Hey guys, thanks for reading this in advance.

As you know from the title of this forum, I wanted to put a new idea forward about a new version of chess. Mainly because it would be easy for chess.com to adopt the idea. This is it: Hourglass Chess. It works like this; when both players are ready, an hourglass (which is not necessarily an 'hour'glass) is flipped from neutral to white (any side), the moment he makes his move, he flips the hourglass and it becomes blacks turn. This continues until mate, draw by agreement, resignation or until someone's sand has runout. As you can see, this helps players play like live chess, but this means that as long as take the same amount of time as your opponent, you should be fine. If you take longer, the sand will build up in his half and this will give him more time. And obviously, if you don't take as long as your opponent, you get more time you can use on one particular move that requires alot of calculation. Giving handicaps to lesser players will be easy, one half of the hourglass will simply get more sand to begin with.

Thanks again,

Vincent

Neat. The main problem I see is that since your time is relative to your opponent's, and since taking 10 minutes gives your opponent 10, you have in effect wasted 20 minutes.

Also, how is it possible to get an equal amount of sand in both halves of the hourglass at the beginning? I think it's going to have to be electronically done.

Thanks for the comment ASpieboy.

You see, then he will have to make a move, and if he is about your level in both gameplay and the amount of time he has to think, he'll use about ten minutes as well. (It's all a little confusing, I'm going to have smooth over the rough patches.)

That's why I posted this here, in chess.com, where it can be electronically done.

Vincent

What about getting Seirawan chess on this site as well? The hour glass idea is neat, though I do not like to spend much time on the computer...hourglass chess looks like ti will be way funner in real life, great idea nonetheless!

Thanks averbach555,

I'm very curious about this Seirawan chess. I shall look it up.

Vincent

I looked it up. Very interesting. I suppose that the English Opening would be the one I'd favour most, and after 2. Nc6, I'd place the hawk down on b1.

Vincent

Let's not mess with the classics.  If it ain't broke....

I don't know anyone that's played with hourglass timing, but both the Chronos II and the GameTime II chess clocks offer it as an option, so some people must use it.  It might be fun on Live Chess, but I'd rather see Bronstein (count-down) delay added first as a timing option alongside the current Fischer (increment) timing.

Anyway, according to what Erik said on his last Chess.com TV broadcast, he won't be adding any new features to Live Chess in the immediate future.  He wants to make it bullet-proof first (no drops, etc.)  At least that's how I understand what he was saying.

Amy

Ah, I see. Fair enough. It's better to fix any former problems/bugs first before going on.

Thanks again,

Vincent

It already exists on Chessmaster 10th edition

NO! thats a bad idea! you need time to think

Heck,why don't we just play an online version of No Stress Chess where you just draw a card and move the appropriate piece. Skill tactics & strategy all go out the window with this one - it'd be anybody's game!

http://trus.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pTRU1-2864286dt.jpg

and this is the General Chess Discussion forum on Chess.com...where we are generally discussing all things Chess...in general :)

Personally, I have no interest in playing any variants...was just burning up free time by posting while waiting for opponents to make moves.