digital chess clocks at time control

Running Chess Tournaments
1

Testing a few of my chess clocks, I have summarized their “features” regarding the “flag” or signaling device for the end of a time period or control. If anyone has other models or brands, further information or corrections, please feel free to add to this thread. This thread is meant to be information only, not a discussion of merits.

Game Time and Game Timer II
Delay available on all time controls
Picture of a “Flag” and a bright red light to for time expiration. Beep available.
Freezes opponent’s time if setting has CLAIM = “ON”
Opponent’s time continues with CLAIM = “OFF”

DGT 2000 +:
Delay (Bronstein) available on single SD control only
Flashing “~” at time expiration
Freezes opponent’s time

DGT XL
Same as DGT 2000, except
Bronstein available on “Guillotine” (SD) portion only of multiple controls, or on single SD control

Precision+ (green):
only 5 second delay available, only one SD control available
Very large 0:00:00 display, flashing at time expiration.
opponent’s time continues to run

Dual Timer +:
Delay available on all time controls
displays steady :00 at time expiration; Beep available
opponent’s time continues to run

Chronos: I do not own a Chronos, so please correct or complete. Info from other threads and web site.
Delay available on all time controls
Displays 0:00:00 at time expiration, Beep available
Freezes opponent’s time if setting has HALT AT END = “ON”
Opponent’s time continues with HALT AT END = “OFF”

Saitek and Saitek II: I do not own a Saitek, so please correct or complete. Info from other threads and web site.
Delay (Bronstein) available on single SD control only
Displays 00:00 flashes and LED flashes at time expiration + large alarm clock symbol, Beep available
Freezes opponent’s time

Other comments:
DGT and Saitek models do not display seconds until lower time remaining (20 or 10 minutes or less), and do not have delay available from start of game if set for multiple time controls. Therefore, to use as a “standard” clock in USCF play, primary control needs to be set as a single SD control (with delay) and reset for 2nd control.

2

Not all the Chronos modes have delay available. With 70 modes, there is a accepted mode for anyone. The halt-at-end, ‘0’ for both clocks not to freeze, ‘1’ if you want the clock to freeze. For some modes the display will show 0:00:00 or 00:00 or 0:00 for the display at time expiration, it is up to the mode that is set. With the Chronos Blitz, it will show 0 at time expiration.

3

This is good info to have – thanks!

What about time expiration at the end of the first control of a two-control tournament?

Of course, if the clock is not counting moves, it has no way of knowing whether there has been a time forfeit when the first control runs out. In this case, I assume all clocks will simply proceed to the second control.

For clocks with move counters, it would be interesting to know whether “halt-at-end” also means “halt-at-control”.

My older Chronos, which lacks the halt-at-end option, seems to have a “halt-temporarily-at-control” feature in its move-counting modes. If a player’s time expires at move 35, his clock will remain at 0:00:00 until move 40, at which time the extra hour is added and his clock resumes running. (I am assuming 40/120, then game/60.)

By the way, which clocks even have move counters at all? Is it just the Chronos and the Excalibur?

Bill Smythe

4

Bill:

Set up the Chronos with the halt-on, with a second time-control mode. Done let the flag fall without making the number of moves for the first time-control. The clock did freeze during the first time control. The Chronos will not let the owner or the director, re-set the clock with the halt-off when the clock is active. It will only let the owner or the director changes the time, not the halt function. If the move-counter is wrong and the scoresheet is correct to prove the first time-control has been made. In that case, the Chronos would be erroneously set. The only way the clock can be used again, would program the clock with the official time left

5

i guess its time i joined the crowd and went digital. i was looking at the DGT XL, but after learning it has no “true” delay (has bronstein instead which is almost identical) i decided not to get it. also learned from the first post in this thread that it has no bronstein for the whole game, only for SD. for such an expensive clock i thought it should have all those options.

dont like the chronos (just personal preference and also heard its not the easiest to set up)

so im thinking of the excalibur game time II. can someone tell me if this has the delay add back. i can see that it has what is called ACCUM, which adds a certain number of seconds after each move (used in fide tourneys). this is a bit different than the fisher delay correct???

also, does the game time II offer to have delay in the SD time control only and not in the primary and secondary time controls?

and is it sturdy. ive played with a few in regular touneys, but can they withstand blitz and situations where its buttons are hit hard and fast?

im just worried about the old saying, “you get what u pay for”. at $33 it seems like a really good deal, but will it last?

