Sounds of tournaments before digital clocks.

[wbport]

Synchronisation Should bring back some memories of the good old days of “TICK TICK TICK TICK ticka ticka ticka ticka” of wind up chess clocks.

[William_H_Stokes]

I don’t remember the clocks being quite so loud. If they were it would have drowned out the snoring a certain Maryland director used to indulge in during the rounds. Other sounds missing are the sounds of matches and lighters being struck to light up right at the board…The good old days.

[Smythe_Dakota]

These days, if there is even one analog clock in the tournament (and chances are there will be only one) its sound would be considered annoying. In the “good” old days, the sea of tick-tocks, not quite in sync, created essentially a “white noise” background that everybody accepted.

Bill Smythe

[Michael_A_Murray]

@Smythe Dakota

These days, if there is even one analog clock in the tournament (and chances are there will be only one) its sound would be considered annoying. In the “good” old days, the sea of tick-tocks, not quite in sync, created essentially a “white noise” background that everybody accepted.

Bill Smythe

As far as distractions go, one analog would much more annoying than all analogs.

[tmagchesspgh]

The only clocks that were even a bit “noisy” were the BHB and the Pal Benko clocks. There were some models that you could hardly hear tick. Much more of a noise problem was the boiler in the basement of the Golden Triangle YMCA (Pgh) or the sirens and honking horns from street traffic. In modern tournaments we have to put up with the noise of people listening to music, the constant shuffle up and down aisles, spectators talking on cell phones, and TDs talking.

[Harry_Payne]

@tmagchesspgh

The only clocks that were even a bit “noisy” were the BHB and the Pal Benko clocks. There were some models that you could hardly hear tick. Much more of a noise problem was the boiler in the basement of the Golden Triangle YMCA (Pgh) or the sirens and honking horns from street traffic. In modern tournaments we have to put up with the noise of people listening to music, the constant shuffle up and down aisles, spectators talking on cell phones, and TDs talking.

Is the Golden Triangle YMCA, still there?? I use to take a bus there to Pittsburgh,( and walk up from the bus station) to avoid traffic, and construction on the tunnels at the time. That is years ago for sure. And it was noisey.

[GeneM]

@MikeMurray

@Smythe Dakota

These days, if there is even one analog clock in the tournament … its sound would be considered annoying. In the “good” old days, the sea of tick-tocks, not quite in sync, created essentially a “white noise” background that everybody accepted.

As far as distractions go, one analog would much more annoying than all analogs.

True indeed.
Circa 2005 I played in a tournament that was held in a games store. Shortly after the games started, a few patrons entered the store and began setup for some kind a fantasy or war game played with special dice on highly decorated tables. They conversed in normal voices, which was their right, but which was highly distracting in the otherwise silent room of chess players.

But soon many more patrons arrived to play the fantasy game, and their conversations merged into the white noise of a crowd — which was not distracting at all (perhaps partly because their topic of conversation bored me).

Most of the chess round continued undistracted until the fantasy games began to complete and some patrons left, leaving only a few conversing, which was again distracting.

I vividly remember one of my games in that tournament, wherein I had a long struggled to defend and hang on for a draw. Near the end of the game, my frustrated opponent over-pressed for victory, and made a positionally awful move that swapped the advantage over to me. But he quickly offered a draw, and by reflex I quickly accepted; and thereby made the classic mistake of too slowly switching my attitude toward the game/position as the advantage shifted.

The tournament was run and organized by Gary Dorfner and the Tacoma Chess Club (Tacoma is 30 miles south of Seattle, in Washington state).

[Smythe_Dakota]

Indeed, it is often difficult to shift into “draw mode” as soon as one should.

I was once down the Exchange against a player rated 500 points below me, with zippo winning chances and scant drawing chances. Somehow, I had the feeling that if I offered a draw it would fluster the opponent. Sure enough. (Before you ask, yes, I offered the draw properly, immediately after I moved and before I pressed the clock.) His subconscious immediately became confused, apparently thinking he had to move quickly or the offer would evaporate, or something. He immediately blundered, giving me an easy win.

Bill Smythe

[tmagchesspgh]

Harry, the Golden Triangle YMCA is still there on Wood St. in downtown Pittsburgh. It was completely remodeled in the early 1980’s. As a result, the Pittsburgh Chess Club moved to the Squirrel Hill part of the city and is in the old Wightman School building. The building is on a quiet street across from a ball field and a playground. The club is among a number of organizations that inhabit the building. At one time, they had a number of analog clocks to use in tournaments or for casual play. Those have mostly disappeared, replace by black Gametimer clocks. The only noisy thing there is the old guys who cannot hear so well anymore.