Delays vs increments

[Hugh Brodie]

Is time delay (usually 5 seconds) used anywhere outside of the US? I have never experienced a Canadian tournament that has used it - nor have I seen it announced for any European (or elsewhere) events. Does FIDE allow it?

Time delay is when a clock does not start running (on your move) until the delay period has passed. You can't gain time (like you can with increments), but by moving within the delay period your time remaining stays unchanged.

[John Brown]

Re: Delays vs increments

I like the delay time it gives an end to a game where increments can keep a game going a long time.
I have been in some really complicated games where if my opponent had delays they surely would have lost on time.

I may run a PEEL tournament to see how it goes with delays.

[Vlad Rekhson]

Re: Delays vs increments

Is time delay (usually 5 seconds) used anywhere outside of the US? I have never experienced a Canadian tournament that has used it - nor have I seen it announced for any European (or elsewhere) events. Does FIDE allow it?

Time delay is when a clock does not start running (on your move) until the delay period has passed. You can't gain time (like you can with increments), but by moving within the delay period your time remaining stays unchanged.

FIDE allows it. In Edmonton Monday nights have used the time control of 25 minutes with a 10 second delay for at least five years. I am personally not a big fan of it because if you only have a few seconds left, you better have a strong heart as that is a serious heart attack risk. The reason behind using delay in the Edmonton Monday night active is that players should not lose on time on the one hand, but on the other hand the games cannot be too long like when increments are used, which can cause the future rounds to be delayed.

[Alex Ferreira]

Re: Delays vs increments

Hi,

I am glad we don't use delay. I've had a person set the clock for a tournament with delay and then was surprised that we don't do it here. (He was from US). Is there such a huge difference? How can people argue in favour of delay over a (presumably 30 seconds) increment in that game has a fixed end time? Which by the way is nonsense since you could still play 100 moves more on delay, taking you several minutes over... whatever you would have liked it to be to catch that all important train on time. If a person is willing to completely jeopardize the quality of the game in its last stages, you could also have a 2 or 3 second increment from the start instead of a delay. If a person is really concerned about spending an additional half hour in a tournament game over a tough fight, then why play tournaments? Having 1 second on clock and playing on 5 second delay the whole time is like cheating death, knowing it's always staring you down. There is also no reward for spending 1 second out of your 5-sec delay instead of spending 4 seconds, unlike in an increment. In the end, does it really matter? If players agree to it and there's enough interest, then all is fine. Personally I prefer the increment (yes I've tried delay), and wonder if in US, they just have to do it differently for the sake of it.

Alex F.

[Hugh Brodie]

Re: Delays vs increments

With delay, what are the rules about recording moves? I believe with 30-second increments, you are obliged to record your moves.

[Alex Ferreira]

Re: Delays vs increments

I am pretty sure you do not have to record moves with delay. Even with increment recording of moves is only required if the increment is 30 seconds or more. I suppose a 30 second delay may require recording moves?

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Delays vs increments

With Increment you get your time, and you see a result immediately.
With Delay - ? Do you see how many secs you used of Delay time? (somehow I doubt it) Though I never use it thus no idea how a clock display works for Delay. :/

[Alan Baljeu]

Re: Delays vs increments

With delay, what are the rules about recording moves? I believe with 30-second increments, you are obliged to record your moves.

The question more precisely is, what are the US rules for recording. Only the US uses delay, and they also have their own peculiar rules about every other aspect of tournament play.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Delays vs increments

With delay, what are the rules about recording moves? I believe with 30-second increments, you are obliged to record your moves.

You can stop recording when either player has five minutes left in the USCF. The delay allows USCF TDs to sidestep claims of insufficient losing material as the rule only applies in the case of sudden death time controls without a delay.

Personally I prefer increments but eventually got used to delays. If your opponent is good at blitz a remaining time of under one minute can seem to take forever.

[Jordan S. Berson]

Re: Delays vs increments

Is time delay (usually 5 seconds) used anywhere outside of the US? I have never experienced a Canadian tournament that has used it - nor have I seen it announced for any European (or elsewhere) events. Does FIDE allow it?

Time delay is when a clock does not start running (on your move) until the delay period has passed. You can't gain time (like you can with increments), but by moving within the delay period your time remaining stays unchanged.

Not sure if it's just the local way of doing it, but scholastic tournaments here in St. John's (for grades 4+) are 25 minutes + 5 second delay. I always thought CMA tournaments used increments, but local organizers tell me it's delay.

Can anyone confirm?

Jordan