G / 3 (t/d 2) = G / 5 ?

Running Chess Tournaments
1

The question on blitz with time delay, as blitz is now rated; the question with blitz is the statement that G / 5 can be rated with the argument that nothing less then G / 5 could be rated. The debate is this, as G / 30 or G / 25 (t/d 5) is still thought of as a classical rating even that the time control is below 30 minutes but has time delay; does this argument still the same if the director has a event for G /5 or G / 3 (t/d 2). Does having time delay with blitz still be ratable if the director informs the players they must take time off the clock because the owner has a time delay clock. As some directors make it a forced habit, if the owner of a clock has a time delay clock they must use time delay, even if they wish not to use time delay during the game.

As the director should demand that the owner of the clock that has time delay should take off time from the clock, like 5 minutes for 5 second delay (5 seconds into 5 minutes = 60 moves), 3 minutes for 3 second delay ( 3 seconds into 3 minutes = 60 moves), and 2 minutes for 2 second delay (2 seconds into 2 minutes = 60 moves). The tournament director can change the format for taking time off the clock if it has time delay from the classical rating from one too five minutes, for quick one to three minutes: nothing as reference for blitz. My view is this, nothing less then G / 5 even with time delay can be ratable; the debate that G / 3 (t/d 2) being equal to G / 5 is unclear. As G / 25 (t/d 5) is equal to G / 30 and still is ratable as a classical rating, or G / 7 (t/d 3) is still ratable as a quick rating but G / 5 with out time delay is ratable as quick. With the federation making the statement that nothing less then G / 5 can be ratable: the federation must make it clear on the subject with time delay and blitz.

Some directors use the argument about time delay should taking 5 percent off the clock, myself like the 60 move rule but still have strange questions for two time controls. My debate only use the question of one time control as blitz can only have one time control. The whole use for time delay, is not the problem with time delay with the opening or the middle game, time delay only has real need during the end game. After 60 moves the players are in the end game, only gives weight to the person with time delay that can win or draw the game with only very few minutes or seconds on the clock.

With time delay on a blitz game when the player takes off 2 minutes to be G / 3 (t/d 2), only makes the game of chess worst off for both players – as most chess games are over before 60 moves; blitz and slow chess are over before 60 moves. Even taking two minutes off the game five blitz, most players will have their flag fall before the 60 move. As a player would have to make 60 moves before they gain back the two minutes taken off the clock. Even with classical time take back of five minutes with 5 seconds as a delay most players with G / 30 or slower will not have there flag fall, with the time delay almost makes it more sure that the flag would not fall during time trouble. Time delay with classical time controls makes it more sure that the flag will not fall on the players, with time delay with blitz will makes it more common that the flag will fall.

Very sure that the director can not take time off the clock for a blitz game, even if it was sure that the director could, more games would be lost with time delay with a fallen flag – if the players are taken time off the clock. Myself would not grant or have time delay used in a blitz event, as G / 5 without time delay or G / 5 (t/d 2) only gives one board more time then a board without a time delay clock.

Before attacking the problem with G / 3 (t/d 2) being equal to G / 5, want the federation to clear up the issue with time delay and blitz.

Earnest,
Douglas M. Forsythe, local td

2

Personally, I wouldn’t play in a Blitz of less than 5 minutes, even with a delay, and, as a TD, I wouldn’t require time subtracted from G/:05. Remember, Douglas, the time subtraction is up to the TD, and indirectly at least, the players.

But to your question, the Rating Report form which you send in to USCF asks for the Time Control. It asks only for the Time Control, not if there was a delay present. So, as far as USCF would be concerned, in my opinion, the event would be rated as to whatever you put in the Time Control box.

It is up to you whether or not you want players to deduct time from their clock.

As to the “nothing as reference for blitz”, if you mean that USCF does not suggest a delay for Blitz, you are mistaken. USCF rule 5F states a 2 second delay for Blitz. If I misread your question, I am mistaken and apologize.

With player approval, the TD/Organizer can do just about anything he wishes. He can even advertise non-standard tournament playing rules in Chess Life. Players see the ad and determine whether or not they wish to play. The TD can (but shouldn’t) take off time for blitz chess.

Hope this helps,
-Terry

3

Myself would not let delay for a G / 5 blitz in my events, yes the federation does say blitz game of chess can have a two second delay on the clock. My personal problem with delay on a chess clock for blitz is that sending the time down to G / 3 (t/d 2) would place more players into time trouble then without the delay.

