Eliminate sudden death with 90 / 30 i?

Running Chess Tournaments
1

Hi there,

Quick question. In an upcoming tournament, we are implementing increment (varying times with 2-day and 3-day schedule). For example, in a section of 90/30i that is announced in advance, then I have a few questions:

  1. If a player’s digital clock can only handle delay, and this clock cannot handle 30 seconds (5.F.1.c), then can the TD still disallow sudden death? [Never mind, Rule 15B - only applies with increment of 30s or more].

  2. If players have a clock that has increment but refuse to set it to increment, saying that they prefer a smaller delay and sudden death, what penalty should or can be applied?

  3. In the future, what can organizers / TD’s do if players deliberately bring delay-only digital clocks to tournaments with increment on purpose in order to allow sudden death or to avoid increment?

Finally - PLEASE rewrite 5.F.1.d, so it actually makes sense - it is horribly worded!

Thank you,

Chris Kim
Senior TD
Baltimore, MD

2

Short delays are easily accommodated with analog clocks; increment, not so much. It’s a completely different animal. I think that’s why early adopters of increment, like Sevan Muradian, insist that players use house equipment rather than bring their own – too much potential for problems otherwise.

3

Players don’t get to choose whether to use a certain setting. Since your tournament is advertised as 90+30i, the players have to use the increment if available. If they have a delay clock, then the game is played at a single time control, and the increment setting is used as the delay setting.

Is your tournament FIDE rated? If so, then FLC 6.10.b would cover the case where you discover that a game starts without increment. It states:

So, you get to jump in and add the increment (or delay, if no increment is available). What great fun! :laughing:

This happened all the time when the move to digital clocks and delay controls started. Some players still refuse to provide anything other than an analog clock at tournaments. I had just such a player get upset at this year’s Philadelphia Open when I told him his opponent had the right to insist on using her own delay clock, even though he had Black and was at the board before the start of the round.

Since the rules provide for the possibility of increment and/or delay clocks being unavailable (USCF 5F1a, 5F1b, 5F1d), there isn’t much an increment-loving organizer can do - unless you provide, say, your own DGT clocks for players to use.

I suppose that a TD who really wants to insist on increment can make it clear that any game without an increment- or delay-capable clock will be played with only the primary time, and no adjustment for the increment. This in effect docks each player about 30 minutes of time in a 90+30i control.

Ready for some good news? :slight_smile: What usually ends up happening is that most players move right into the new standard, and the holdouts gradually convert over time. This sometimes happens when they’re forced to use a digital clock, burn through most of their time, and discover that the delay or increment time saves them from losing a drawn or won position.

I think someone forgot to proofread that one. :confused: You can always send rules suggestions to the USCF. David Kuhns is the USCF Rules Committee chair. You can reach him at e4e5 [at] hughes.net (replace the bracketed word with the appropriate symbol).

4

Players don’t get to choose whether to use a certain setting. Since your tournament is advertised as 90+30i, the players have to use the increment if available. If they have a delay clock, then the game is played at a single time control, and the increment setting is used as the delay setting."

Why then does USCF still sell analog clocks? I just bought one.
Does USCF still sell delay clocks that do not have a 30 second delay feature?

5

Analog clocks are still legal for use - digital clocks just get first priority for use. And they can be handy as backups. It’s kind of like keeping an old rotary telephone around - there are definitely better options available, but in a pinch, you know it’ll work. :slight_smile:

I actually own an old Master Quartz, and every time I see the Rochester Chess Center doing the bookstore at a big tournament, they always seem to have a couple of the old wooden Jergers for sale. Those were the Rolls-Royce of chess clocks when I started playing, and I’ve always liked the look of them, so I’ll probably buy one eventually.

From looking at the USCF Sales website, there don’t appear to be any delay-capable clocks that don’t have customizable delay settings. However, I know there are some off-brand digital clocks out there that have only a 5-second delay setting.

6

Besides, not all chess games are in USCF tournaments. If the epic chess match of 86 year old geezer vs 85 year old geezer has been played using an analog clock every Tuesday night at the local diner for the past 63 years, and their clock suddenly breaks, it’s nice to know they can turn to the USCF for a replacement, without being forced to learn how to use that newfangled digital stuff. :laughing:

7

Just don’t let FIDE find out about this.

8

One club around here (Evanston) announces, “Digital clocks required and must be set to 30-second increment” or words to that effect. With increment- and delay-capable clocks near-universal now, such a policy is becoming an increasingly good idea.

Under this policy, a player who brings a clock not capable of the announced (or default) time control, including increment or delay, would simply not be allowed to use it. If the opponent is late, the player must simply wait around, with no clock running, until the opponent arrives with proper equipment, then split the elapsed time equally between the players.

The Evanston club mollifies this policy a bit by bringing a few (2 or 3) fully-capable clocks to the tournament, for use by players who don’t furnish proper equipment.

Implement the Evanston policy. If one of the players wants to use a time control other than the one announced, simply require the use of the opponent’s (properly set) clock, or the TD can furnish the clock.

Same.

Bill Smythe