I need a clock with 60 minutes plus 30 second increments. I have an Excalibur but it does not list that time control. Also, I am not sure if I can make it do this using the USER settings. Two questions:
(1) Can anyone explain how to set an Excalibur clock for this time setting?
(2) What clocks offer this time setting?
I don’t know of any clocks that has this time control set as it’s not standard (however I do like the time control).
Since I don’t use the Excaliber clocks I can’t tell you how to set it. However I can for the DGT North American clock if you want to pick up one of those.
You’re going to love this answer. The original Excalibur clocks couldn’t handle a 30 second increment. The Excalibur Game Time II may or may not be able to handle this setting, depending on when it was made. Apparently, it originally only handled increment/delay up to 19 seconds. When 30 second increments became FIDE standard, they changed it, without changing the name of the clock. Personally, I’d consider that a big enough change to warrant calling it the Game Time III, but Excalibur apparently thought it was more important to confuse people.
I don’t have my clock in front of me, so I can’t give you specific directions. The instructions for the clock used to be on the Excalibur web site, but now that they’ve gone out of business, I’d assume that site is gone. If you still have the instructions that came with your clock, just search for the word “FIDE” anywhere in them. If it’s not there, then your clock is too old to handle the 30 second increment.
When I get home later, I’ll look at my Excalibur clock and give you step by step instructions if you still need it by then.
The new DGT North American timer, option 14, manual set. Set the time period, set the increment.
The new DGT North American timer will handle 60+30 seconds. Option 14, manual set. Set the time period, then set the increment.
Well, I learned thngs I did not know. That’s the good news. I noticed I could not add 30 seconds so I must have the older model. Also, it does not add incremental time. It delays. I never did like that feature in tournament play, but I’m told USCF agreed to that standard. Not trying to be negative but there were probably kickbacks involved when USCF was in financial distress. If the tournament announcement says time is to be added I believe that is exactly how all the clocks should operate. I don’t believe I’ve EVER seen a tournament announcement stating “DELAY”.
For those curious, the 30 second increment is one of Frank Berry’s ideas. He and the organizers of the Red River Shootout match on April 18th have made that a requirement. As all serious chess players know, the REAL Red River Shootout is a series of annual matches between the most fanatical chess players in Oklahoma and Texas. World Champion and top ranked Texas leads the series 5-2 despite playing on the road five out of the past seven contests.
So, I guess I need to look for a new clock. Many thanks to all who responded.
I’m pretty sure the older Excalibur clock could do both delay and increment. You have to turn on delay for either, but there’s a separate feature to add the delay time back on to the clock, which makes it an increment. But the limit was 19 seconds, because they didn’t leave room for digits bigger than 1 in the first position of the two digit number of delay seconds.
As for delay in USCF tournaments in general, I think it’s a great idea. Because it’s possible to always keep playing without timing out, the outcome of every game will be decided by the position on the board, not the position on the clock. It’s not mentioned in tournament announcements, because it doesn’t have to be. It’s assumed that you’ll always use delay. Only a tournament that doesn’t allow delay would have to say so in the tournament advertising, because that would be non-standard to current USCF rules. And I’m sure I’m not the only person who would refuse to attend such a tournament.
I actually like the FIDE standard 30 second increment even more, but I understand why it would be difficult to make that standard. The lengths of games couldn’t be estimated as accurately in advance, so it would make tournament scheduling nearly impossible.
Any time control saying d(#) such as G/90d5 has a delay of that number. Currently the assumed standard for any sudden death (SD) is to have delay unless otherwise specified, and for that delay to be 5 seconds for G30 or more.
That’s a bit too conspiracy-minded. But it is true USCF was promoting delay (non-cumulative addback), while in other world locations increment (cumulative addback) was being pushed. It was also true USCF was partnering with Excalibur to produce the “official” USCF clock. So the old-old, original Excalibur featured delay only, not increment.
Delay is virtually never mentioned in USCF tournament announcements because it is the default. If the event is advertised as G/120, it will actually be played at G/120 d/5 (or possibly G/115 d/5).
Delay, rather than increment, is still used in about 90% of USA tournaments, but increment is slowly gaining ground in some slower events. My own feeling is that a 5-second delay is appropriate for controls of 90 minutes or faster, while a 30-second increment is better for 150 minutes or slower. 120 minutes (e.g. 40/90 then SD/30) is on the fence.
Bill Smythe
My Excalibur has the 30 second increment option.
While clicking through the setting options there will be an “Accum” setting that can either be “ON” or “OFF”. The default is “OFF”. Turning this “ON” gives an “F” in the normal display where the delay time is normally seen. I believe this “F” stands for FIDE, as in time control or increment.
