OTB Chess Time Limits

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Which sort of time control should we have in OTB play?

Poll ended at Mon Dec 20, 2004 2:49 pm

A. Infinite time controls and many adjournements
2
33%
B. Finite time controls so that games finish in one sitting.
4
67%
 
Total votes: 6

echamberlain
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OTB Chess Time Limits

Post by echamberlain » Fri Dec 10, 2004 2:49 pm

This question is for those of you who play in OTB Chess Tournaments.

A bit of history: When I started playing in OTB Chess tournaments in the 1970s, all play rated by the USCF or FIDE had infinite time controls. (I do not know about the rules of other local Federations.) A typical time control was 40 moves in 120 minutes followed by endless cycles of 30 moves in 60 minutes. Time not used in one period did carry forward to the next time control. Games were normally adjourned at some point. Among the IMs and above this gave the Soviets a tremenodous advantage because their players had teams of "seconds" who would analyze the adjourned position while the player rested, and then teach the player what had been discovered before play resumed. Eventually people got tired of this, and in both FIDE and the USCF, all or nearly all games are finished in one sitting.

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