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BGonline.org Forums
In My Own Defense
Posted By: Dorn Bishop In Response To: Thankfully the director clocked this after 3 hours! *NM* (neilkaz)
Date: Tuesday, 24 November 2015, at 3:14 a.m.
As "the opponent" of Akiko (so many of us left in her wake seem to share the same title), I would appreciate the opportunity to offer a slightly different perspective:
1. The Las Vegas tournament was clock optional. Howard Markowitz has always adhered to that rule because he views clocks as useful only to keep the tournament moving along. I disagree: I am a strong proponent of mandatory clocks for all tournaments in order to prevent one player from taking unreasonable advantage of available time. Clocks are also a much more reliable way to determine when a roll is complete. Nonetheless, I am a stronger proponent of any player using the actual tournament rules to his or her full advantage. Players have an absolute right to rely on the rules as written, and to plan their play and mindset accordingly.
2. That's exactly what Akiko and I did. Yes, I do tend to think more when a clock is not in use. So do my opponents. That includes, in this event, Joe Russell, Frank Frigo, and Yoshi. Against one of those opponents, I actually requested a clock after an hour when the score was only 3-0 based on very routine games. That request was denied.
3. I am unaware of the tournament director this year ordering a clock to be used in any other tournament match. That strikes me as significant since, in a "clock optional" event, IMO the only legitimate reason to impose a clock is to move the match along so that the event as a whole can finish on time.
4. Approximately $10K was at stake in the final. Maybe 50 people were watching the live stream of our match and in person and, yes, it probably would have been more enjoyable for those 50 people to watch with a clock in place. That is another reason to make clock usage mandatory throughout the event -- but not just for the first in the middle of the championship match.
5. Three hours into the match, following an extremely complex 45-minute game and an ensuing 10-minute break, as we were starting the next game with the score 11-6 (Akiko leading), the TD informed us that a clock would be in effect for the rest of the match. No prior notice was given to either of us and we were expected to play on immediately with 17 minutes of reserve time remaining on our clocks. The reason given was that the tournament staff had not anticipated the match going so long and wanted to go home, which puzzled me because it was only 2:30 in the afternoon and the Last Chance was still underway.
I can only say that it was very unsettling for me to have a clock imposed mid-match on the fly, without prior notice or warning, without any request by me or my opponent, in a clock-optional tournament, without any matches remaining to be played, with so much at stake, and without any apparent need for it at the time. I have no way of knowing whether it affected Akiko's or my play adversely. Regardless, under the circumstances, I believe that the tournament director's decision to impose a clock at that moment was unjustified, and that the method used was inconsiderate to the only two people who truly had a significant interest in the match's outcome.
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