The ZMF clocks that have started to creep up at tournaments have been causing me problems as a player. Their displays are surprisingly bright and clear, always some kind of neon color. Their brightness is very distracting to me since the clock is placed immediately next to everything I’m supposed to be focusing on. It keeps drawing my eye off the board. What’s worse (especially for a time-trouble addict like myself), is when the clock goes under one minute. It starts counting tenths of a second, so the numbers are moving very rapidly. Add that to the brightness of the display, and it’s unacceptably difficult for me to concentrate on the board. I can’t do it. I start to hyper-focus on the rapidly moving lights right next to the board.
I don’t think these clocks should be considered standard equipment. Anyone have some insight into this issue?
The ZMF clock correctly implements delay (and, I believe, increment) functionality for multiple time controls as specified in the USCF Official Rules of Chess. While I personally do not find the clock to be aesthetically pleasing, and I can understand your concern, I would find no basis on which to declare the clock to be nonstandard equipment. If this dispute were to arise and I had to make a ruling, I would allow the clock to be used.
I strongly suggest you have your own delay and increment capable clock and that you be present on time at the start of the round. In that case, if you have black, you can certainly require your clock be used. If you have white, and your opponent has a ZMF clock, you can ask nicely whether your opponent would mind using your clock for the game.
Thanks for replying. I wanted to get a sense for where other people were on this, but I know these clocks are still too new for many affected parties to speak up.
I am aware that according to the rules these clocks are standard equipment, but I think the rules should be reconsidered in light of these new displays and behaviors. Just as color is one factor in determining whether a board is standard, so too should color and brightness be factors in determining the legality of digital clocks.
If you can understand my concern already, then it should be even easier to understand the problem when you consider that most tournament spaces are not very bright, thus increasing the relative brightness of these distracting devices. I know everyone has varying degrees of sensitivity, but for me, playing with one of these next to the board is like have someone in my line of sight or peripheral vision flailing about trying to get my attention–for the entire game. And the problem is 100 times worse when it starts to count tenths of a second, which is precisely when I need to be hyper-focused on the position.
This is a FAR bigger problem than any cell phone ever could be.
As an aside, I have tried asking to change clocks when my opponent has black, but no luck so far.
You can claim you are color blind and cannot see the colors on the clock display. Another claim you can make is that the flashing the clock could initiate a seizure. Generally, if you make a big enough, loud, and annoying argument against the clock, you might get your way and use your equipment just so the round will get started. If not, then you can have the satisfaction of having annoyed all of the players and the TDs. I know a couple of characters who would not care which clock is used, but would argue anyway just to unnerve the opponent before the game. Part of their pre-game ritual.
Oh to see those red and black boards again with the little hollow bouncing pieces…I remember seeing a master being mesmerized by the digital display on one of the first Chronos chess clocks. It counted down and he didn’t move. In the case of the hanging flag, this man was a speed demon! I guess the task is to try and get absorbed in the position on the board. If you have a talent for blindfold chess just turn your back on the whole affair and respond when you hear the press of the button.
I see two interesting business opportunities here.
(1) Obnoxious chess clocks. These would be clocks with weird colors, obnoxiously bright displays, loud buttons, displays that show useless but changing information, and so on. Buy one whose particular obnoxious characteristic you don’t mind or feel you can get used to, and hope that your opponent will mind it and not be able to get used to it during the game, for the extra edge in your tournament play.
(2) Clock filters. These would be sheets of transparent tinted material mounted in a stand that you can place on the table between you and the clock so that when you look toward the clock you see it through the sheet, thus compensating for overly bright ZMF clocks. It should be easy to design this so that it filters the view of the clock, but does not impede your opponent’s view, and does not interfere with operating the clock during the game.
The thing with showing tenths of seconds on ZMF clocks does sound annoying. I can see it being useful, especially if playing without delay or increment, to show tenths of a second on the non-running side of the clock, but I see no reason to show this on the side that is running because it is changing too fast for a player to actually glean any useful information from it. The clock should suppress the tenths display while counting down.
I’d like to see the USCF start getting more involved in standardizing clock behavior. I can understand that they don’t want to harm and annoy clock makers by declaring existing clocks non-standard or less preferred, but suppose any such rule making grandfathered existing models and models introduced within one year after the new rules becomes effective?
For instance, if USCF declared that displaying tenths while counting down is less preferred, the ZMF would remain preferred because it predated the rule.
The tenths of a second are useful for Bughouse players to determine whether they can sit or have to move. Analog clocks provided more drama and strategy.
To be honest, I do not find the ZMF clocks to be all that distracting. They are cute and innovative. If you are that distracted then you will probably also be distracted by flies, stink bugs, or your opponent’s good moves, too. Play your game and ignore the clock. They seem to be solidly made. The display looks similar to that of clocks at NBA games. Get used to the future. There is more on the way that will just as annoying to fuddie duddies. The kids love the clocks.
That’s not an annoying feature, that’s a major design flaw. Perhaps you should also wish to have the people who DESIGN these clocks know what they’re doing!
That feature (resetting the clock via two button presses) was borrowed from the Chronos. In its faster modes (intended for blitz), the Chronos does exactly the same thing. In its slower (tournament) modes, it takes five or six button presses to reset the time.
So, the Chronos has this same design flaw, but only in its “less formal” modes.
I wouldn’t say that faster vs. slower is really a factor. Consider CH-F1 and CH-F2. They are both traditional G/5, but CH-F1 has quick reset and CH-F2 does not.
It’s just non-tournament vs. tournament. Note that a mode has quick reset if and only if that mode does NOT allow changing the time after the game has started. If someone used a mode with quick reset in a tournament, and the times needed to be adjusted due to an irregularity or penalty, they would have to completely reset the clock and set it up manually as if it were a new game with a weird time control.
As a seller of clocks you have to take the good with the bad. We in the sales part are in a bind. No more Excaliburs and no more Saitek chess clocks after what is on the market dries up. Combine that with the problems that everyone has getting Chronos and you come to realize that there is going to be a shortage of clocks on the market soon.
I hope you know there are settings on the Chronos where it will display the 10ths of a second in tournament settings too.
Looks like for the near future we will only have the DGT Clocks and the Chronos(when available.) This is one of the reasons I am working on my own clock which should be out in September. Due to forum restrictions I cannot tell you much more.
Bob, as for setting the clocks you can always rely on YouTube. There are TONS of videos on how to set clocks there for all kinds of tournament settings.
