There needs to be a way to end a tournament that has gone on for too long. And I understand that the time-per-move system should take care of this, but that is not the problem. People are exploiting the system, going on vacation when they're close to losing, or waiting until the last minute to make a move, hoping their opponents will get frustrated and quit. Tournaments are timed in real life, couldn't there be a way to set a limit on the duration of one here? I'm talking about a set ending point, where all games in progress at that point are draws.
In a recent issue of Chess Life, the magazine of the US Chess Federation, they announced the results of two recently completed "Golden Knights" correspondence chess tournaments. Specifically, the 1997 and the 1999 tournaments.
Correspondence chess takes a long time. This is a strange concept in fast-paced, fast-changing internet-land, where ten or twelve years can seem like centuries (does anybody remember Gopher?). No doubt some people are looking to exploit loopholes; but the fact remains that a hard-fought, hundred-move game at a 3-day time limit could take nearly two years to complete.
(Applause) Thanks DimKnight, I couldn't have said it better myself.
"Tournaments are timed in real life, couldn't there be a way to set a limit on the duration of one here? I'm talking about a set ending point, where all games in progress at that point are draws."
Wouldn't this be giving in to the stallers? People who stall when they are losing would get just what they wanted. They would draw instead of lose.
No, because the stalling issue is handled by time-per-move. If you can't defeat your opponent before time runs out, then the draw is in order. For more info, check out the way trading card game (like Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh, etc.) tournaments are handled - since most of the players there are very young, the rules are somewhat more vulgar and easier to catalyze. And each phase of time control (stalling, match length, tournament length) is clearly addressed.
My biggest complaint is on tournament length, which I feel the current Chess.com rules don't address how to handle.
Niven, your complaint is "People are exploiting the system, going on vacation when they're close to losing, or waiting until the last minute to make a move, hoping their opponents will get frustrated and quit."
If you make a hard deadline that a game becomes a draw on a certain date, then all you have done is give people a reason to stall. You are making the "exploiting the system" even more worthwhile. Not only can a defeat be delayed, it can be made into a draw.
"If you can't defeat your opponent before time runs out, then the draw is in order."
Often times an easily winning position requires another 20-30 moves to grind out to checkmate if the opponent is stubborn enough. If, as you say, the losing side is taking the maximum time and going on vacation, how is it the winners fault the game is not concluded by the deadline?
Everyone's had valuable comments and I thank you for your insight. I guess what would make me happy (a tournament judge) is a function that's not entirely feasable for the Chess.com staff. But yes, a "reasonable time limit", after which games in progress are considered draws, would suffice. Yes, there would be some players who would exploit this, but not at all like it is exploited currently by players who are clearly avoiding loss.
If you can't defeat your opponent before time runs out, then the draw is in order.
This is still ripe for manipulation -- your opponent has too much control over the duration of the game because half of the moves are his. I can see a situation arising where you are in a winning position, but also bearing down on this time limit, and your opponent just works to strech his moves out to the maximum allowed in the hopes of landing a draw. This would be particularly easy to do if the imbalance were evident very early in the game.
Perhaps what you're looking for is a maximum aggregate time each opponent is allowed per game in addition to the time-per-move. If you run this clock down, you lose, much as you would for a time-out on a single move. This would ensure that your opponent's pace has no bearing on your aggregate time nor would it result in an outcome that is less favourable for the non-offending player.
the only tournament i can see you involved in started on the 6th may just 18 days ago. it is a 3 day /move tourney. now at normal calculations this (allowing for an average 30 move game) could take 180 days ie 6 months to complete. And even with faster play I can not see ending in less than 3/4 months. You have not been on site that long so how can you possibly be complaining about slow play??
You are in a multi round tourney and some of the other groups are quite understanderbly at a less advanced stage than yours. So why the rush to get yours over with. even if your group completes you are locked into your 1 tournament until it finishes.
I'm in 2 tourneys. The Chess.com one doesn't count towards your limit. My "Czech Open" tournament is also one where someone has been manipulating time. Perhaps I'm just unfortunate to have been paired with the only 2 "bozo's" on this site.
TheGrobe wrote: ...what you're looking for is a maximum aggregate time each opponent is allowed per game in addition to the time-per-move. If you run this clock down, you lose, much as you would for a time-out on a single move. This would ensure that your opponent's pace has no bearing on your aggregate time nor would it result in an outcome that is less favourable for the non-offending player.
Exactly. But more to the point, it would take a Judge to determine if someone was holding up the entire tournament, which is something that we'd only get in a perfect world.
I realize that some tournaments, especially correspondance, could take a while to complete. My situation is one where someone is deliberately holding it up - which ruins it for the other players that aren't Chess.com members. And yes, I will totally not allow this in my tournaments.
If you truly think that someone is deliberatly holding up an entire tournament, to the detriment of the rest of the players, the best way to handle that is to inform the chess.com staff. Use the "Report Abuse" link that is at the bottom of every page on this site, and they will respond to you as soon as they can.
Thanks for your advice. I've already filed a complaint, but the person isn't necessarily "absuing", since they are still entitled to the described behavior by the rules.
By the way, this guy has over 70 games in progress, many of which he's winning due to time. My gut feeling is that he's milking the system, but there's nothing against it - we could all do the very same thing if it didn't violate all common sense and decency.
tbh i believe that there is nothing you can do about this problem you feel is there.
im currently playing the last game of a tournement which ive been playing for a long time. I use 2 days usually to make moves.i cant get to come on the site everyday and when i do i have several games playing at a time and i like to think about my moves carefully.some games are easy to make moves in as its easy to know one of the best moves to make while others i spend a few visits to the site looking at them.\i think that this draw idea would not work at all and people would just get more annoyed at it and then have more discussions about it in other forums. Its just one of the downfalls of correspondance chess.
But surely it doesnt take up much of your time as you only look at it when its your turn and when its not you have plenty of time to play other games. And if its because you can only play one tournement at a time side affect yes this is annoying but its supposed to encourage you to pay to play on this site. No such thing as a free dinner. Personally i think this is by far the most superior site ive played chess on, especially for free where i have everything.
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