As the director can take back time for 1 minute for each 1 second on time delay, how would the time delay take back and standard time delay stand. For this theory will use the most common mixed time control used at large tournaments like the Michigan Open – a time control of 40/2 and SD/1, or in minutes 40/120 and SD/60. The federation did make it clear of the time take back for one time control, never made it clear for a mixed time control; if the process for the mixed time controls are equal to one time control then a 40/120 and SD/60 would be equal to 40/115 (t/d 5) and SD/55 (t/d 5).
If 40/120 = 40/115 (t/d 5), then under time delay both players would need to make 40 moves during the first time control. With making 40 moves, and gain 5 seconds for each move would give both players add back of 200 seconds (40 moves times 5 seconds = 200 seconds / 3 minutes and 20 seconds); as they need to make 40 moves for this time control and the director takes back 5 minutes from the clock and they make 40 moves and gain back only 3 minutes and 20 seconds – then both players would lose 1 minute and 40 seconds. During the first time control 40/120 = 40/115 (t/d 5) or 40/118.2, true a time delay clock would lose 100 seconds.
If SD/60 = SD/55 (t/d 5), then both players on the second time control would need to make 60 moves during the second time control to be equal to SD/60 ( 60 moves times 5 seconds = 300 seconds / 5 minutes). During the first time control both players lost 1 minute and 40 seconds or 100 seconds, during the second time control both players would need to make 60 moves to have the same amount of time used as players with just SD/60. If the players with 40/115 (t/d 5) and SD/55 (t/d 5) would need to make 120 moves to be equal with time with the players that have 40/120 and SD/60.
If 40/120 and SD/60 = 40/120 (t/d 5) and SD/60 (t/d 5), then the players that have time delay would have (40 moves times 5 seconds = 200 seconds / 3 minutes and 20 seconds) 3 minutes and 20 seconds extra during their first time control – would make 40/120 = 40/120 (t/d 5) or 40/123.2.
Can understand the chess players that love the time delay clocks, they are a nice chess clock and know they would want in this mixed time control of 40/120 and SD/60 be equal to 40/120 (t/d 5) and SD/60 (t/d 5), as the players that have time delay would gain 3 minutes and 20 seconds during the first time control, with both players that would on the first time control make the rounds take and extra 6 minutes and 40 seconds. If the director does take the 5 minutes off the clocks, then the players that used time delay would need to make 120 moves to be equal to the players that do not use time delay. Would love to talk to the player that used time delay under 40/115 (t/d 5) and SD/55 (t/d 5) that lost on time after making 40 moves; just to tell the player if he did not use time delay he would still had 5 minutes left on his clock, if it was 40/120 and SD/60.
Earnest,
Douglas M. Forsythe, local td
I’m pretty sure organizers who take off 5 minutes to compensate for the 5-second delay generally do so only in the first control. Thus, 40/120, SD/60 becomes 40/115, SD/60 if the delay is in use.
This makes the first control 1 minute 40 seconds shorter for players using the delay, but makes the second control longer. This is fine, because the sudden death control is precisely the place where the time SHOULD be extended. Don’t forget, the main purpose of the delay is to reduce the undesirable effects of sudden death.
Bill Smythe
The rules are clear for one time control, take back 5 minutes for time delay of 5 seconds. The federation has not made it clear for one time control, has said nothing with two time controls. If one tournament can have 40/120 SD/60 be equal to 40/115 (t/d 5) SD/55 (t/d 5), or 40/115(t/d 5) SD/60 (t/d 5), or 40/120 (t/d 5) SD/55 (t/d 5) – then major tournaments would have players become more annoyed.
As the director does not have to inform the players before the start of round one, some players that use time delay would not know they would need to make 60 moves to gain back 5 minutes, or 120 moves to gain back 10 minutes, or gain 5 seconds per move. If the director does take time back on one time control: would it be the first time control or the second time control.
