I have couple of people that made few moves in a month...or more. Vacation seems to be the mainstay. Does anybody else experience this?

i've played someone like that but not quite as slow. he moved once every 24 hours. he would have timed out if it wasn't for his vacation.

Whats wrong with one move a day? Thats entirely within their rights, is it not? And on the subject of cheating, people don't have to play that slowly to do it! Vacation time- thats limited, they'll run out eventually. In playing correspondence chess, you are agreeing to be patient. Otherwise, you'd be playing live.

It’s a common phenomenon these days. It didn't used to be in the old days of postcards, but it seems to be common on the Internet. Former US CC Champ Ed Duliba said you SHOULD move at a snail’s pace and try to be the last to finish in any tournament and play on for 6 months (in post card chess anyway) after you reach a position where you’d normally resign. It’ll anger and frustrate some opponents and in their agitated state they may blunder. Personally I like to keep things moving but many players don’t. I’m in one server event with 7 days per move and one guy always waits until he has 12 hours left before moving. I’m on move 17 against him and double to triple that against everybody else. Oh, well.

Some people log in once a day, make moves in all their games, and then repeat the next day. Nothing wrong with that.

I completely understand, and I see that a lot. I have a problem with people moving in the last hour (from 5 days/move) or vacation a week, then one move, then vacation again.

Yeah, I know what you mean. But.... many people would point out (and they have a point) that if the opponent is moving in the allotted time, then, well, there's really no problem. The "contract" is being met, in some sense.

And the vacation problem, well theoretically it will run out at some point, right? The typical advice is to just start another game.

I know what you mean, because what it comes down to is a single online chess game taking several months. It seems ridiculous, especially when some of the games can finish in under 1 day!

one thing you can do to help prevent this is to challance people who either have a fast move time, or a low amount of vacation time, this information is on their profile. Also enter tounaments where vacation time is not allowed.

But other than that I say that you should just deal with it, and create new games if your oppnents are on vaccation while you wait for them to return.

I to have a few games where the more it appears I am poised to win the less frequent my opponent moves, they moved fairly regular until they fell behind. Is it that they want to delay a loss? or withhold your win? I am new here so I do not have a lot of games under my belt but it seems I have had this 3 times so far, Maybe to early for any conclusion.

I have heard that "if you are dissapointed you expected to much!"

Well, I log on about once a day, or once every 2 days (I never play 1 day/move), and if my opponent is online, I will make an extra 3 or 4 moves, to speed things up.

I have had people who make a move then go on vacation...

Well, you have to make sure that all you've made moves in all your games before you can go on vacation.   I log in at least 3 times a day, and I usually play no more than 3 days/move, so glad they made 2 days/move.

Well months to finish a game seems a little over the top.......but if people are moving one move a day or less, and are finishing their games without using vacation time, you really shouldn't complain because you agreed to those time controls. If you think there's a possibility you'll complain about the pace of your game just play games with 3 days per move or less :)

I have played someone that played a move every 2 years, understand that I quit too ealy after 3 years.

And did loose the game but I did forget my last move, Alzeimher or old age?

I do not remember.

My email sends a text to my cell phone when I get an alert. This is a free hotmail option but you pay for the text to your phone company, other email services have this also, see your email options.

I entered a tournament which was 1 day per move, thankfully it is over. very stressful.

What's that got to do with the topic?

My oppenent went on vaction in a tournament. They didn't move for the whole vacation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I waited their whole vacation time then the 5 day move period!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you win?

it matters not to me. if you have more than a dozen ongoing plays just ignore the dollards and enjoy the interesting ones... it's just a game. when you no longer enjoy it then whats the point? 

At www.ficgs.com it is considered quite fast to take an average of less than 5 days per move per game. The standard time control there is - 40 days/10 moves + 40 days increment every 10 moves + 30 days vacation a year for *everyone* whenever they want [the f in ficgs stands for free - there are no business-class and full-rate-economy-class and discounted-economy-class etc members -- there is only one kind of membership - free.]

note: I am talking about ficgs not fics.