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BGonline.org Forums
Clocks & Recruiting new BG Players
Posted By: Chris Knapp In Response To: Clocks & Recruiting new BG Players (David)
Date: Thursday, 11 September 2008, at 6:13 p.m.
Hi: I think there is 2 big steps to do this, unfortunately only one (IMHO) really involves your recruits and new players.
First: We must establish the mind set or "ABT corporate culture" that, pure and simple, Open Championship play uses clocks and time management is part of the game! I dont think you will ever acheive a true buy in by the new recruits and/or advanced players to clock use until it is entrenched as the norm and standard for Championship play.
Second: Recognise that most new players in "live" tourneys are likely going to start in the advanced division, we consequently accept that the advanced division is the minors, the stepping stone to open play and treat it accordingly.
Walk before you run! Step 1 is acheived for your recruits, when that new player walks into their first live tournament, and they ALREADY beleive and accept, "To play with the Big Boys (and Girls) you use clocks!"
Step 2, Address the fear/intimidation factors clocks may have on them. To do that you must introduce and familiarize them to clock mechanics and begin to train them on time management! They have to learn and beleive that a clock is just another part of your equipment.
I think the advanced division is the optimum place to accomplish this. If we recognise that this is the breeding grounds and/or "training" to step up. Obviously the only way to learn clock mechanics, is to use them. But I beleive the key to breaking down the inhibitions of the recruit/new players (as well as the established advanced payers) will be to recognise that the fears of the "unknown" and "failure" (read: losing) surrounding "time management" issues are real and address that need appropriately.
Club play with clock usage can obviously be an instrumental part of the process, but not you panacea. Many clubs will resist the change, but more importantly, from what I've seen the last 2 years, a good percentage of the advanced players, particularily many new tourney players, come from online clubs, home and/or computer players that do not involve timed/clock play.
What concerns me is that practice (or club) matches help for mechanics, but until you actually have timed yourself under the stress and pressure of a few "real" tourney matches you wont get a true indication of your time management skill. Considering the time, travel and costs to come to the live events, unless it was forced upon me, I dont think Im the only one who would be loath to risk a match result to find this out, particularily among the advanced players!
In other words, to let them use clocks and "learn" how they actually do manage time in tournament play, we would need to do it during torunament play and need to amend the clock rules specifically for this. There have been many suggestions here on how to accomplish that, Longer times controls per move and/or games, lesser or even no penalty for time violations, etc.
More Importantly, it would have to be something establish ahead of time and obviously you must have the "Directors" buy into this "BEFORE" you attempt it. (I can only imagine their nightmare, if you had numerous different clock rules being used)
I'm buying a clock (for Peoria/Baltimore) and hope to be get a few matches in with it. However, as they say it takes 2 to tango, will they be practice or live, we shall only find out in Oct.
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