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Is "simple setting" actually what we use?

Posted By: Henrik Bukkjaer
Date: Sunday, 23 September 2012, at 8:43 p.m.

In Response To: Is "simple setting" actually what we use? (Chuck Bower)

Bronstein time control gives you a certain amount of time for the match (chess, backgammon or whatever), plus some additional time "per decision". That is, per decision taken - ie. added after the decision has been taken. Therefore timing out in a 5 min/3 seconds game after 5 minutes, is correct for the case mentioned (where you never took a decision).

However, a lot of the early (and cheaper?) game clocks implemented a simple "delay" instead. easier to implement, easier for the less experienced clock-players to understand.

For some reason, the pioneers within rule writing for clocked backgammon, never really understood this difference between "Bronstein" and "Delay", thus many rules today mix the terms up...

I currently use a "real" game (chess) clock myself - a Garde digital tournament clock - that implements Bronstein correct. But to make things "the same" as all the "delay clocks" used out there (and the way that many bg rulebooks describe clock usage), I set it up so that my match time is the match time PLUS one delay, eg. 34:12 for a 17 pointer.

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Pros and Cons?

It seems intuitively correct, that a per decision bonus is actually added when you make a decision!

The clock read-out is always showing the precise remaining time for both players at that given moment. Many "Delay" clocks screw this up, the Saitek one by showing the delay count down instead of the remaining time! That means you can only see both players time at once (both showing), when a player has used hes delay and is thinking on his match time. For the majority of the game, you will only be able to see one players remaining time on the clock. That really annoys me. Furthermore you might sometimes glance at your own clock during your turn, if you are getting low on time, to decide if remaining time should affect a cube-decision. That's not possible until you have used your delay.

I know it's not big things, but they are annoying, especially when you know that it is a non-issue on a true Bronstein clock.

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