Withdrawal from all standard time events

  

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Garvin Gray    (2013-12-22)
Withdrawal from all standard time events

I thought I would bring this topic up to let everyone know.

After a few years here, I have decided that it is almost certain that I will no longer be entering standard time control events on this site until the time control changes.

I find that most players in that time control just waste the time provided and are able to play faster, but choose to run their time down, and then make 8 moves in 10 days, then wait another 30 days before making another 8 moves in 10 days, or similar behaviour.

Sorry Thibault, but I have better things to do in my life than have my life wasted like this.

If you want me to return to standard time control events, change the time control.

This means I will only be playing in rapid time control events, which is a much better time control.


Thibault de Vassal    (2013-12-23 20:59:07)
Withdrawal from all standard time events

Well, as for me I still like very much this time control... It enables me not to accumulate too much stress (mainly because of periods -added to vacation- when I cannot play chess enough) while accumulating a few tournaments.

But I understand for sure your feeling! People do not play at the same rhythm, that's all and that's why we have rapid tournaments (that seem to be about as popular as standard tourneys).


Alvin Alcala    (2013-12-24 01:11:27)
Withdrawal from all standard time events

Agree Thib, less pressure you have with the standard events while in the rapid I most of the time feel the pressure of the fast time control. Its a matter of taste actually.


Garvin Gray    (2013-12-24 07:24:52)
Withdrawal from all standard time events

The issue is not with the amount of time taken when players use a few days per each move, say 3 days on one move, 4 days on the next, 2 days on another and so forth, throughout the 10 moves for 40 days and so arrive at the end of the 10 moves with about 5 days to spare (playing it safe). That is how the time control is 'meant' to work.

No, my issue is with players who completely waste my time with behaviour that shows that they are able to move faster and can do so, but believe that is ok not to do so.

Most of us know exactly who they are and would have no problem naming them. If I had the option not to play them again, I would be comfortable doing so.

This is how they 'game' the time control. At the start of the game, they will make their first few moves in the first few days, leaving 35 or so days for 5 moves, then you will not see them for another 30 days, then they come back and make another 5 moves in 5 days (making the time control).

Then you do not see them again for another 30 days, except for maybe one or two moves, then they make 10 moves in less than 10 days (making the time control again).

And they keep repeating this behaviour for the whole game. Time period after time period.

In my period, this wastes 30 days per cycle of my life and I do hold Thibault partly responsible for it. He designs a time control that allows it to happen.

At least with the rapid time control, players who do this eventually end up having to make one move per day for the rest of the game, so they run the risk of running out of time. They show poor time management and get punished for it.

There is a simple way to stop this behaviour, change the time control.


Josef Riha    (2013-12-24 09:38:06)
Withdrawal from all standard time events

Hello Garvin, in unrated tournaments the same problem exists.

But another one is this: After a few moves they wait until timeout or resign also in a winning position. I found this very unrespectful and boring.

I can name this persons too.


Garvin Gray    (2013-12-24 11:01:28)
Withdrawal from all standard time events

Josef: I would prefer not to talk much about unrated events. In terms of priorities for players, unrated events will always be last. So they will be shuffled to the end.

So time priorities for unrated games can always be excused as they are given the least amount of time after, in rough order of importance:

WCH games
Divisions where you have a chance of a norm
Divisions where you have a chance of winning, so win a prize
Division where you can gain points.
Games where you are doing well, which is a vague criteria.
And then everything after that.

As a key supporter and one of the original creator of the standard open events, I would like to see those change to rapid time control from now on. Most of the players in those divisions rarely would need all the time that is offered.

It would also mean more cycles could move quicker.


Costantino Proietti    (2013-12-30 21:35:15)
Withdrawal from all standard time events

Garvin, I totally agree with you. The answer is: Change the time control. In rapid tournaments too.


Garvin Gray    (2013-12-31 15:46:09)
Withdrawal from all standard time events

Coasantino: As I commented earlier, the rapids are not too bad. At least a player will eventually end up with 1 day per move only and so may time out. But then we get into the situation of them 'gaming' their vacation and the discussions once again around that.

It is solely to do with the standard time control.

I think the standard time control should be:

20 moves in 40 days, followed by 10 moves in 40 days, followed by 10 moves in 40 days and then 15 days plus 1 day per move from move 41.


Costantino Proietti    (2014-01-04 10:20:47)
Withdrawal from all standard time events

I quote again.


Garvin Gray    (2014-01-04 10:34:26)
Withdrawal from all standard time events

What do you quote again? Or do you quoth the raven?


Costantino Proietti    (2014-01-04 13:35:44)
Withdrawal from all standard time events

I agree with your time control proposal.
It seems a proper suggestion to prevent wasting time.


Don Groves    (2014-01-24 03:51:05)
Withdrawal from all standard time events

IMHO, the answer to this problem is to not allow any player to enter a new tournament if that player still has more than X ongoing tournaments. The determination of X remains to be resolved. It needs to be low enough to eliminate players from entering a new tournament and then not making any moves until their clock runs low. This is completely unfair to the other players!


Garvin Gray    (2014-01-24 06:26:31)
Withdrawal from all standard time events

Don: From my experience I am not sure the issue discussed in this thread really comes from game overload, as in having committed to too many games.

In fact on this site it would be difficult to commit to too many games :o.

Of course if a person has committed themselves to too many games across a number of sites, nothing can be done about that on here with a number cap.

So for this site alone, a game cap I don't think is required. The issue is the time control.

A curiosity- in one of the games to which I am complaining about, where I believe my opponent is 'gaming' the time control, the opponent has just past the time control, but now in a curiosity of the time control, it shows that I have 57 days for 10 moves and my opponent 43 days for 10 moves.

So in spite of having taken about a less 80 less days during the whole game, for this time I receive no credit for this due to the 59 day limit.

Seems like there really is no benefit to getting on with your games on here and the site administrator wants to endorse this behaviour. Certainty does not want to put anything in place to stop it.


Tano-Urayoan Russi Roman    (2014-01-24 15:33:08)
Withdrawal from all standard time events

Garvin the time control here is even faster than in ICCF (50 days for 10 moves) so the problem is not the t/c but the players abusing it, as you have stated. Why you want to penalize those who find satisfactory the system for the culprit of some rotten fruits?


George Clement    (2014-02-10 20:37:01)
Withdrawal from all standard time events

I agree with Garvin that this would be a great standard time control.

"
20 moves in 40 days, followed by 10 moves in 40 days, followed by 10 moves in 40 days and then 15 days plus 1 day per move from move 41. "

Why don't we try it? Thib what say you?


Garvin Gray    (2014-02-11 11:42:25)
Withdrawal from all standard time events

I would go as far as to say that it is time to abandon the standard time control divisions completely.


Thibault de Vassal    (2014-02-26 15:19:34)
Withdrawal from all standard time events

Just a matter of taste... As for me, I really enjoy it. Rapid tournaments are probably a good compromise, no need to make standard tournaments look like it too much.