At the Dvorkovich Memorial, Maria Severina lost on time. chess-news.ru/en/node/10861
The clock was supposed to add 30min at move 40, but added the time at move 33.
Her opponent “flagged” her for not making the 40th move in time.
I ask the more experienced TD’s how they would have handled this situation.
Are there differences in how this should be handled by the TD/Arbiter in USCF and FIDE events?
Let me quote the relevant part of the FIDE Laws of Chess:
I’d be temped to look at the clocks and say, “She still has time on her clock. Keep playing.” (6.10 a) Since he did not get the arbiter “immediately” (6.10 b) he lost the right to flag on the first time control.
I don’t understand the problem here. Frankly, I’m mystified by Ms. Severina’s complaint and by Mr. Scheible’s question. Certainly analog clocks as well as many Chronos settings add the secondary time control after the primary time control has expired, regardless of the number of moves made. That is hardly a mis-set clock. I guess I don’t understand what her opponent did incorrectly in this situation. She hadn’t completed 40 moves by the time that time was added to her clock, therefore she loses on time.
FIDE rules, the arbiter should have called her flag immediately rather than waiting seven moves to do it.
Alex Relyea
I’m sorry I did not explain it well – the time WAS added to her clock, but after move 33!
When she had made only 39 moves, her clock dropped below 30 minutes; so her opponent claimed she had not made the required number of moves in the allotted time.
This sounds as though the clock kept count of the moves internally, but did not display the move count. This, IMHO, is a disastrous combination. In this case there may have been some extra button presses (but 7 pairs of them?) due to prior illegal moves or something, so the clock thought move 40 had been reached.
That’s one thing I like about the Chronos brand. It never keeps track of the move count without displaying it. In some modes it displays the move count and uses it to add time after the first control. In other modes it neither keeps track of the move count nor displays it, instead adding time only after the first time period (90 minutes or whatever) has run out.
Bill Smythe
Unless the clock can be proven to be defective, the correct ruling was made.
Move counters should not be used as they cause more problems than they solve. At the 2011 USATE first place was decided when a player relied on the move counter over his own score sheet. It was discussed in these forums at the time.
In the example given here the player did not make 40 moves but trusted the clock. How many moves were written on her score sheet?Clearly it was less than 40 or she would have had proof she didn’t overstep. While this was not a USCF event, the USCF’s rule is rather clear. If you trust the move counter, you do so at your own peril.
So if the primary time control expired at her move 33, should the clock have stopped and waited until move 40 before adding the secondary time? Of course not. If the 30 minutes was added at move 33, it means the primary time control had expired and the player had not made the required number of moves so she lost on time.
It would appear that if the clock was not defective, it was either set or used incorrectly.
In either event, it is far from clear that this clock was compliant with FIDE rules.
Rather than guess, I got out my DGT clock (which is what they were most likely using) and set it for a primary time of 1 minute and set the move counter to 9 with a secondary time of 1 minute. If I made 9 moves before the 1 minute expired, the second minute was added. If time expired before 9 moves, the clock stopped and flagged without adding time. So it would seem the clock in question was either set improperly to add time at move 33 instead of 40, or was defective.
What seems clearly to have happened was that she actually flagged on move 33. The clock (I think correctly) went into the second time control rather than freezing—it’s not the clock’s job to make sure of the move count; that’s up to the players. As Alex Relyea pointed out, that’s exactly what happens with an analog clock----it just keeps on ticking. As long as the opponent called the “flag” (pointed out that she was on the secondary time control) before she made completed her 40th move, she loses. If she gets her 40th in and hits the clock, she’s safe. So she actually got in six free moves to possibly affect the outcome of the game after she had flagged. And she’s complaining?
With this summary, I hereby claim end of thread. 
Slight correction to the part I bolded.
It wouldn’t be until the opponent had hit the clock starting her 41st move that she would be safe. Until then the clock would show that she had failed to make 40 moves within the allotted time.
Correction noted. Shows you how long it’s been since I had to deal with anything other than a G/xx time control.
At the risk of belaboring the point, the original post suggested the clock was set incorrectly. The only way the clock could have done what it did was to have the move counter turned off and it simply added the secondary time when the primary time ran out. If the move counter was set to require 40 moves in the first time period, if time ran out at move 33 it would have flagged and halted. (At least if it was a DGT clock). I suppose it could have been set to add secondary time at move 33 (or 32) which in fact would have been incorrect. A real problem occurs when no counter is in use, and the time runs out just as move 40 say is being made but before the clock is punched to indicate a completed move. Then the person making the move will look at the score sheet, see 40 moves, and see extra time on the clock. The point is that if there is secondary time on the clock when the 40th move was made, it wasn’t complete and the person should lose on time. The analogy with the analog clock is exactly correct. DGT and Chronos clocks show a flag to indicate they are in the secondary time period, which is like the flag fall on an analog clock.
It is also possible that the clock malfunctioned and miscounted the moves.
I believe the situation was essentially this:
After determining her 33rd move, she had some 20 minutes on her clock. Then she pressed her clock, and it went to 50 minutes. Similarly, her opponent’s time was also increased by 30 minutes when he pressed his clock after his 33rd move.
Before pressing the clock after her 40th move, her clock went below 30 minutes. That is when her opponent summoned the arbiter, who awarded him a win on time.
Just a point about DGT clocks. I always set the number of moves in the time control to zero. That way the clock does not count the moves but adds the time of the secondary time control once the primary time control goes to zero. As others have stated, you don’t want the clock counting moves. That only leads to trouble.
Mike Regan
I played in a tournament in September where the time control was 40/90 SD/30 inc/30. All the clocks were organizer-supplied DGTs. In each of my games that went past move 40, the clock added time after move 40.
So the clock was counting moves, but I never saw a visible display of the move count. Either it wasn’t there, or it was in tiny print in the corner of the screen or something, and I didn’t notice.
Now, I’m not one of those who rails against move counters. As a player, I like the clock to count moves, and to add time at move 40, rather than only after the initial time block has run out.
It bothers me, though, that a clock would count moves internally, yet not display the move count. Down that road is where the real trouble lies.
In a tournament where the players furnish the clocks, IMHO the TD should not prohibit the use of the move counter, in any game where the players choose to use it. The TD is there for the players, not the other way around. If the move counter causes a little extra work for the TD every now and then, so be it – just deal with it.
Does anybody know of a way to set the DGT to actually display the move count?
Bill Smythe
The only way to check the move count is to press the +/# button which shows the move count.
Richard
In the middle of the game? With the clock still running?? I wouldn’t want to do that. My opponent might think I was trying to fudge the clock time or something. Most players (if the organizer is supplying the clocks) would likely not even be aware of this option.
That’s one reason I prefer the Chronos. When its move counter is turned on, it’s not only on, it’s displayed.
Bill Smythe
We’re still not getting to a good answer.
Let’s work with this scenario:
None of the above facts are disputed be either player. How would you rule?