Having one board have G / 5 without a delay and a different board at G / 5 (t/d 2) would only reward more time to the owner of the clock that has time delay. The spirit of time delay was to make the players not have the problem with a flag that falls when they have a won game. With having a clock without time delay have for white a king of a2 and a pawn on b2, with black only have a lone king on c8; with white only having 20 seconds on the clock – only makes black sure of getting a draw out of the game as black does not have mating material. White is sure to get a draw if the flag falls but whit has a won game if there was not the problem of the clock. The reason for time delay of 5 seconds was to make sure that the play at the end of the time limit having the amount of time to make there moves.

With chess at G / 3 (t/d 2), would take both sides to make 60 moves before they start to gain any time from the game; with 60 moves into 5 minutes = 5 seconds per move or faster before the players start to gain any time for the blitz game. Do know sending in my report that the event would be stated at G / 5 and would be rated. Do know that the director can reduce the time off the clock for classical and quick, even that blitz is a different theory as blitz is rated as quick rating but have two different time delays for quick of (t/d 3) and (t/d 2).

With the very little that the USCF rule book deals with blitz, as only two pages still leaves a great deal of unclear statements on the subject of blitz.

Earnest,
Douglas M. Forsythe, local td

4

Douglas,

Let’s consider normal tournaments, ran as closely to current USCF rules as possible. These tournaments can be Blitz, Quick, Regular.

My take on your points, in order of your last post:

  1. You don’t have to reduce the primary time control for any time control, be it Regular, Quick or Blitz. You may set a 2 second delay in a 5 minute Blitz tournament without reducing the time control to G/:3. You just don’t have to do it.

  2. It is my opinion that players have a right to expect that a tournament will be ran according to USCF’s Official Rules of Chess, unless notice to the contrary has been announced in advanced publicity. Therefore, a delay, in my opinion, for all Sudden-Death time controls, including Blitz, should be used. As an alternative, you may (in my opinion, must) allow 14H claims for those players not using the delay clock.

A reason, in addition to the ones you mention, for the delay clock is to allow the players to come to a decision on 14H claims without having the TD intervene. Many TDs, particulary those of less playing experience/strength as the combatants, are uncomfortable in making rulings based on tough 14H claims. Thus, one more reason for the delay clock.

You are absolutely correct that some inequity exists when not all players have equal access to standard equipment. This, however, is a player’s responsibilty. Every tournament player should expect to own and bring his/her own standard equipment.

  1. Yes, Blitz chess is technically rated under the Quick system. There isn’t any difference, however, in the rules, exept for the standard delay.

  2. USCF’s rules for Blitz are fairly clear to me. The preface to the rules, on p. 290 states that “The following USCF Blitz rules are intended to be as similar as possible to regular USCF rules in order to minimize confusion. Regular USCF rules for sudden death play apply also to Blitz.”
    A lot has been written here on this topic, and I hope that I understand your concerns correctly. Forgive me if I’m not answering precisely.

Regards,
Terry Winchester
evansville (IN) chess club[/b]

5

There are two separate issues here. By how much time CAN the main control be reduced, to compensate for the delay? And by how much SHOULD it be reduced?

For regular-rated games with a 5-second delay, reducing the main control by the full 5 minutes seems about right.

For Quick-rated games with a 3-second delay, the story is quite different. Partially due to the lack of score-keeping, moves are often played before the initial delay period has been used up. For this reason, a reduction of 2 minutes, rather than 3, in the main control seems more appropriate.

The same is even more true of Blitz games with a 2-second delay. Here a reduction of 1 minute, rather than 2, has that “just right” feeling.

Doug Forsythe points out that game/3 d/2 works out to less time, in most cases, than game/5 d/0. The same is not so true, however, of game/4 d/2. Here, only “miniature” games – those where time is not critical to begin with – are likely to be allotted less total time with the delay than without.

As to the issue of different controls for different players due to equipment differences, it is the responsibility of the players to furnish proper equipment. In almost all cases, and especially in the cases that matter most, game/4 d/2 allows more time than game/5 d/0. A player who flags because he does not furnish a delay clock deserves his fate – there is no need for the TD to fret over it.

