This topic is a spin-off of “The new rule book is on my Kindle!” in “USCF Issues”.
Time odds is also discussed in the 2008 ratings committee report where it says:
“The committee was asked to comment in September 2008 on whether time odds games should be rateable. The question was motivated by the USCF office noticing the existence of events that had time controls of G/80 for white and G/85 for black. The office left these events as rated, but the RC chair noted that time odds games should ordinarily be associated with a rating advantage for the player with the slower time control. The relationship between the rating advantage and the time odds would require further study.”
I stated that one TD submits time odds Blitz playoff games for rating (and I don’t see him stopping this) and the above show that regular rated time odds games have also been submitted for rating.
As far as I know, there is no way to report time odds as such, so I don’t know how the USCF would find any time odds games that have been submitted for rating, either to prevent them from being rated or to remove them from the rating system.
Regardless of history, I agree with the title of the post.
I have not heard back from anyone on Rules as to whether they’re planning to propose (or would be willing to support) this change in Orlando.
I’m not a Delegate this year (I’m a full-time USCF employee now), so I can’t make the motion.
I don’t think that this subject belongs in Rules. This is a rating question and belongs in the Rating system description, the Running tournaments document and in the allowable time controls document which appears to have disappeared. The rules changes has been used to document changes to the allowable time controls as that was probably felt as the best way to update our TDs
Regards, Ernie
I forgot to mention the following important point to help you decide what is ratable. If the proposed tournament condition would change the win expectancy [We] in the rating formula, it should not be ratable. Time differences would affect the We. A thematic tournament with an equal position should not affect the We so should be ratable. If the position were not equal, then not ratable.
Regards, Ernie
Good point, Ernie. Do you think ‘draw odds’ affects We, or at least Wa (actual performance, averaged over time)?
What about a thematic tournament with a gambit opening that is considered reasonable compensation for the pawn? (The Falkbeer Counter Gambit comes to mind, but only because I used to play it a lot.)
If a player comes in late, say 20 minutes with their clock running, isn’t that in a sense a time odds game?
How about: “…time odds games are not ratable ,” appropriately added to the appropriate rule? Or, have a TD Tip that states the quote? Any takers?
Technically, no.
Both players started with the same amount of time. Otherwise a player that underwent a time penalty (such as a reduction to five minutes to make up for not keeping score), or whose opponent received a time bonus for an issue during the game, could claim time odds and try to prevent the game from being rated.
Good idea. I think adding it to 5A or 5C would make sense. It might also be good to add a note that states that one players having more or less time due to one player showing up late or due to an infraction is not considered a time odds games.
Technically correct, but in reality?? So how does it not possibly skew the rating result to some degree?
If I drop a pawn in the opening (as I do too often), isn’t that a pawn-odds game? 
I know some players that are perpetually late. So in their case the lateness actually is included in their expected results.
So they perpetually give time odds and get their games rated. 
After you come back with a glorious resounding victory it certainly was.
During the last round of a Johns Hopkins tournament some years ago a master was very happy because it appeared that his opponent was going to forfeit on time. With about a minute to spare, his opponent (a similarly rated master) came rushing in and made his move on board 1. The latecomer lost nearly an hour but in reality gained the victory. I guess his opponent could not transition from counting the first prize to having to fight for it. Who received the odds in this case?