I just want to express a special thanks for the organizers.  I have played against many brilliant players and have learned from them all.

Madame du Plessis was so kind, that she gave allowed the staff to restore the game I lost on time! Thank you very much!

Almost the final round! Please be patient while I finish my final games.

Not quite poetic, but he ran out of time at almost the exact same time as Karpov ran out of time against Kasparov in the 4th match in Valencia!!!

Roll on 2nd round, good luck all.

FINALLY!!!!! It's over. The 1st round is OVER! Good Luck To Everyone In Round 2.

The worst part is that they are not even playing for a place in the next round.

But Alas, He came back, now we probably have to wait another week or two!

Still, it'll give me time to finish all my other games/Tournaments so that I can focus 100% on the 2nd Round here.

Yes, only 2 hours 45 mins left for this guy's vacation time. If He Doesn't come back, 2nd round begins in 15 hours.

Or if he gets back and somehow has more vacation time given to him.  I had that happen in another tourney.  Guy had 2 days of vacation time left and suddenly he had 15 days of vacation time left.  That tourney is currently over a year old and we still haven't finished the first round!

2 days and 5 hours to go (as long as he doesn't come back at the last minute and spend an age finishing his games!!)

strider80  No.  Your score at the start is the only thing they look at. 

Do massive changes in your rating since the start of this tournament mean there's a chance you'll be ejected?

When I started, I qualified, but now I've went a bit above the cut off - is that an issue?

Isn't there a way to limit vacation time?  I think it should be allowed but give each player 10 days maximum for the whole tournament.  Nobody needs 3 weeks of vacation in a row.  Did this guy not know he had a 3 week vacation when he signed up for the "QUICK" knockout tourney?

Can this guy who is holding up the whole tournament be banned from future entry?  Unbelievable that one guy is holding us all up for another week.  Un-BELEEEEEVABLLLLLE...

Unbelievable. This Sparrowwingclipper guy has 64 minutes left in a lost position and he goes on vacation.

Wohoo, Sparrowwingclipper is back............

only thing is that the 2 remaining games after those are on vacation and there's a month left for them. my third tourney to be held up by vacation time. just everyone's luck, not only mine.

Getting close, Almarick whose been on vacation for ages and has 9 unfinished  games only has 20 Hours of vacation left..... Reckon that'll be nine time outs before the end of tomorrow!

1 other Game is being played, so that just leaves 2 games to be finished.

Every game left is on vacation.  I would say the person on vacation is in a totally lost position in the vast majority of them too.  One of them went on vacation with just minutes left on thier clock with no way to prevent thier opponent from promoting a pawn.  Just resign if you're in a lost position and going on vacation. Show some courtesy.