Bill Smythe

6

If as a director can set the clock to G / 5 (t/d 2) being equal to G / 5 without delay – then the players are rewarded for each move on the clock. For each 30 moves the players gain 1 minute on the clock ( 2 seconds into 60 seconds = 30 moves), would the players at board A be happy if they have G / 5 when the players at board B have G / 5 (t/d 2), knowing that every 30 moves both players gain 1 minute on the clock.

The goal of taking time off the clock was for the director be able to get the next round off or the final round finnished for the prize fund. If a director has G / 60 and G / 60 (t/d 5), as one or two games will go down to the last few minutes. If a player only use G / 60 on his clock for a 4 round event, when making G / 60 and G / 60 (t/d 5) be and some players play down to the end of the game with 60 moves or more (60 moves X seconds = 5 minutes) With two players and four ronds be (2 players X minutes = 10 minutes, 10 minutes X 4 rounds = 40 minutes). Not that many players that only have a clock without time delay, would want to spend 40 minutes plus at a tournament to get a prize fund.

Players know that the standard for classical time control is taken 5 minutes away from the clock, with quick it is 3 minutes taken away from the clock. As blitz is rated as a quick event can the director set the clock at G / 2 (t/d 2), G / 3 (t/d 2) or G / 4 (t/d 2). As the federation did say a quick event can take 1, 2, or 3 minutes off, as the blitz is rated as quick,
can a director say you have your event set at G / 2 (t/d 2)?

This is my problem the federation has not talked about taken time away from a blitz game and still be ratable, can a director even go as low as G / 0 (t/d 2) and still be ratable as blitz?

The reason for taken time away from a delay clock was for the directors and the players, as it is important to get the next round or the prize funds to end the tournament. Taken time away from a blitz clock is not going to give a problem for the next round or ending the event after the last game is finnished. During a blitz event it takes a number of minutes before the next round starts, as everyone games end around the same time, finding the next player and set up the board, what is so common in a blitz event that players use other players equipment. During the round robin would set up my board and clock, the players know they are not going to use their board and clock for all the games, knowing in some games would play with someone clock and board and we as players are not the owners and know that someone use my board and clock and know after the event take my board and clock home.

If you have a blitz event and use a house clock at G / 3 (t/d 2) you will find how fast the players have that clocked changed or they come to you and say change it.

Earnest,
Douglas M. Forsythe, local td

7

Have been thinking of this issue since it first came out in the 5th edition of the USCF rule book; then after the USCF made the judgement to let blitz chess be rated knowing the Michigan Chess Association blitz rules were lacking on the issue of the 2 second delay. In the past couple of days, having a debate in the USCF forms about blitz chess on the question of two second delay. As the Michigan Chess Association will be having the Michigan Blitz Championship in December, the question of time delay was never brought up with the Michigan Chess Association rules on blitz. My support is for the Michigan Chess Association will reject time delay on a blitz game, even that the the USCF supports a two second delay the director can reject time delay if announced in advanced.

As in any large tournament, some players will have a time delay clock and others will not.

If in a blitz event board A has G/5 without time delay and board B with G/5 (t/d 2), board B would gain one minute for each 30 moves they play in blitz ( 2 seconds x 30 moves = 1 minute); as most games of chess are between 30 and 60 moves for the games, a time delay clock would give board b 1 or 2 minutes added time then a clock without time delay.

If on the other had the director can shorten the time on a chess clock, the federation stated that blitz is rated as a quick event, the director can shorten the time on the clock from 1 to 3 minutes for a quick event.

If in a blitz event board A has G/5 without time delay and board B with G/4 (t/d 2), board B would need to make 30 moves (2 seconds x 30 moves = 1 minute), before the players would gain more time on the clock; as most chess games do take more then 30 moves, after 30 moves both players will start to gain more time then board A, that is set at G/5 without delay.

If in a blitz event board A has G/5 without time delay and board B with G/3 (t/d 2), board B would need to make 60 moves (2 seconds x 60 moves = 2 minute), before the players would gain more time on the clock; as most chess games do end before 60 moves, or after 60 moves both players will start to gain more time then board A, that is set at G/5 without delay.

