I’ve put together the following document on the best way to set the Chronos clocks for the time controls being used at this year’s Oregon Open, (40/120,SD/30;d10 and G/60;d10)
pdxchess.org/wp-content/uploads/ … ntrols.pdf
Does everything look right?
I can’t speak for all of the details you’ve obviously researched, but I tend to agree that, with a delay as long as 10 seconds, a digital countdown (10, 9, 8 etc) of the delay is more important than the move counter. I say this with some reluctance, because I happen to like the move counter. Without it, I might anticipate a conversation like this arising during the game.
The short Chronos (Blitz/GX/FX) appears to have only a 4-digit display, so I don’t see how it would even be possible to have a digital countdown of the delay, in any mode.
I agree that AN-2 and AN-1 are the best choices, on those Chronos models that have these options.
I dislike the tenths-of-seconds mode, even in blitz – especially if the clock switches to this mode at the 100-second (1 minute 40 seconds) mark, right in the middle of a complete minute. So I disagree with that particular bit of advice. but to each his/her own.
Of course, Bronstein mode (if the clock has it) is a good solution to all of this, if the players can accept this mode (as I certainly could), and if the lack of a move count is not a problem for either player.
Your paper is obviously well researched, as usual. My compliments.
Bill Smythe
To the right of the 4-digit display, there is a small space that displays the delay countdown or the move counter in smaller font. For example, see youtube.com/watch?v=8gKS70XnQeg
Hmm, interesting. Can it be set to display the delay countdown during the delay, and the move count after the delay has counted down to zero?
Bill Smythe
I don’t think so
Aw, too bad. That would be really cool.
To help distinguish the move count from the delay, the move count could always be displayed as two digits (e.g. 07 rather than 7) and the delay could always be displayed as a single digit (e.g. 7 rather than 07). If the delay is 10 seconds or more, it could switch from two-digit mode to one-digit mode when the delay countdown drops from 10 to 9.
Bill Smythe
You know how I feel about d10 (hate it) and move counters (like them, and no amount of incorrect clock operation by players changes my mind). I know you feel differently about at least d10 and perhaps move counters.
That said, this is really well done, and should serve as a model for any time control. My compliments.
Brennan and I disagree about d/10,which I prefer to d/5, and about move counters, which I see as a useless distraction, but as to this document we are on the same page. Thanks for doing this.