BGonline.org Forums

Stopping the clock on your own turn

Posted By: Tom Keith
Date: Wednesday, 21 November 2012, at 3:12 p.m.

In Response To: Clock and camera (Bob Koca)

As a general rule, I think it is a bad idea to stop (i.e., center) both clocks on your own turn. Rather, you should complete your turn if possible, hit the clock to signify that your turn is over, and then immediately center the clock so you can address whatever issue is of concern. Stopping the clocks during your own turn can lead to trouble:

1. Your opponent might think that you have ended your turn. (Though, to guard against this, you could say something like, "I'm stopping the clocks but my turn is not over yet.")

2. With some clocks, stopping and restarting may give you a new 12 seconds of per-move time. Maybe that's fair considering your turn was interrupted, but the rules don't allow for it.

3. Even though the clocks are stopped, there is nothing to stop you from continuing to think about how to play. So you are getting free thinking time.

Certainly, there are situations where you have no choice but to stop the clock midturn. (Suppose the table collapses and all the pieces get dumped on the floor. Then it is only right the clock gets stopped while the board is set up again. Or maybe there's a dispute that has to be resolved before you can finish your turn.) But otherwise I think you should wait until your turn is over.

Messages In This Thread

• Clock and camera
  Ray Kershaw -- Monday, 12 November 2012, at 5:28 p.m.
  • Clock and camera
    Rory -- Monday, 12 November 2012, at 5:35 p.m.
    • Clock and camera
      Chuck Bower -- Monday, 12 November 2012, at 6:21 p.m.
      • Clock and camera
        Bob Koca -- Monday, 12 November 2012, at 6:30 p.m.
        • Clock and camera
          Rory -- Monday, 12 November 2012, at 6:43 p.m.
      • Clock and camera
        Phil Simborg -- Monday, 12 November 2012, at 11:56 p.m.
        • Clock and camera
          Jason Lee -- Tuesday, 13 November 2012, at 1:50 a.m.
        • Irony in Novi
          Chuck Bower -- Tuesday, 13 November 2012, at 2:25 p.m.
        • Clock and camera
          Colin Owen -- Wednesday, 14 November 2012, at 4:27 p.m.
          • Clock and camera
            Tom Keith -- Thursday, 15 November 2012, at 2:23 p.m.
            • Clock and camera
              Bob Koca -- Thursday, 15 November 2012, at 3:09 p.m.
              • The clock and the cube are sacred
                svilo -- Tuesday, 20 November 2012, at 7:05 a.m.
                • The clock and the cube are sacred
                  Bob Koca -- Tuesday, 20 November 2012, at 3:20 p.m.
                  • The clock and the cube are sacred
                    svilo -- Wednesday, 21 November 2012, at 4:09 a.m.
                    • The clock and the cube are sacred
                      Stick -- Wednesday, 21 November 2012, at 9:04 a.m.
                      • The clock and the cube are sacred. Directors too.
                        svilo -- Wednesday, 21 November 2012, at 10:00 a.m.
                      • The clock and the cube are sacred
                        Michael Crane -- Thursday, 22 November 2012, at 10:14 a.m.
                    • The clock and the cube are sacred
                      Daniel Murphy -- Wednesday, 21 November 2012, at 10:44 a.m.
                    • The clock and the cube are sacred
                      Bob Koca -- Wednesday, 21 November 2012, at 11:29 a.m.
              • Stopping the clock on your own turn
                Tom Keith -- Wednesday, 21 November 2012, at 3:12 p.m.
    • Clock and camera
      Taper_Mike -- Monday, 12 November 2012, at 9:25 p.m.
      • Clock and camera
        Rory -- Monday, 12 November 2012, at 10:23 p.m.
  • Clock and camera
    rew -- Monday, 12 November 2012, at 7:39 p.m.
  • Clock and camera
    Henrik Bukkjaer -- Monday, 19 November 2012, at 9:53 p.m.