If in a blitz event board A has G/5 without time delay and board B with G/2 (t/d 2), board B would need to make 90 moves (2 seconds x 90 moves = 3 minute), before the players would gain more time on the clock; as most chess games do end before 90 moves, or after 90 moves both players will start to gain more time then board A, that is set at G/5 without delay. As blitz is a quick event, the director can take 1, 2, or 3 minutes off the clock for a quick event; as the only difference is blitz is time delay 2 seconds and quick is time delay 3 seconds – as they are both stated as a quick event, the director could take 3 minutes off the chess clock. The difference with a G/10 or G/7 (t/d 3) vs G/5 or G/2 (t/d 2) is (2 seconds into 3 minutes/180 seconds = 90 moves) or (3 seconds into 3 minutes/180 seconds = 60 moves); most chess players have never had a recored rated game, being more then 90 moves, as a director can take up to 3 minutes off a quick event, as blitz is a quick event and the time delay for blitz is 2 seconds.

Have made my claim that the Michigan Chess Association reject having time delay at the Michigan Speed Championship in December. As this idea of having time delay in blitz is so opened ended, with G/5 (t/d 2), G/4 (t/d 2), G/3 (t/d 2) or G/2 (t/d 2): that the Michigan Chess Association Board need to admend the speed chess rules. With four different theories with time delay, most players would set their clocks at G/5 (t/d 2), would make the players at the board have a G/6 or G/7 game when the other board is set at G/5. The only reason for G/60 or G/55 (t/d 5), as it would be (5 seconds into 5 minutes = 60 moves), as time delay is only needed for the endgame, not the middle or opening. The reason for time delay is for the player(s) that are in time trouble, when they have a draw or won game, only have minutes or less then a minute on the clock.

Most players have been to a event when G/60 and G/60 (t/d 5) are equal, most players in a endgame will go past 60 moves making the round be longer then 10 minutes (60 moves x 5 seconds = 5 minutes / 5 minutes x 2 players = 10 minutes). If a 4 round event would be 40 minutes added to the event, someone without a delay clock and into the prize money have to be at the event 40 minutes longer because of time delay. If the director does take time off the clock for blitz does not do anything to shorten the time of the tournament, as the time taken to find the next player, or finding a place to find a board and clock, or use someone equipment that is not even the players own knowing that someone will use your equipment, just makes having time taken off a blitz event to be silly. Having more time on a blitz clock like G/5 (t/d 2) only rewards players with more time. If the director can have a G/60 be G/55 (t/d 5), how can a director be ethical to have G/5 be G/5 (t/d 2), the director cannot be ethical on one and ethical on the other when they both are in conflict.

The spirit of blitz, is to have the other players flag fall if you know they can win the game if they have all the time they want on a clock; with time delay, is to win the game of chess when you have little time left on your clock, with time delay to win the game of chess not lose the game because the flag fell.

My judgement, that the Michigan Chess Association should not have time delay be the standard at the Michigan Chess Associations Michigan Speed Championship. That the Michigan Chess Association Board should study the issue of time delay and admend the Michigan Speed Rules.

Earnest,
Douglas M. Forsythe, local td

8

No, no, no. USCF will not rate (even as Blitz) game/2 with a 2-second delay.

The organizer may reduce the main time, in minutes, by up to the delay time, in seconds. With a Blitz game played with a 2-second delay, this means at most 2 minutes can be deducted, i.e. game/3 (or slower). Just being quick-RATED does not change this.

As to some players having delay clocks and others not, this is not a TD concern. It serves the players right if they do not furnish preferred equipment.

Bill Smythe

9

Bill:

Anyone that has a Chronos clock knows that the time delay can go from 1 second to 9 seconds and other programs can go from 1 second to 99 seconds. So in theory the director can have a G/60 or G/54 (t/d 6) or G/51 (t/d 9). If you say that seconds must not be greater then minutes a director could have a G/5 at G/0 (t/d 5).

Earnest,
Douglas M. Forsythe, local td

10

Yes, I suppose this is a weakness in the rules as currently worded. It should be clear, however, that the intention was, that you cannot reduce the main time by more than 5 minutes regular, 3 minutes quick, or 2 minutes blitz, even if you are using a delay longer than 5 seconds, 3 seconds, or 2 seconds, respectively.