6

The buttons are a problem, some of the buttons will come off. It is not that hard to place them back on. After a number of times the button has a hard time to stay on, as plastic on plastic does grind onto each other, after some time not a strong fit.

7

Racerx wrote:

Actually, “Bronstein” and Delay ARE identical in function, they just LOOK different.

ACCUM and Fisher are the same. Neither of these are "DelaY’.
But the GameTime II has all the features you need. The screen is a bit crowded, but very usable.

In addition to the time (including seconds, throughout) it also displays the move counter and the actual delay countdown. Delay is available for the whole game, including multiple time controls. The clock was designed specifically for the USCF rules, and is very good that way.
Your concerns about reliablity, however, is a good one. I would not use it for blitz. I have an original gameTimer, and I thik it is rather flimsy. I understand the II is much better, but it is all plastic.

8

Racerx wrote:

Actually, “Bronstein” and Delay ARE identical in function, they just LOOK different.

ACCUM and Fisher are the same. Neither of these are "DelaY’.
But the GameTime II has all the features you need. The screen is a bit crowded, but very usable.

In addition to the time (including seconds, throughout) it also displays the move counter and the actual delay countdown. Delay is available for the whole game, including multiple time controls. The clock was designed specifically for the USCF rules, and is very good that way.
Your concerns about reliablity, however, is a good one. I would not use it for blitz. I have an original gameTimer, and I thik it is rather flimsy. I understand the II is much better, but it is all plastic.

9

for 40/120; G/60 as and example

GameTimer:
Adds the hour at move 41
If overstep, posts flag, red light on. opponents clock continues to run.
if play continues (as if one would not notice that bright light) adds hour at move 41, but flag and light do not go off.

DGT:
As posted above, the DGT is not delay capable for first TC. must set for 40/2 hours, then, at move 41, must manually reset.
If not using delay, freezes both clocks when one oversteps, adds an hour at move 41 and resumes.

Saitek:
I do not own a Saitek, but I am pretty sure it functions like the DGT in this respect.

Chronos: see Doug’s description, above.

Duel Timer: (display is all minutes and seconds)
With “Beep” on, adds 60 minutes at move 41.
With “beep” off, adds 60 minutes when first time expires (0:00). This can be a bit confusing in the SD time control as if one player has 65 minutes left in, and the other player has 5 minutes, both clocks will show 5:00, so you don’t know which one is in time trouble (presumably the players know!)

Precision:
Your basic countdown clock, displays seconds throughout. Switch on bottom activates 5 second delay. The best way to set this one os for 3:00:00 hours. Primary TC expires when one clock reads 0:59:59

10

If you don’t like the Chronos, get the Excalibur GameTime II. It is full-featured, and much nicer than the original GameTime.

Don’t assume that plastic means a short life. I have seen Chronos clocks that have been dropped. They don’t fare well, either.

Bill Smythe

11

I said:

and I misspoke.

Adds hour at move 41, and light and flag DO go off if CLAIM is OFF. That’s what I get for relying on memory.
If CLAIM is ON, light and flag do NOT go off.
(I would recommend usig claim OFF)

Displays minutes until less than 10, then minutes and seconds, but also continuously displays the move counter and counts down the delay. Very nice features. Note, it is also easy to change the move count.