The Excalibur clock was the first USCF official delay clock. In fact in 1996 (May or June) when it came out it was the only delay capable clock for a bit of time. I know, I bought it when it first came out.
Thankfully, mine does also. I reviewed the users manual and found the accum feature. I have it running now and displaying the additional seconds.
Corey at USCF Sales was kind enough to send me materials on three others offering 60 + 30:
“The 30 second increment, as the FIDE/international standard, is best served by the official clocks of FIDE, made by the company DGT. We offer three of their tournament models (XL, 2010, & NA [North American]), each of which has slightly differing modes for accessing their increment settings. I would personally recommend either the 2010 or the NA. The 2010 is the “professional” clock, used at most FIDE events & has the most setting configurations, but is a little more complicated & costly. The NA is a little more streamlined, but would be easier to set to one specific time control (like the one mentioned in your email) and is less expensive.”
So, I hope this is helpful and many thanks to all who responded. As for myself, I am preparing for RRSO VIII on April 18th. As all serious chess players know, the REAL Red River Shootout is a series of annual matches between the most fanatical chess players in Oklahoma and Texas. Texas leads 5-2 despite playing on the road six out seven contests. We hope you can join us and if not there is still time to move to Texas.
Related trivia from Wikipedia:
Fischer clock
In 1988, Fischer filed for U.S. Patent 4,884,255 for a new type of digital chess clock. Fischer’s clock gave each player a fixed period of time at the start of the game and then added a small increment after each completed move. The Fischer clock soon became standard in most major chess tournaments. The patent expired in November 2001 because of overdue maintenance fees.
In Oklahoma our favorite chronos setting for the add-on feature is CH-P5. I remember this as “Calif HiWay Patrol - 5” Using a 30 sec add-on usually means full score-sheets and non-frantic chess at the end. We prefer to set the chronos with a stop and beep at end. The only way to lose on time (with 30 sec add-on) is to totally forget to punch your clock.
The DGT 2010 and DGT NA also can remind you to move because they have a beep (sound-on) option that beeps at 10 sec, and at 5-4-3-2-1… you’re down!
Because the above settings are impartial and favor neither player at the beginning of the game we think they’re legal. At least in Oklahoma. 
Perhaps legal, but very annoying, I would think. I wouldn’t want to hear that repeatedly if I were at the next board.
Alex Relyea
I think all sounds should muted because it’s the player’s responsibility to call his opponent’s flag. I do advocate a flashing light, however, because that does serve as the flag.
Today, I saw a photo of the Oklahoma Chess Team. I must say they look pretty formidable. I’m hoping to play with the fourth opponent from the left.
Alex, it’s a shame you moved away. Like all other serious players, I hope you are staying in touch with current events on the Oklahoma Chess Forum. 
Unless they’ve reversed their position on it since 2006, FIDE’s position is that clocks should make no sound whatsoever when the time control is reached.
For the REAL Red River Shootout on April 18th (RRSO VIII), we’ll have to go with whatever the two team captains and organizers decide. I favor no sound, but I don’t have the power to absolutely impose my will and crush all opposition. On the other hand and fortunately, RRSO VIII is not being run as a democracy because nothing would get accomplished in time. A consensus by a chosen few decides playing conditions with the result being a well run and competitive (at least in most years) event.
I concur that 5 sec delay is becoming somewhat of a standard; also, I like it and agree with its intent. But please tell me (unless this is too far afield of the topic) - what is the purpose of the 30-second delay? (Or, for that matter, a 15s delay?)
I believe that the concept - generally credited to (and even patented by) Bobby Fischer - had the intended benefit of taking the mechanics of physically making a move and hitting the clock out of the equation. In other words, if you were in an endgame where a player had already analyzed and knew what he was going to do (say, for a two-bishop mate) that this player wouldn’t have to use his perhaps very slim remaining time resources to physically make the moves. (That’s just one of many examples that could be made.) It results in the clock only “charging” the player for his actual thinking/analysis time, at least in principle. In this regard 5 seconds, or maybe even 3 seconds is adequate and appropriate.
But 30 seconds is an eternity when it comes to physically moving a piece and punching a clock - especially when trying to do so rapidly. So what is the intent?
To allow enough time that scorekeeping is required.
Good point - I had inadvertantly left out mention of scorekeeping. But I still think 5 seconds covers that need as well, or is at least much more appropriate than 30 seconds. In this thinking, of course, is the rule that the requirement for scorekeeping is relaxed if one player has less than 5 minutes remaining; nonetheless, I have been in that window (more often than I’d like at admit) and with the 5 second delay I am still, in most cases, able to continue scorekeeping. In any event, 30 seconds seems to me quite excessive for that purpose.