Bill Smythe

11

In Reply to:

Bill,

Where’s the “weakness in the rules”? You did not say that “seconds must not be greater then minutes”, did you?. I thought you said that the main time could be reduced in minutes by the amount of delay in seconds. There is a subtle, but distinct difference in the wording quoted above. As you have pointed out, the rules do not, suggest a delay of longer than 5 seconds.
Terry

12

I’m sure that, if anyone ever tries to run, say, a regular-rated tournament at game/20 with a 10-second delay, the Rules Committee will quickly come out with a “clarification” that says that the time deducted, in minutes, must be less than or equal to BOTH the actual delay time, in seconds, AND the default delay time, in seconds, corresponding to the tournament type (regular 5, quick 3, blitz 2).

Come to think of it, why don’t you run (and try to have rated) such a tournament, just to get the Rules Committee moving on this point? That would be an enormous public service.

Bill Smythe

13

With regards to the weirder time controls (e.g. G/20, td 10s), I’m sure the USCF could care less as long as it was advertised on all pre-publicity and the USCF got their rating report fee. USCF is here to serve promotion of chess. Obiviously if the players don’t want it, they just won’t come. If the players want it, great for chess! An additional point is for the TD to not confuse the rating report and report a G/20, td 10s as G/30 (assuming the players knew from the start it would be rated as such).

Ben Bentrup

14

Dear Ben:

The USCF will look at the rating report to see if it is a G/5, G/10, G/30 only looking to see if it is a quick or classical rating or both to rate. Then again the USCF policy board, or like the Michigan Chess Association do have special rules.

The reason for the director to cut down 5 minutes for 5 second delay, as most games will not be longer then 60 moves, only time delay is important during the endgame. As example G/60 or G/55 (t/d 5) or G/90 or G/85 (t/d 5), if the director never asked the players to take the 5 minutes off the clock, then the round could because of time delay add 10 minutes to the round. If you are a player, have a clock that does not have time delay in a 4 round event and know you are in the prize fund. Would knowing that you would have to spend 40 minutes more at the event to win a prize fund be accepted; or being the director having to spend 40 minutes more because someone gained that much time, or even a player that did use time delay that gotten done with his/her game then take it to the last seconds on the clock – that argument is not sound.

If you are the director and have a round at 1 pm, for a G/60 event you could have the next round at 2:15 pm, if you let G/60 (t/d 5) all the games could end at 1:10 pm, then given the director 5 minutes not 15 minutes for the parings, even then as it has time delay when both players do gain time after 60 moves could be played out longer then 1:10 pm. As it is a good practice to give all the players time between rounds for rest, the next logical time for the next round would be 1:30 pm. This was the reason to take time off the clock with someone that use time delay, was thinking of all the players not just the players that use time delay.

With blitz, most blitz events are round robin or double round robin. Saves the director time and effert to come up with the parings as everyone players everyone twice in a double round robin. After your first round, get up from the board, find the next player then sit down at your board or the players board or someones board that is not the ownership of both players. You both look down at the clock set at G/3 (t/d 2), will you change that time control or the other player first.

Earnest,
Douglas M. Forsythe, local td

15

Mr. Forsythe, I simply gave an example that responded to Bill Smythe’s post. It was a bit of a side-topic to this thread. But all of the concerns you address in the repost begun “Dear Ben” are irrelevant if the organizer, TD, and players are on the same page from the get-go, as I had stipulated in that hypothetical case that they were.

Some other points from your letter to address as if I WERE writing in the general and not the obviously hypothetical state.

1)The smallest: “delay only affects endgames.” Mathematically, certainly untrue, and I would even suggest that there is a small noticeable effect throughout the game, but for the most part, I, of course, agree.

  1. The USCF policy board has special rules regarding this? Can you please quote? I assume you refer to something outside the rulebook.

  2. I’m not sure what point you are trying to make about time-delay without time subtraction other than the fact that in some cases it seems to be annoying. If this is all, then, yes, obviously that is true. Obviously the organizer and director will know their limitations whether or not they can afford to subtract time or keep same; they simply decide which rule works best for them before the start of the tournament. So they are not hurt. Can a player show up to the tournament not knowing which the organizer is going to decide, and then have that 10/mns round cause a disastrous effect on his life’s schedule? I suppose potentially, but this can be mitigated if he calls and finds out what the organizer’s plans are.
    If we are concerned that the player will not be, as you say, properly rested, well, we can chalk that one up to the overall sporting tournament experience. Let the man prepare for the worst, and may the fittest win. The chess player who can handle the shorter rest breaks deserves to win (and personally I think that is much baloney but I’m a bad USCF expert to suggest that).

