It’s strange to have 5E in the rulebook titled “Standard timer for non-sudden death” and then have 5F Titled “Standard timer” (with subsections on mixed time controls and increment).
Also, 5E and 42C state that the standard timer for games not concluded by sudden death are a delay clock or an analog clock but it should depend on if the time control includes delay or increment (i.e. a delay clock should be considered the most standard for a time control such as 30/30;d5, an increment clock should be considered the most standard for a time control such as 30/30;+5), as the TD Tip following 5E states.
Also, 5F states that a delay clock is the standard timer for sudden death time controls. However, the most standard timer for a sudden death time control with increment would be a clock with increment capability, as stated in 42D (which should have increment added to the title).
I think it would be better to simply have sections on “Standard timer for time controls with delay”, “Standard timer for time controls with increment”, and “Standard timer for time controls without delay or increment”.
Also, I think a digital clock (even without delay or increment) should be preferred over an analog clock in regular and quick chess due to what it says in Blitz rule 2b: “A digital timer (given it meets the requirements of 2a) is preferred over an analog clock due to the precision of setting and the accuracy of timing”.
Standard timer for time controls with delay:
1 Digital Clock with delay capability
2 Digital Clock with no delay capability
3 Analog Clock
Standard timer for time controls with increment:
1 Digital Clock with increment capability
2 Digital Clock with delay capability (with the increment time being applied as a delay)
3 Digital Clock with no delay or increment capability
4 Analog Clock
Standard timer for time controls without delay or increment:
1 Digital Clock
2 Analog Clock
This would be interesting if Mr. Smith were a delegate or had any intention in attempting to become one. Since he isn’t/doesn’t, his opinions of the rules are irrelevant.
A clock that can be set for the time control announced for the event is preferable to one that cannot.
A clock that is seconds-precise, at least in the final 5 minutes, is preferable to one that is not.
There is no need to use the words “digital” or “analog” at all. The point is the seconds-precision.
Conceivably, somebody might design a seconds-precise analog clock. Presumably it would need to have a second-hand, and be designed (somehow) so that the flag falls precisely when the second-hand is pointing to the 12.
Protip: a TD can use multiple rules to justify a ruling. Hence, why you used both 5F and 42D to justify the standard timer for increment time controls.
I like my very thin almost non-existent rule changes… I do not miss the days of carrying 40+ pages of rule changes.
Also in your list, how come for “Standard timer for time controls with delay” I can’t have a digital clock with increment capabilities (with the delay time being applied as an increment) if you are using that logic for “Standard timer for time controls with increment”
Increment generally leads to more time than delay. For a delay time control, if a player doesn’t have the most standard equipment (a delay clock), they shouldn’t be allowed to use a clock with increment because they would likely be getting rewarded with more time by not using the most standard equipment.
