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BGonline.org Forums
"If it (the clock) ain't broke, don't fix it"
Posted By: Colin Owen In Response To: "If it (the clock) ain't broke, don't fix it" (Paul Baraz)
Date: Tuesday, 30 April 2013, at 11:50 a.m.
Almost any player can play with no delay setting if there are not too many moves to make in the match. But the number of moves in a match can vary wildly. A 7 point match, for example could be over in one game of, probably around 20 or 30 moves each (perhaps much less) - or might conceivably involve 200 moves each or more.
As for shortening the delay to 1-3 seconds, tests have been done that show that the time to pick up the dice, put them in the cup, shake them (only) a few times, throw them and wait for them to come to rest is typically around 3 - 4 sec, probably nearer the upper end of that range - THEN you have to make the move and press the clock. Unless we're closed out that will take an additional second or so (on a fast board) IF we don't have opponents chequers to place on the bar and/or doubles to play. That could take another 2 - 3 seconds easily. Rolling cocked dice will add several more seconds to the total. In our game, the shortest delay time that has any basis in reality is 6 - 7 seconds.
If you dispense with a delay setting, or shorten it to an unrealistic setting, then you could well get a situation where both players are almost out of time yet the player who is way ahead in the match, and quite possibly almost certain to win the current game just happens to be the one whose flag falls first. In our game, this would not be considered a sportive way to win (by the vast majority of players).
As it happens, in this scenario IF the heavily trailing player who did not (quite) time out first was then required to keep playing until his flag fell - and the resulting match score then used to decide the winner - it would be fair. Certainly, he would lose.
Touch move has been discussed at some length in this forum. Personally, I'd like a compromise: if you move a piece legally and release it, it stands. But most players seem to want the status quo. It could be argued that, like a lot of things in bg, this is 'cissy'. Things are generally not as strict or exacting in our game, to be sure. Perhaps this makes bg less of a game. If you are a chess or general games player coming to bg you are very welcome - we need players like you, particularly with the brain drain that there has been to poker. By all means campaign for improvements, but I can tell you that removing delay time would not one of them.
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