In the FIDE clock testing procedure, handbook.fide.com/files/handboo … ndards.pdf, one of the questions it asks is if certain time controls are available as default settings. Included in the list of time controls are 40/120,SD/30;d0, 40/120,SD/60;d0, and 40/120,20/60,SD/30;d0. Are these time controls with no increment or delay actually popular time controls used in FIDE rated tournaments?
Not anymore, I suspect. I’d say FIDE should update its handbook.
In keeping with its apparent philosophy of using longer controls in its manual, I’d suggest one of each with 1, 2, and 3 time controls. How about:
- G/120 inc/30
- 40/120 SD/30; inc/30
- 40/120 20/60 SD/30; inc/30
FIDE has different notations for these (like “+” instead of “inc”) but you get the idea.
Bill Smythe
No.
Caveat: For a while, the FIDE standard at the world championship level called for no increment until the final time control, on the theory that one could and should only get more time by reaching move 40 or move 60. But this now seems to be disfavored, and rightly so, in my opinion.
The 2020 World Championship match will have the increment only on the sudden death time control.
Given inconvenient facts like this, FIDE probably ought to include, in any of its pronouncements on clock design, the desirability of clocks being enabled to handle this option.
Along with all the problems this option causes, like whether the clock’s move counter should trigger the final control, and if so, what to do if the move count becomes inaccurate, or if not, how the arbiter should intervene at move 60, etc etc etc etc.
With any luck, the idea of increment only in sudden death will eventually vanish from the surface of the earth.
Bill Smythe
Now if people could only come up with an alternative. It’s too bad nobody thought of something like cutting the initial time control by 20 minutes and starting increment from move one.
I’m not sure you’ll get that back in the box.
With any luck, the idea of time controls except sudden death will vanish from the surface of the earth.
How does this make things worse for response to a move counter? With increment, if the move counter is off (too high), you could theoretically flag before move 40 with time showing on your clock.
+1 
Bill Smythe
Increment beginning with move 61 seems to be in use less often now than a few years back, so there may be hope.
Bill Smythe
That’s true regardless of whether the increment starts with move 1, move 41, or move 61. It’s an inherent disadvantage of having the move count trigger the next control.
But, if the increment starts with move 41 or move 61, then there is the additional problem that the increment itself will start too soon, or too late, if the move count is wrong.
Bill Smythe
I think that at one time the time controls listed in the clock standards guide were the only controls that could be used in tournaments that awarded title norms. I just checked the FIDE Handbook and it appears that is no longer the case. Also, as of next year time controls with no increment will not be valid for title norm events, so perhaps the clock standards for default settings will change, too.
As far as I’m concerned, all clocks should lose all defaults involving zero increment and zero delay. In a pinch, you can always set it for increment with inc/0 or for delay with d/0.
Bill Smythe
Except that with increment in the first time control, you have a potential problem at move 1, move 2, move 3,…; not just at move 41.