Here is April’s 2025 column a day early! This time around I ask questions that have been on my mind.
2 Likes
This one is my favorite:
" What rule states that if a chess warrior initiates a forced checkmate variation that it is a win, even if the flag falls before the variation finishes? If time runs out before checkmate can be delivered by an adversary, the game ends with a loss for them when you point out the flag fall."
Though if the only legal moves lead to positions where it is impossible for the opponent to win regardless of legal variation played, then you escape with a draw.
From a practical standpoint, if that fantasy was an actual rule then any kindergarten K+Q vs K that isn’t already stalemate could be won by the clueless K+Q player simply sitting on the position waiting flag to fall. That would not be good.
“Why do digital clock manufactures make it so difficult to set their timers ?”
I think this is largely a myth. Most digital clocks really aren’t that hard to set.
2 Likes
The reason for the “myth” of setting clocks being difficult is that there is no standardization from manufacturer to manufacturer. Once you know how to set one clock it is easy to do, but a different clock requires knowing how it’s different methodology works before you can set it. The Chronos is just one example of a clock that is a mystery to set if you don’t already know how to do it (the sequence the options come up, the initial setting option to use, etc.) but can be set very quickly by those who do know how to set it (I don’t). When the variety of digital clocks was small it was possible to know them all but that is difficult now. Carol Jarecki was well known for being able to set any digital clock but even she was occasionally tripped up when given a new clock on the market that she hadn’t seen before.
1 Like
Most of these would have been on my list. 
I also want to know why are analog chess clocks are still being made?
A pretty good selection, too - not all new old stock
I am a master strength spectator but only a B strength player (on a good day).
Digital Clocks:
Make Tap N Set the mandatory standard and problem solved 
I own about 40 different ones.
Most newer ones are set similar to DGT. Even DGTs have slight differences.
Chronos are indeed strange but not difficult – I remember someone selling his new one for $40 cause it was weird to set - I also knew someone who did not know how to set except for 5/0 blitz.
Those early wooden cased digital clocks were a bit of a pain – forget the brand name.
Most of our local tournaments provide clocks and all are single TC so we only need to know DGT NA and Leap PQ9907S and both of them are easy to learn – unfortunately DGT NA freezes for increment.
When folks use to bring their own they would always be asking the TD to set them - got to the point where I joked that we should have price list for the service (with surcharge for certain clock brands)