Chess Scotland Noticeboard

Andy McCulloch · King Joined: 28 Mar 2007 Posts: 280

GM Feller is taking part in the EU championships. For a man who must be under intense scrutiny, his performance so far is excellent. (+5 =2 -0)

Graeme Forbes · Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 5:55 pm Post subject:

Stuart Blyth · King Joined: 11 Sep 2008 Posts: 209

"but the move's not complete till you press the clock..... Confused"

Confused? Me too - why anyone would want to gain an advantage in this way is beyond me Shocked

AMcHarg · Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 10:47 am Post subject:

JR · King Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 447 Location: Edinburgh

It is your own responsibility to press your clock, your opponent is under no obligation to say anything.

What I would normally do is tell them the first time they forget, but after that I will say nothing Razz

If they forget during a time scramble though then I would not even give them a first reminder.

Stuart Blyth · King Joined: 11 Sep 2008 Posts: 209

My personal opinion is that allowing an opponent's unpressed clock to run down, when you are, in fact, ready to play your own move, is low down and sneaky. If anyone else feels differently, good luck to them.

HughBrechin · Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 10:52 pm Post subject:

I think the way I'd react to someone forgetting to press their clock would depend who it was - if it was a beginner, a kiddie or a more elderly player I'd point it out (though possibly, as Joe says, only once, depending on the specific case). If I'm playing an experienced player who doesn't fall into those categories I'd be quite likely to just take the view that it's their problem and enjoy the free time. There's not really any excuse for forgetting, it should be pretty much automatic. That said, I'd probably decide on a move in the normal way, then take a couple more minutes to double-check it and have a free think, then play anyway, rather than waiting for as long as it took for them to notice.

A feature of digital clocks, incidentally, is that you then (at least before the time control) have to press the clock twice, thus alerting them to their blunder and limiting the chances of a repeat. Much easier to do it subtly on analogue clocks...

EDIT: Yes! I'm finally a King!

Andy McCulloch · King Joined: 28 Mar 2007 Posts: 280

Well Stuart, how many times would you tell your opponent to hit the clock? Against juniors, and I play a lot of them because of my grade, I will certainly point out to them if they have not stopped their clock, on the assumption that they are not used to using one. Even here there is a limit, after perhaps 5 or 6 instances, I think I would give up and just sit there. Against an experienced adult I would alert them once, perhaps twice, but no more than that. Certainly I have been on the wrong side of this without being alerted at all by my opponent, and on more than one occasion!

A really sneaky incident similar to this happened to my son some years ago. When the game got down to a tight time trouble ending for both players, the mechanical clock in use started to malfunction. When my son hit the clock it did not stop, it just kept on going. His opponent did not hurry making his moves, and eventually won on time from an essentially lost position. After the game he admitted that he was aware that the clock was faulty, but he just took advantage of it. To my mind this is far worse than not alerting your opponent to the fact that he has not completed his move.

The clock is your 17th piece is a statement I have read in more than one book. Nobody will tell you that you are about to leave your queen 'en prise', why should they tell you about your clock mismanagement?

JR · King Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 447 Location: Edinburgh

A faulty clock is a completely different issue, and of course the arbiter should be alerted if anything unusual is noticed. This is a another good reason why analogue clocks should never be used anymore, particularly the ones from the early 1990's that still make the odd appearance.

I can't imagine how anyone could forget to press their clock anyway, and even if you did you should be constantly checking the clock (I know I do) and would notice within a matter of seconds if it happened.

Phil Thomas · King Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 758

Every now and then I see a game where one junior forgets to press his clock and his opponent wants to pretend to think for the whole game. If not tackled we have two bored kids one of which gets upset later and a competition that can wait and wait for a flag to fall.

When that sutuation occurs .. I liberally interpret rule 12.1 (wording below) and bear in mind my need to work for the good of the competition. And instruct one payer to press his clock, and instuct the other to stop wasting time pretending to think.

Ans if the pretend thinker tells me I can't do anything and he knows everything - I remind him that I have power to take time of his clock for arguing with the arbiter.

12.1
The players shall take no action that will bring the game of chess into disrepute.

Stuart Blyth · King Joined: 11 Sep 2008 Posts: 209

Faulty clocks? Time mismanagement? Own fault? Telling your opponent he/she has not pressed their clock?

What's this got to do with my point, which is simply that it is sneaky and underhand to intentionally hold back from making a move so that your opponent's unpressed clock runs down its time.

AMcHarg · Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:32 am Post subject:

Phil Thomas · King Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 758

I did have a game once where my opponent fell asleep when it was my move and the he started snoring.

I moved and pressed the clock as quietly as I could.

Seemed the most appropriate thing to do at the time. If anyone had woken him up would they be interfering with the game and due for a sizeable punishment from the arbiter?

Graeme Forbes · Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 11:43 am Post subject: