlane]

I've seen an early edition but not the latest version.

It has the advantage over the DGT of showing which mode it is in on the main display. Unlike the 2010 it also shows the period. So in the centre of the display at the bottom you will see something like 4.1 in the first or 4.2 if in the second time control. The display was also larger.

The disadvantage is that it only had the preset modes indicated. You can edit those to suit but you must do so before every round as it did not store these settings. I don't know if the latest version has rectified this.

Note also that you may have to pay duty on the quoted price.

[Roger de Coverly]

I'd be surprised if a lawyer wasn't looking at it right now!

Try this link for another style alike.

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/74873 ... chess.html

This one states it to be the official clock for the Chinese Chess Federation.

There's hope yet, perhaps the clones will remove the "features" present from the earliest versions of DGTs, namely the absence of even an optional display of the move counter and the inability to show seconds for the entire duration of the game.

While the underside of the clock has the style of a DGT, it's in chenglish, so doesn't make immense sense.

Mode 14 is 30 minutes abstention Mode 15 is 1 hours restrict and Mode 16 2 hours failure
(I suppose 14,15 and 16 could be for some other game not chess, but it uses the term "step" instead of "move")

[Roger de Coverly]

The disadvantage is that it only had the preset modes indicated. You can edit those to suit but you must do so before every round as it did not store these settings. I don't know if the latest version has rectified this.

I found a utube video (but in French) showing how to set one of these.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW6QNGLYrTE

The reset button appears to be next to the start/stop button. This strikes me as extremely dangerous, as a player seeking to pause the clock could, on the face of it, reset it.

I don't think it's something FIDE test for, but it would be a desirable feature that in the event of a brief power interruption, a digital clock remembers its previous time values.

[Ray Sayers]

I notice that a couple of the clocks, as well as being the same colour as the DGT clock also have a knight symbol in the bottom left, which is the FIDE mark. Someone taking a passing look at it online may just assume it is a FIDE clock. Very naughty.

[Reg Clucas]

It seems to me that digital clocks are very expensive, considering how electronic components have reduced in price in recent years. I'm sure this is a barrier to clubs replacing their ancient stocks of analogue clocks, and hence allowing incremental time limits to be used. So if there are cheaper alternatives then this is a good thing, provided of course that they are fit for purpose.

[Adam Raoof]

I now have one of these clocks and what's clear is that it needs a lot of testing, as suggested by the comments below. Testing in progress!

[JustinHorton]

as suggested by the comments below

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[Niall Doran]

as suggested by the comments below

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Below the Youtube video, maybe. Although when I went there, the comments were down as being temporarily disabled.

[Adam Raoof]

as suggested by the comments below

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I mean 'in this thread', as I have it set up so that the most recent post appears at the top. It does appear that you have to set the clock every time from scratch, which would be a pain in any tournament.