  3. With regards to blitz, to which I did not reply at all in my original, I will simply say that the director should just pick the option (time allowable)that he feels most players want. If he picks wrong, low attendance makes for an excellent teacher and he will pick correctly next time. No biggie. The point is to get the players happy.

Ben Bentrup

16

With the problem with time delay, as common knowledge for a time delay of five seconds to take five minutes off the clock, for a time delay of three seconds to take three minutes off the clock; if we have G/55 (t/d 5), if we say the player resigned the game at move thirty, the player used twenty minutes from the clock, if add the five seconds with thirty moves (5 seconds x 30 moves = 150 seconds / 2:30 minutes), would only be used from the clock 32:30 from the clock. As the player resigned the game, it does not matter that the player had or did not have time delay, a time trouble was not the factor for the player to resign the game. Time delay only matters when the player is in time trouble, as most player in time trouble have past the 60 move theory (5 seconds x 60 moves = 5 minutes).

With blitz, the object of blitz is to be in time trouble from the start. A player in blitz could resign the game, it is more rare then in the classical time controls. It is more common for the player to lose the game of blitz with checkmate, or the flag to fall. If in blitz that the moves could be counted, this player lose the game on move thirty when the flag fell. If it is set up at G/3 (t/d 2), we have three minutes plus the 2 seconds times 30 moves[ (3:00 minutes) + (2 seconds x 30 moves = 60 seconds / 1 minute) = 4 minutes], showing that a player that lost on time with a G/3 (t/d 2) only had 4 minutes on a G/5 event. If a player that plays blitz has the flag fall before they make 60 moves will always have less then 5 minutes of time on their clock. If a player has G/3 (t/d 2) and their clock falls before they make 60 moves they will always have less then 5 minutes on their clock, if they have G/5 (t/d 0) and their flag falls they will always have five minutes no matter how many moves they make if their flag falls. How can G/3 (t/d 2) be rated if both players have to make 60 moves before they get 5 minutes on the clock, as shown that at G/3 (t/d 2) with 30 moves the flag falls and the total time was 4 minutes and under G/5.

If you have one player use G/3 (t/d 2) and the other player G/5 (t/d 0), they both have used the same amount of time. If after 30 moves, one player flag fell (G/3 (t/d 2) = 0:00) the other player wins with showing 0:15 seconds when the clock was set at G/5 (t/d 0). So player A lost on time when the player used 4 minutes, the other player wins when used 4:45 minutes but have 15 seconds left on the clock, but they are both set at G/5, player A needed to use his moves to gain time.

Earnest,
Douglas M. Forsythe, local td

17

Perhaps an ICC help file can also shed light on the subject. I found it under “Bullet” and it introduces the concept of “etime” which is not used in USCF rulebook vocabulary.

The exact boundary between “bullet” and “blitz” is defined by “etime < 3”. etime is the time + 2/3 increment. So 3 0 is blitz. 2 0 is bullet. 2 1 is bullet. 2 2 is blitz. 0 4 is bullet. Etc. Bullet time control games count towards your bullet rating, not your blitz rating. <<

Of course, USCF uses 5 minutes instead of 3 as the cut-off point, but the principal still easily applies. And it makes lots of sense.

If you apply it to the 3 game mn, 2 time delay seconds boundary, we get (3 + two thirds of 2) = (3 + 4/3) = 4.33. Since this is less than 5 minutes, if ICC had adopted the number 5 instead of 3, then the time control of 3 + 2ds would be considered Bullet not Blitz.

Looks like you win this one, Mr. Forsythe, if ICC’s advice has anything to say about it.

Ben Bentrup

18

If we look it at G/3 (t/d 2), with each game of blitz can end in a flag fall. Blitz is played in a matter to keep the game going no matter if the player knows or understands they have a lost game – or the term busted when there the game is lost. It is the hope that the other player will make a illegal move when they leave their king in check after making the move, or that the player lose on time.

Resigning a game is not common in blitz but legal, the player could leave their king in check, ending the game after the player informs or removes the king, or the players flag falls. As blitz would have longer move counting as it is not common to resign, as in a classical time control the player could or would resigned the game on the 40th move but in blitz play on till checkmate or the flag falls. Even with that, a G/3 (t/d 2) would still need (2 seconds x 60 moves = 2 minutes), plus the 3 minutes from the start of the clock too have five minutes, as a player with G/3 (t/d 2) could have the flag fall before they make 60 moves would make the blitz game always be under five minutes. If the player was given G/5 (t/d 0) the player would have five minutes before the flag fell, then again they only have five minutes to make all their moves.

