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BGonline.org Forums
Clocks and Penalties
Posted By: Rich Munitz In Response To: Clocks and Penalties (johnk)
Date: Saturday, 11 September 2010, at 5:46 p.m.
"It’s not the clocks themselves that I have a problem with but the draconian penalties for running out of time – adopted from chess along with the clocks,"
Not true. When clocks were first introduced into backgammon, there was no per-move delay, and there was a system of penalty points and added time for timing out. It didn't work, as it created a system of strategies involving unorthodox play to run down someone's time and cause penalties. Furthermore, there was no consideration of long games played at a reasonable pace. The clock was too much involved in the match rather than a somewhat silent observer keeping people disciplined.
With the subsequent introduction of the Bronstein time control and a per-move delay time, the need for such a wacky system and all of the bizarre strategies went away. You could play forever with 12 seconds per move. Anyone can roll the dice, pick a somewhat reasonable play and hit the clock within 12 seconds. You then have to decide where you will spend the rest of your time. Do you spend it on difficult checker plays? Cube decisions? Pip counting? Match equity calculations? Or do you spend it shaking your dice 23 times before rolling them off the board?
There is no reason for anyone to run out of time. There is usually ample time to play at a reasonable pace and forget about the clock. But sometimes instead of pondering a decision endlessly or looking at all possible variations for the next 2 rolls, you have to just make up your mind. That's something we all benefit from. As for pip counting. I'm rather slow too and I can't remember anything. I have choices. 1) practice pipcounting to get faster; 2) count pips less often; 3) Don't change a thing and expect time to simply not be a problem, and reassess that position as the match progresses. I opt for #3. I have never run out of time. I will never run out of time. I have never gotten below 30 seconds of clock time, but if I did, I could still play and not run out of time.
Stop worrying about the penalty for running out of time. Manage your time and you will never have to deal with that penalty. The penalty for not wearing a seatbelt is draconian. So wear a seatbelt.
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