There are a number of tournament players, that want the full time on a time delay clock. There have been debates why a G/60 should be a G/60 (t/d5) over a G/55 (t/d5). As an organizer, it does not matter what time controls the players want, the established round times will have to be longer then shorter. Any organizer has to established the round times, since a G/60 (t/d5) could last to the final seconds on the clock – the organizer has to factor it in to the next rounds.
Since a time delay clock has 5 seconds per person per move, the organizer also has to factor in a possible long game. Each and every round could have a game in theory last 90 moves, or in theory last 300 moves. Having 90 moves is a long game and would be a rational judgement call to plan it under the 5 second delay. With 5 seconds per person per move, with 2 players would be equal to 10 seconds per move (5 seconds x 2 people = 10 seconds). True, not all the moves would use all the 10 seconds per move, the organizer would have to factor it in as being used for all games. With every 6 moves, with 10 seconds per move would be one minute 6(5 x 2) = 1 minute. With a base of 90 moves in a game, would have to factor in a extra 15 minutes to the total time 90(5 x 2) = 15 minutes. When an organizer factors in the round times, would have to factor a G/60 or G/60 (t/5) as G/60 (t/d5) = G/67.5.
Not all time delay games will last 90 moves, and all the moves will not use all the time delay. For any organizer, would have to factor in the official round time. For an organizer looking at a G/60, would have to factor the round would have to be over in 2 hours; with a G/60 (t/d 5) the round should be over in 2:15 hours. The other factor is the problem of both players a few minutes late to start their game, or needing to ask a question of the director, it has been a policy of myself and other directors to factor in 15 minutes. As an organizer of a accepted G/60 (t/d 5), would factor in 2:30 hours between the official start of the rounds. If it was a G/60 or a G/55 (t/d 5), would factor in 2:15 hours between the official start of the rounds. With having a 4 round G/60, have to factor the official start time of the rounds, how I have done it is having the rounds at 10 am 1 pm 3:30 pm and 6 pm.
Having the rounds at 10 am, 1 pm 3:30 pm and 6 pm does make it a longer day; if it was at G/55 (t/d5) could have the rounds start at 10 am, 1 pm 3:15 pm and 5:30 pm. Not sure how many players have looked into the idea that a G/60 (t/d5) will make it a much longer day. Would like to get some feedback from players that love time delay and the players that do not use time delay. With time delay it does make it a much longer day.
Nowadays, between 60 and 90 percent of games in a typical tournament are played with the delay. Therefore, it almost becomes a case of false advertising if the TLA says “game/60” and then the players are told, at the tournament, to use game/55 instead.
I would prefer to see organizers either spread out the rounds a little more, or to announce game/55 rather than game/60 in the first place.
As to analog clock users being shortchanged on time by the lack of delay, well, tough. The solution is to furnish and use preferred equipment to begin with.
Organizers also know the players are looking at the official start time, and the time controls. Players that have analog clocks will question why the last round starts at 6 pm then 5:30 pm. Some organizers have even shorten the lunch hour to 30 minutes. Even if there was no time delay, the organizer has to factor in 15 minutes of rest, or for a TD question that needs to stop the clock. Even players that go to the last seconds on their clocks, should have some rest between rounds. Since there is time delay, would have to factor in 15 minutes between rounds also.
Number of players will question why give a hour lunch then a 30 minute lunch. Having the first round start at 10 am and the second round at 1 pm, still will not give everyone a hour lunch. With everything being on time, the first round should end some time at 12 noon for a analog clock, or around 12:15 pm for a time delay clock. With late registeration, or the TD announcements, the first round could start at 10 am or as late as 10:15 am.
With most of the players having a great deal of down time, have factored in a skittles room. There is free food and drinks for the players also. Even thought of having a side event if the players want, or a ratable blitz event between rounds for the players that finnish early. Not sure how many players will jump on the idea of being in two events in one day. For a number of players there is going to be down time.
Are we seriously complaining that setting back two round times fifteen minutes would make a much longer day? I just don’t understand how taking an extra 45 minutes is that big a deal. I also have found that you can even schedule the rounds to overlap slightly. Unless there is some severe irregularity (I recently had two players unable to set the clock for 30 minutes, and then have the game go the full time) that happens without your knowledge, you won’t be more than a couple of minutes late 9people can deal with that), and there is really no need to wait thirty minutes between games to add an extra five minutes to the clock.
