Over the weekend I encounter the Zsmart chess clock at the National All Girls. I did not know it was the Zsmart Fun Clock until I saw it today in the Chess Life magazine in the equipment section. This looks a lot like the Chronos clock, but has a square plastic button in the middle. The problem was that the players (either the owner or opponent) did not know to push the button a second time after pushing it once to pause. Pushing the second time reset the time back to the initial time.
What was really strange was that there was one clock that only had 3 different basic settings, but the others all had 4 different settings. Of course the missing setting was the one that was needed. The even stranger was this same clock where one side had hours and minutes [1 hour 30 minutes] and the other side was minutes and seconds [1 min 30 seconds]. If anyone knows how this can happen when initially setting a clock I would be interested to know.
I mention all this having read about the manufacturer’s discontinuance of the Game Timer I & 1 other clock in the sales section where I found the Zsmart. If I am mistaken about the clock(s) players were using at the All Girls I would like to know what that clock was that I had never seen before. I don’t recall any clock with a small square red button in the middle that was only about 4 inches long.
If we are talking about the same clock, it is called ZmartFun (that is there is no “s” between Z and m) and they are currently using a model 2, so the clocks are sometimes called ZMF-II.
The company that produces those clocks has presence in USA and they have web site ( I believe I am not allowed to give links here, but you can find it with a simple search, using your favorite search engine.) They also have a US phone number and an e-mail.
Those clocks are coming in different colors and with different color leds. Your description is making me to believe that at in your particular case, black body clock with red led has been used. The color of the button in middle - matches the color of the led.
My personal experience with those clocks (as a player) have been positive. Our local club (Chess Club of Fairfield County) uses them for most of their tournaments. I did have been in contact with technical support of ZmartFun electronics (but for a reason different from what you described) and I found the support to be sufficient. They are young company, they do listen and they want to help. My personal opinion is that it is a decent clock and if you have come across an issue, especially the one that may put in question the integrity of the device you should give them a call or send an e-mail.
While it is upsetting that older and proven clocks like Excalibur Game Time II and Saitek models have been discontinued, I think you are going overboard by calling this clock dumb, because something did not work to you liking.
I was not necessarily calling it dumb. I was questioning if this was the same clock. I was questioning the use of a clock that players and TDs do not know. I was asked by the owner of at least 1 clock about setting it. Most importantly I still would love to know how a clock gets 2 different settings on the 2 different displays. I have never run into that phenomenon before.
Larry, I’ know I’m completely off on this (cause that’s just the way I roll), but it seems that one side was set properly and the other not, due to being able to set each side independently. The DGT NA is like that: each side is set independently of the other. I don’t remember for sure now, but I’m thinking that with the Chronos, you set both sides at the same time, isn’t that correct, or am I, once again, wrong?
Based on your description it appears very likely that to be the same clock.
There are two aspects of your question here.
One is that players are using the clock, that they are not familiar with. To be honest with you, I see this happening all the time and I do not know how to fix that. For example at the 2015 USATE, I have seen a line of people before the start of each round asking Harold S. for a help with their Chronos. And I am sure you aware that Chronos has been on the market for decades already and comes with extensive manual as well as there are dozens of videos floating on the UTUBE that discuss programming in good details.
The second aspect is that TD is unfamiliar with the clock and how to set it up. This is a bigger problem obviously, as this can lead to disputes and delays, if clock needs to be adjusted during the game. I noticed that good TDs are trying to get their hands on new clocks as soon as they notice them show up in the tournaments. I see this through personal interaction with TDs I know and from messages on this forum. I am not by any chance imply that you are not good. I am just suggesting that perhaps it maybe a good idea for you to acquire ZMF-II and learn how it works.
I noticed that TDs in our local club are able to reprogram dozens of those in a few minutes.
As another forum member already commented, I believe, the clock was set correctly initially and then one side was incorrectly adjusted.
I maintain that when a TD sets one’s clock - it’s a courtesy - It’s not a task that the TD must do, and thus not “a bigger problem”. Furthermore, it doesn’t forgo that the responsibility of correctly setting the clock is the players.
Suppose as a TD you want to give one of the players time penalty for whatever violation during the game. Suppose the offending player is clock’s owner and his opponent is not familiar with the clock. Not that uncommon situation, would you agree? You do not want to rely on the offending player to administer the penalty to himself…
FWIW, I have heard some very high level TDs complaining about the Zmart Fun because it doesn’t keep time properly, up to 12 seconds per hour off. Also, I noticed at the U.S. Masters last year, with a time control of 40/90,SD/30; +30 when the “flags fell” for the first time control the clocks would add 30:30 instead of 30:00.
Adopting a rule that players cannot use a new clock because their opponents and TD have never seen it before, is like an often-suggested traffic law in Chicago, prohibiting anybody from driving on the Dan Ryan expressway unless they have driven on it three times before.
Such rules are the bane of innovation and improvement.
I think almost all clocks allow the two sides to be set differently. In most cases the two sides can even have different increment or delay settings.
I have a vague recollection of a tournament several years ago, where for some reason neither my clock nor my opponent’s clock was available. So the TD furnished a Chronos, set the time, and walked away. My opponent (a kid) and I gave each other a blank stare, because the TD had set the clock for G/80 instead of G/90 (or something like that). I think I was the first to speak. “I don’t think that’s right, is it?” He replied, “No, I don’t think so”. “Shall we just reset it ourselves?” “Sure.” So I started pressing the appropriate buttons to do the reset, and while I was resetting my side, he simultaneously started resetting his side. So yes, on the Chronos you can set both sides simultaneously, just by pressing both buttons simultaneously.
I think Ken Ballou needs to come to the rescue here with a new set of rules.
Something like:
If the organizer furnishes clocks, he must know how (or must hire an assistant who knows how) to make a mid-game adjustment on that clock brand.
If one of the players has furnished the clock, and a time adjustment is necessary, if the clock’s owner cannot or will not make the adjustment, the opponent has the right to substitute his own clock, provided he knows how to make the appropriate adjustments.
If the clock’s owner (and TD and opponent) don’t know how to make a needed adjustment and the opponent has one that can be set then I simply treat it essentially as a defective clock that needs to be replaced and have the replacement made. I guess a rule would arm a TD with more ammunition to face a rules lawyer but I don’t see a big need for an additional rule.
In a USCF event, I agree with Mr. Yang. In fact, this is a common announcement I make at various tournaments - “Players are responsible for knowing how to set their own clocks. There is no guarantee that the TDs will know how to set it.”
At some point during my directing career, I’ve owned many different clocks. The large majority of them were bought just because I saw people using them at tournaments, and wanted to learn how to set them in case that was ever needed.
However, I would not say that is something I’d necessarily recommend to every TD. Trying to keep up with all the newest digital clocks can be rather expensive. (That link shows a picture of the different digital clock models I currently own. I’ve sold at least that many different other types - mostly ones I learned how to set, but didn’t like for one reason or another, such as the Game Time II or the dreaded blue Saitek.)
