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Subject: Re: question about fixing the time management of movei

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 07:19:57 07/30/04

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On July 29, 2004 at 18:56:12, Sune Fischer wrote:

>On July 28, 2004 at 17:39:14, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>
>>I should add that I fudge near time controls anyway.  IE when I get close, I
>>won't try to burn off my saved time.  I just let it carry over to the next T/C
>>to help there.  IE there is no sense in burning 30 minutes on move 40...
>
>I don't have that fudge.
>
>If that fudge was needed I'd say something was wrong with the time manager, why
>else would one want to save up that much time in the first place?
>
>-S.


You are not paying attention.  I have 30 minutes left on my clock.  I am trying
to use it, but I keep predicting correctly and not using any.  As I near the
time control, it would be easy to try to use _all_ the time.  If you don't have
this "fudge" then that is what you will do.  And it makes no sense to search
move 40 for 30 minutes, then drop back to 3 minutes on move 41 since you just
smoked all your extra time.

This is _the_ point that you are overlooking.  You can not predict how much time
you will have left, because you can not predict either (a) how well you will
predict your opponent's move and (b) how long you will get to search it for
free.  In real games there are distinct cycles.    You make a move, I move
instantly.  Repeat N times.  Then you make a move I don't expect and break the
cycle and now after I make a move you move instantly.  Repeat M times.  Then
start over.  If you don't handle this possibility of having extra time left over
near a time control, you will likely burn it up for nothing.  There are other
things I do as well, such as I intentionally try to build up a known time
surplus so I have time to handle fail lows properly.




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