Which is the more preferred digital, time delay capable clock when both players have digital, time delay capable clocks?
USCF endorses the Excalibur GameTime as the “Official Digital Chess Clock of The U.S. Chess Federation”. Does this mean that this particular clock is preferred over other brands, such as Chronos, Garde Electronic, Precision, etc? Some of my players have gotten really irritated over this issue.
I have always rejected the notion that GameTime is more preferred, but I thought I’d see what y’all think
The Excalibur blurb is just puffing. There was a time when USCF tried to make this clock “the” official clock, but early versions were so bad, that they had to drop that idea.
The newest Excaliburs are MUCH better, but as far as I know USCF is not trying to force them down anybody’s throat. Any digital clock with delay capability (and actually set for the delay) is equally preferred equipment.
Some organizers specify that a clock with “true” delay is preferable to one with Bronstein (non-cumulative addback). This would, for example, make either the Chronos or the Excalibur preferred over the Saitek or DGT. Still, a clock with Bronstein would be preferred over one with NO form of delay.
Absent any specified preference, Black gets his choice of standard equipment. I’d think that would apply to clocks as well as sets, subject of course to USCF rules of priority.
yes, Black gets choice of all equipment, including clocks, provided they’re standard. I was just curious as to USCF’s endorsement of the Excalibur. Bill confirmed my suspicions
A delay-capable clock is preferred equipment. If both players have a delay clock, or neither does, only then does the rule about black getting his choice kick in.
If both clocks are delay, then black has the choice of clocks. If both clocks are equal to each other then black has the choice. If white has a time delay clock, and black does not, then white has choice of clock and black has choice of set and board: if the set and board are standard equipment.
I’ve always heard Black has the right to choose which side the clock should reside. Having stated such, I’d like to get the other ducks in a row.
Assuming both players have the same equipment, Black has the right to use his tournament regulated equipment (both clock and set), correct? Does being late or “first to set up” factor any into this? So, say, White had setup his set and clock first (digital clock with delay and regulated set) and Black arrived on time; Can Black choose to use his equally regulated equipment? In this scenario, had Black been late, would that disqualify him from this right?
If both players are present at the start of the round, Black has the chioice of “standard equipment.”
Time-delay clocks are “more standard” in games using any sudden-death time control. So, if one player has a time-delay clock and the other does not, the time-delay clock is used.
Same rule for sets and and boards; Black has the choice of “standard equipment.” There is no point in quoting the rules on this since the standards are just common sense.
If White is present at the start of the round and Black is not, White has the choice. No equipment change after the start of the round unless the equipment is “non-standard.” That doesn’t mean a different kind of clock; it means something like a Renaissance or pocket set.
If both players are absent when the round starts, the first player to arrive gets to set up as in 4.
Some organizers specify that a clock with “true” delay is preferable to one with Bronstein (non-cumulative addback). This would, for example, make either the Chronos or the Excalibur preferred over the Saitek or DGT. Still, a clock with Bronstein would be preferred over one with NO form of delay.
Bill Smythe
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what is “true” delay? the dgt xl has several delay features. are none of those the “true” delay youre talking about?
Seems to me we’ve been through this one before. “Delay” doesn’t start ticking down for, e.g., 5 seconds after the clock starts. “Bronstein,” or “non-cumulative addback,” adds 5 seconds (or whatever you set it for) when the clock starts, up to a max of the time you had on the last move. (I.e. you have 10 seconds left. You move in 2 seconds. When you press your clock, your time goes back to 10 seconds.) “Fischer” (cumulative addback) is the same as Bronstein except that your time can accumulate without limit. FIDE uses addback, USCF uses delay, so the FIDE-designed DGT has Fischer and Bronstein only. Delay and Bronstein are virtually identical in their effects.
Bill Smythe and I had a fairly pointless debate about this last year. There is a tiny difference if a player has less than five seconds left. In almost all cases, delay and Bronstein can (and should) be be treated as equivalent.
Some players find Bronstein confusing, even though it is technically equivalent to a “true” delay.
For this reason, some tournaments (including some CCA tournaments) have declared that a clock with “true” delay is preferable to a clock with Bronstein. (Of course, a Bronstein clock would still be preferable to one with no form of delay.)