As it is always be knowed that someone in a G/3 (t/d 2) could have the flag fall before making 60 moves, then the player would have been in a game that gave the player less then five minute; as the player is given less then five minutes, because the player did not make 60 moves before their clock fell. If the player did have a clock at G/5 (t/d 0), then the player lost on time on move 30, or whatever move they made would not matter.

If you give board A G/5 (t/d 2) and board B G/5 (t/d 0), then leads to ethical problems. Board A, only have the total time of 10 minutes – if 10 minutes are used, then ten minutes both flags are down being a draw. Board B, as both plays gain time of 2 seconds for each move, after 10 minutes both flags are still up during the game. If both players have made 30 moves, they both gain one minute (2 seconds x 30 moves = 60 seconds/1 minute), making a G/5 become a G/6 event; if both players have made 60 moves, they both gain two minutes (2 seconds x 60 moves = 120 seconds/2 minutes), making a G/5 become a G/6 event.

As it is common standard that a G/30 or G/25 (t/d 5), is the fastist that can be accepted for a classical rating; what is called Quick standard the fastist is G/10 or G/7 (t/d 3) – the federation made it the standard to inform the members and the directors that G/7 (t/d 3) was quick rated even before blizt was accepted as blitz but under a quick rating.

This is my ethical problem, if accepting G/3 (t/d 2) knowing that a player could make less then 60 moves, and have their flag fall before they make fives minutes on the clock – the federation has informed myself, and other members that the federation will not rate any event that is less then five minutes. If having a player at G/3 (t/d 2) knowing they can have a flag fall and have made less then 60 moves how can as a director send in a tournament report knowing that some players did not have 5 minutes on the clock. If it is the standard for classical or quick rating to remove 5 minutes for a 5 second delay, or quick having 3 minutes for a 3 second delay. If making it at par of G/5 = G/5 (t/d 2) then how can that be equal to classical or quick when as a director can remove time.

Having a player G/3 (t/d 2) making it knowed they can make less then 60 moves and lose on time – being unethical as the federation states that nothing under 5 minutes is ratable. Or have G/5 and G/5 (t/d 2) be equal, can that be equal to the players that under quick or classical have the time taken off from the clock. This is my only way to find common ground and take care of my ethical problem, under classical time control if a player use time delay take 5 minutes off the clock with a 5 second delay; with a quick event take 3 minutes off the clock with a 3 second delay, with a blitz inform all the players that there will not be any time delay, only a flat G/5.

Earnest,
Douglas M. Forsythe, local td

19

Apparently, you have two concerns: (1) that game/5 d/2 in some games and game/5 d/0 in others is not equitable, and (2) that game/3 d/2 in some games and game/5 d/0 in others would not be rateable because game/3 is too fast.

Personally, I share neither of these concerns, because (1) players who do not furnish proper equipment do not deserve special consideration, and (2) I am absolutely certain USCF would rate game/3 d/2 as Blitz (Quick for now).

There is, however, a simple solution to BOTH problems, if you’re still concerned. Simply make it game/5 d/2 in games played with a delay, and game/7 d/0 in games without.

Better yet, make it game/6 d/0 in games without. In Blitz, 2 minutes off for 2 seconds on is overkill, since many moves will be played instantly, before the 2-second period is used up. 1 minute is more like it.

When the Chicago Chess Club existed a few years ago, we had Friday night blitz round robins at game/6 d/2, or game/7 d/0 if a delay clock was not being used. Any player who furnished a delay clock was given the right to insist on game/6 d/2 rather than game/7 d/0. This proved to be a popular feature, as attendance increased dramatically when we adopted this policy (before that, it was straight game/7 d/0).

Bill Smythe

20

Personally, I don’t see how any inequity exists if some use g5/d0 and others use g5/d2. As long as both players in an individual game have the same amount of time, what’s the issue? And I agree that many moves are made within 2 seconds. By the same reasoning, subtracting 2 minutes is overkill also. g4/d2 would be quite sufficient. The 60 move formula Mr. Forsythe espouses seems out of place here.