When the federation do come out with the 6th edition official rules of chess, the rule book would need some cross-tables on the accepted time back for one and mixed time controls. As it is set at this time way too much control is in the hands of the people that run the tournament; as a player needing to make 60 moves to make 5 minutes of time, or needing to make 120 moves to make 10 minutes of time, just to be equal with players that do not use time delay.
As a director would find having a 4/120 SD/60 be equal to 4/115 (t/d 5) SD/55 (t/d 5) as very cruel to the players that use time delay. Would use 40/115 (t/d 5) SD/60 (t/d 5), even that on the first time control the players would lose 100 seconds – during the second time control with a gain of 5 seconds, the players would need to make 20 moves to gain back the time from the first time control. With both players making their 60th moves would have gain back all time, as time delay is designed for the endgame with both players in time control.
If 40/120 SD/60 = 40/115 (t/d 5) SD/60 would take 60 moves to equal 5 minutes. As G/60 = G/55 (t/d 5) would take 60 moves to equal 5 minutes. If on the other hand 40/120 SD/60 = 40/120 (t/d 5) SD/55 (t/d 5), the both players on their first 40 moves would gain 5 seconds per moves to be on move 40 a gain of 200 seconds; move 41 to move 80 both players would lose 5 seconds per move for a total of 200 seconds – would make move 80 be equal to the players that never used time delay – after move 80 both players would gain 5 seconds till the end of the game. The more moves players make, the closer they come to time trouble: if players start to lose time after move 40 to move 80 then players would lose time when they could be in time trouble.
Earnest,
Douglas M. Forsythe, local td
This is one of the reasons why the 5th edition Rulebook strongly advises against deducting for time delay. The only practical reason for doing so is if your rounds are so close together that you will not otherwise be able to get the pairings done. If instead you want to argue that, with different amounts of time on delay and non-delay clocks, not everyone is playing under the same conditions, I agree – but I’m afraid train has left the station.
It is not correct to say that “the director does not have to inform the players before the start of round one.” What Rule 5.F(a) says is that “There is no requirement to advertise this option _in advance.” (Emphasis mine.) This just means that you don’t have to put it in the TLA/flyer. Later on the same page the TD Tip states, “Whatever option the director is using should be announced at the start of round 1.”
While 5.F does not explicitly state that time should be deducted only at the start of the first time control, this is obviously the intention. Resetting the clock after the first time control is a terrible idea, and should be done only if absolutely unavoidable. You cannot deduce a positive from the absence of a negative – the rules do not forbid a TD to wear a clown mask and paint himself blue, but common sense would dissuade most TDs from doing so.
If you got confused, the director does not have to give pre-warning of time take back untill the start of round 1. For my tournaments do inform the players in all information with the tournaments, for the sole reason the player would not want to go to my tournament for this reason. This could be the reason that directors would not inform the players before the tournament, as it could lose some players.
Time delay clocks are the new wave, analog clocks are not the majority of clocks at a tournament; can find analog clocks with the very new chess players and scholastic players. Strong players would use analog clocks, the growing norm would show the stronger players with a time delay clock. Then on the last round at board 1 having two masters use a BHB clock, would make me look at the clock more then the board.
The analog clocks will never go off the market, as some players only use a analog clock. In time analog clocks would be looked on as a novility not as the norm. In time the norm to take back time from a delay clock would not be used, as why take back time when all the boards have time delay. Could even say within the next ten years any tournaments would not have take back on a time delay clock, even when the 6th edition official rules of chess comes out, the theory of time take back would be old school. As more players are in the market for time delay clocks then analogs would only be a novility.
Earnest,
Douglas M. Forsythe, local td
Doug,
If you check the MCA website or the back of your July/August Michigan Chess, you’ll see that this issue has already been addressed.
Jeff
michess.org/tools/viewevent.php3?eventID=736
Jeff:
Thanks for the information on the Michigan Open. Should be up for one of your tournaments this Summer. Hope to see you at the Jackson Action V and Jackson Quick Championship on September 18.
Earnest,
Douglas M. Forsythe, local td
I won’t be able to attend this one as I will be going to the Michigan football game that day. GO BLUE!!!