I guess what I am trying to say is first that I don’t think that the time involved is a big deal if it is a problem at all, and second, I don’t think that it has to change the time settings at all.
Could have the official start of the 4th and final round at 5:30 pm, or a 6:00 pm. For some events have started the next rounds early, as nobody went down to the last few seconds on a time delay clock. As an organizer could have the players with the time delay use the 15 minutes between the most expired with a flat G/60 and the next round.
The reason for wanting the 15 minutes between rounds, as a number of times a person wants a bye in the round or withdraws from the event. I find it annoying, and so do the players – if the round has to be repaired. There is going to be a huge change in the recording of the results for the next events. As now having SwissSys then pairing cards, has made my work harder as the computer is not in the tournament hall. Being the backroom TD and the floor TD, just to run and do the pairings has cause a few errors.
Even if the players do use a delay clock for a G/60 (t/d5), both players still can be in time trouble with less then 15 seconds on a time delay clock. Starting the next round right after they get done is not fair for both players. If the round starts after they get done, they will have no break but the person they will meet will have a huge rest for the next round. For these players they can use the break to use the bathroom, or use the bathroom during the next round when their clock is running.
The other factor, if a time delay clock gets down to less then one minute. Should as a director watch the game to check on the problems that can happen in time trouble; or, be in the other room working on the pairings for the next round, only waiting for the outcome to make the pairings?
In any case, it will make it a longer day. I could have the rounds posted at 10am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm or 10am, 12pm, 2pm, 5pm. It will force players to play much faster, just to keep up with the round times. Its’ also a red flag for the players, that the director is going to have the time delay clocks set at G/55 (t/d5) for a G/60 event. If you are a player that wants to use you’re time delay for the endgame. It will force you to use the bathroom in the next round when the clock is running, as you’re going from one game to the next without a break.
Maybe things are different in Michigan. I’ve never had a player complain of starting a round late when I wait for 5 minutes before starting the next round. That should be plenty of time to go to the bathroom.
In tournaments with longer time controls, G/120 or longer, I generally give all players at least 15-30 minutes to rest between rounds, even if I have to start one or two games later than the rest. Again, I’ve never had any problems with this.
The things that are discussed above have simply never been problems in my experience.
Doug is the king of hypotheticals. What he says does not necessarily represent Michigan.
In a nutshell, Doug is trying to say that if a director/organizer is not planning on subtracting for time delay, that needs to be accounted for in the scheduling of the event.
A little over a year ago, I played in a 6 round Action tournament. The rounds were scheduled just a little more than an hour apart, but the TD choose not to subtract for delay. Sure enough, every round had games that went the distance causing every subsequent round to be later than scheduled. The last round started about hour late and there were complaints about how late the tournament ran.
Bingo. I’ve never been to a tournament that had a round start on time, as planned. But I think Doug just likes to post things on here just to here himself type. It’s getting annoying, and most things he writes isn’t shocking news.
Wish to make it clear to everyone, I’ve never been a elected or appointed officer of the Michigan Chess Association. I’ve never been a chief tournament director or assistant tournament director of any Michigan Chess Association events. The Michigan Chess Association, when they do have an event, are one of the best events in the state. When the use of hypotheticals are used, they have happen in my events as chief tournament director, or issues that have happened when talking in general terms with players.
With the issue of time delay needing to be an issue, for the scheduling of the rounds. Its’ to be an issue for anyone, it does not matter if the organizer or director is in Alaska or Florida, Hawaii or Maine. When someone that wants to use the time delay, and both players are in the final seconds. Would find it being rude to the players, to tell them right after the round, the pairings are up and pack up and move to their new board and challenger. When players ask when the next round starts, do not want to tell them right after the last game. They want to know the start time, so they can go outside the building and smoke if they want or whatever.
Sure you have plenty of time to go to the bathroom, I’ll just start you’re clock (if paired up with you). The reason why players want a G/60 (t/d5) then the G/55 (t/d5) for a G/60 event – so they can use that time during the critical endgame. If going from one round to the next, then needing to use the bathroom when you’re clock is running for the first move. Could find 5 minutes or more off you’re clock on the first move, so without a director/organizer making the corrections for time delay – you would have wasted that critical time during time trouble.