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Subject: The future of Chess time controls?

Author: Stuzzi Kadent

Date: 15:01:03 09/05/02


I do not play chess tournaments, but am aware of various time controls, and the
perceived demand in the professional world (marketing, if not playing) for
shorter time controls.
I recognise it would be better to do away with adjournments because computers
and databases deal with them too efficiently. But I think it is important that
in major tournaments the players have enough time to produce games that invite
analysis and stand for quality. I would NOT make World championship contenders
play blitz play-offs.
I wonder if the advance of computers is encroaching on the attitude of
organisers- to paraphrase: "Well, we know that computers are the ultimate
masters of chess, so striving for ultimate quality from these games is not an
issue, only that we attract strong players".
I really do not think World Championships, Interzonals, and the best tournaments
such as Linares should give in to hosting chess games that have hardly a life
beyond the tournament rooms because the players have not had enough time to
create games that bear scrutiny.
How many hours can we expect chess players to sit at a board? Is chess at the
old time controls of 40 in 120 minutes simply out of tune with the modern world?
And are Fischer clocks part of the answer? I like the idea of the Fischer clock
myself and have played several games under it today. How about 90 minutes plus
30 seconds a move? It provides for 60 moves in two hours, avoids mad time
scrambles, but the increment is small enough to discourage an entirely
lackadaisical approach to the clock.



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