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BGonline.org Forums
Why Are TD's So Resistant?
Posted By: Mike Main In Response To: Why Are TD's So Resistant? (Bill Riles)
Date: Wednesday, 15 October 2008, at 2:20 a.m.
It certainly seems the opinion of the vocal members of this forum that tournament clock play is the way to move backgammon forward. However it should be noted that this might not be the opinion of the average tournament backgammon player (present or future.) So we need to find out.
I’ll be trying an experiment at Bg Live in London in November – Bg in London have 32 Game Time 2 clocks so we’re well placed to do it. I’ll let you know how it goes after the event but here’s the plan:
Bg Live in London is not geared towards big money players – rather it’s designed for backgammon fun and learning. About 85 backgammon players have signed up for the weekend, less than 20 of them have played with clocks before.
On the Friday evening clocks will be available for use if both the players of a match would like to use them.
A quick introduction to the procedures of clock play will happen on the Saturday morning as part of a seminar.
The Saturday Singles Knockout will not use clocks but they again will be available should both players in a match wish to use them.
On the Saturday evening we run a 32 Pairings Doubles Tournament. Clocks will be mandatory throughout this tournament. Hence 4 people will learn together and the work load of learning clock play will be dissipated between them. Clock times will be generous (3 pointers, 30 seconds per move and a time bank of 10 minutes.) The idea is for players to learn how to use them, to have any fears they have of them quashed and hence see the benefits of clock play.
On the Sunday the maximum 32 player Swiss Tournament will also be a mandatory clock play event. Again clock times will be generous (5 pointers, 15 seconds per move and a time bank of 12.5 minutes.) For those that do not wish to play on clocks there will be other tournaments (Jackpots, Team and Tric Trac Tournos.) For those that really get into clock play there will also be Blitz Tournaments (5 point matches,10 seconds per more, time bank of just 2 minutes.)
We send out a survey to all players after the weekend asking them for their opinions (good or bad) of the weekend. We’ll canvas their views on clock play in that and I’ll be happy to publish the results of that survey.
I think I’m sticking my neck out in doing this experiment but seeing as my ambition is to open up live backgammon to a lot more live players than we currently have in the world I think it is the way forward. If it all goes pear shaped……. darck, it ain’t gonna!
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