I have an idea: we could define some limits to the delay/increment. Say for games 29 minutes or less, you can’t use a delay/increment greater than 15 seconds. For games between 30 and 59 minutes, there can’t be a delay/increment greater than 30 seconds.
Games up to 29 minutes (inclusive of the time delay/increment) would be quick rated only. Games between 30 and 59 minutes (inclusive of delay), would be duel rated.
That would vastly simplify the variables for quick and duel rated play: Games under 30 minutes is quick rated, games at 30 to 59 minutes would be duel rated. Anything 60 minutes or more is regular rated.
Yes, that means a 59 minute game with 30 second increment or delay could last well over an hour (and quick only events might last longer than 30 minutes), but its a compromise many TD’s might be willing to consider in order to flatten out the time controls for Quick/Duel rated events to something thats easy to remember.
There is still a near endless number of variations that TD’s can do, it just limits the scope of the variations.
Plus there is no reason the USCF can’t publish a list of suggested time controls for quick and duel rated and regular events, with a note on about how long to schedule rounds. Tournament Directors would still be flexible to create thier own time controls, within the scope limits set forth.
For example, a 30d30 game might have rounds scheduled 2 hours apart. (I’m just guessing here.)
I’m sure someone with experiance could come up with a variety of scenerios for various time controls.