As far as reliability, I should counter my own statement. The plastic case makes it feel and look cheap, but I have not heard any major complaints regarding its reliability. Perhaps it just looks that way. Mine is working fine, but then I don’t use it much.

12

The last time I had a primary time control flag situation (45/90, 30/60) with the Exacalibur the light and flag finally went off about move 50 (my opponent was eight full moves short of a complete scoresheet when I flagged and thus could not claim the win).

13

i read thru the thread and dont think i saw the anser to this. i know the excaliber can be set to delay on 1st, 2nd, & SD time controls. can it be set for only the SD and not the 1st and/or 2nd time controls???
thnx again.

14

I have no idea, but why would you want to do that? The rulebook strongly advises against it. “Directors using this announced variation should expect a great deal of confusion due to challenges involved in properly setting an assortment of different clocks from a variety of manufacturers, all with diverse time control setting capabilities.”

15

No, not automatic.
the delay is either on or off, for the whole game, without manual resetting.

Of course, by the rules, you can’t do this either.

You can turn the delay on (or off) manually after the required number of moves (or any other time during the game, for that matter) – and it is easy to do. But why would you want to?

16

Who cares? That’s not legal, anyway (unless, I suppose, it’s announced in all pre-event publicity).

There are a whole bunch of reasons why having the delay only in the SD control is illegal (and would be highly inadvisable if legal):

  1. The “look and feel” of the game would change drastically from one control to the next, and from one tournament to the next. For example, a player could actually be in MORE time trouble with a few seconds remaining in the primary control than with a few seconds remaining in the SD control.

  2. In the primary control, the opponent might think the delay is on when it is not. This could result in unnecessary, acrimonious time-forfeit disputes.

  3. Depending how the clock determines the time control, one player could get the delay many moves before the other, especially if the clock is not counting moves. If white’s initial 2 hours runs out at move 43 while black’s runs out at move 57, then for 14 moves white has the delay but black does not.

  4. Player behavior tends to deteriorate when the player has only a few seconds, and no delay, to make several moves – knocking over pieces without replacing them, hovering over the board, using both hands, etc.

  5. A time-pressure situation with no delay can be highly distracting to other players in the vicinity.

Please, don’t even THINK about having the delay on only in sudden death.

Bill Smythe

17

It’s mentioned (unfavorably) on page 11 as an “announced variation.” I agree that it’s a poor idea.

18

There are a few organizers that like to spice up the time-controls. Having one time control without delay, and the second time control with delay – is a non-standard time-control. Not all chess clocks will grant the owner of the clock this set-up, as it is a non-standard time-control. It could force some boards to pick up the clock to re-set the clock. One of the goals of having digital clocks, as in some time controls the owner or borrower of an analog clock, has to pick up the clock to re-set the second time control. Picking up the analog clock to set the second time-control can be erroneously set. Having the owner or worse the borrower of a digital clock set the second time-control, the second time-control has a risk of being erroneously set.

19

ok, you’re all right not good idea to have delay in SD portion only. i think i’m going with the excalibur.

why would the DGT XL then not be able to do delay for all time periods instead of just SD. that seems like such a nice clock and almost everyone praises it. having to stop at 1st time control and having to reset it so that you can have delay the whole game doenst make sense. that clock is fide endorsed. is that the way fide rules indicate the delay should be used???

20

FIDE is like the HMS Titanic, on a one way trip. Not even the elected administrators know how to navigate the ship out of insidious waters, if the course is always the arctic circle.

The goal of having a digital clock, is to prevent the rule 16C2 being broken. In the case of an analog clock with the second time control not on the hour, the clock has to be picked up to be corrected. Directors are not anal with rule 16C2 with analog clocks. As the owner could have to pick up the clock, just to change the time. The director can follow the rule to the letter, it would make the director correct all the analog clocks if the second time controls have to be adjusted. It would be a waste of the directors’ time, and the players’ time as well. Digital clocks that set itself, do not have to be picked up by the players or the director.