FIDE Chess Clock Contract Bidding

FIDE have announced the winners on 31st January on their website. But the actual result date should have been 23rd September last year. The contract is for the rights:
- to have certain models of chess clocks designated as a “FIDE Championship Clock”(Chess Olympiad, World Championship Match, Candidates Tournament, World Cup, Grand Prix)
- to have certain models of chess clocks designated as an “Official FIDE Chess Clock”(for World Seniors Ch., World Team Ch., World Youth Ch.) 
- to have certain models of chess clocks designated as a “Chess Clock Recommended by FIDE for National Federations”. 
The rights will expire on July 31, 2022. 
The Winners are
“FIDE Championship Clock” hasn't been granted to any of the bidders.

“Official FIDE Chess Clock” has been granted to DGT 2010 model and DGT 3000 model.

“Chess Clock Recommended by FIDE for National Federations” has been granted to DGT 2010 model and DGT 3000 model, Chess Evloution Classic model, Leap KK9908 model.
"The bidding procedure has been submitted in order to prevent the monopolization of certain areas and industries in a market economy, to encourage innovation, and to develop competition" says FIDE. 🤣

Interesting that only one company (DGT) seems to have been granted the designation of "Official FIDE chess clock" in a process designed to "prevent the monopolization of certain areas and industries in a market economy, to encourage innovation, and to develop competition"

Nothing against DGT by the way it's just above seemed a bit strange when I read it first. Their clocks are good and may be superior to anything else out there.

And also "FIDE Championship Clock" hasn't been granted to any of the bidders yet. That means currently used DGT 3000 stands as of now and in the near future. That's how FIDE works. 🤣

For the VTEK 300 to possibly become the "FIDE Championship Clock", some changes to the clock would need to be made.

1) The clock needs to freeze in the FIDE mode for time controls with increment or delay and for time controls without increment or delay, either: 1) freeze or 2) not freeze but have a clear sign that shows which player ran out of time first.   

2) If the tenths of a second are turned off and a player has some time left but it is less than a second, the clock just shows "0:00" This violates the FIDE rule for a clock to get FIDE certification that "The display at all times should show the time available to complete a player’s next move (preferable to display seconds also from beginning).". The clock should show one second, not zero, in cases like this (like all other clocks that I am aware of do) to make it clear that the player still has some time left. 

3) The fact that you can't start either players side of the clock when un-pausing the clock may be a deal breaker as well. 

Any chance of a new version of the VTEK that fixes these (and some other) issues?

Why is it always like this? There is always like these little imperfections that could be easily eradicated but the companies are not doing. 
The two small things that DGT need to do is use Metal instead of plastic, show number of moves always. 
Won't that make them perfect? Let they price the metal one a bit higher like Chronos, VTek.
Why aren't they doing this?

Thanks for the reply Shelby.

For issue number one, what do you mean when you say this is already done? As far as I know, I have the latest version of the VTEK 300, version 1.0.3, and the clock does not do these things. Here is something I wrote earlier in this thread on this issue (with a few additions), which references two of the FIDE rules found at https://handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/C02Standards.pdf

"5.4.1. In approved clocks, when one clock reaches zero in an increment mode time control, the other clock does not run further and retains its last display. For Rapid and Blitz tournaments, when one of the clocks reaches zero, the other clock may be set to continue to run until it also reaches zero.

5.4.2. In approved clocks, when both flags fall down must be seen which flag fell first."

FIDE defines the term "increment" to include "delay". The FIDE laws of chess, https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012018, defines the term "increment" as: "An amount of time (from 2 to 60 seconds) added from the start before each move for the player. This can be in either delay or cumulative mode."

All of this shows that the clock should freeze for a classical time control with increment or delay under FIDE rules but the VTEK 300 does not freeze for a classical time control with increment or delay while in the FIDE mode. When it says "rapid and blitz tournaments", it's not clear whether it's referring to all rapid and blitz time controls or just those without increment or delay. Since the DGT 3000 clock is FIDE certified and it's preset rapid and blitz time controls with increment or Bronstein delay are preset to freeze and it's preset rapid and blitz time controls with increment or Bronstein delay are preset to not freeze, I'm assuming it's only referring to rapid and blitz time controls without increment or delay. The rules say the clock "may" be set to not freeze in rapid and blitz (without increment or delay) but in these cases the clock must have a sign that shows whose flag fell first if both sides are out of time. The VTEK 300 does not do this since both sides of the clock simply show zero and the words "TIME EXPIRED" if both players have run out of time. Even though there is no fundamental difference in the way it's done (either the clock freezing or not freezing and having a sign showing which side flagged first) since the arbiter and the players will be able to tell which side flagged first and report the outcome of the game accordingly, it's probably simpler just to have the clock freeze under rapid and blitz tournaments with no increment or delay. It also doesn't state anything for classical time controls without increment or delay but it's probably simpler just to have the clock freeze in these cases as well. 

For issue two, National Tournament Director and FIDE International Arbiter Ken Ballou told me he thinks it's a big issue, regardless of if it's breaking any specific FIDE rules or not. All other chess clocks I am aware of do not operate like this. I'm not sure what you mean by asking how I was able to test this. 

If you simply test the VTEK 300 clock against most other chess clocks, you will see that the VTEK 300 will show "0" when the time goes below one second and the tenths of a second are turned off while the other clocks will remain at "1" until the time expires. 

If the clock shows "1" and a player has less than one second remaining but still has some tenths of a second remaining, it is technically not correct either but it is better than the clock showing "0" (regardless of it is breaking any specific FIDE rules or not) since it makes it clear the player still has some time left (imagine your side of the clock showing "0" and your opponent makes a time forfeit claim and you have to try and explain that there are still some tenths of a second left. Simply having the clock show "1" prevents all of this). There has been some discussion on the US Chess forum about whether the time on chess clocks should round up or down and it was agreed by everyone that chimed in that it's better for the time on chess clocks to round up. 

Not really since most won't know what kind of flag fall indication the clock has and that the clock rounds down. I don't want to have to explain the flag fall indication and the tenths of a second issue to opponents before the game.

Any update on the three VTEK issues I brought up in this thread plus the following two issues?

*The clock does not give the increment for move one in the US Chess or Custom modes like it does in the FIDE mode. For example, for G/3;inc2, each player gets 3:02, not 3:00, to complete move one under FIDE and US Chess rules but the clock only gives the players 3:02 for move one if the clock is in the FIDE mode. In the US Chess and Custom modes, the clock only gives each player 3:00 to complete move one. Getting the increment for move one has been the US Chess rule since before the VTEK was released. I helped write a "TD Tip" (which are meant to be editorial comments) with US Chess rulebook editor Tim Just and others which was recently added to the online edition of the US Chess rulebook and should appear in the next print edition of the rulebook that makes it more clear that the players get the increment for move one under US Chess rules. Since getting the increment for move one is the FIDE and US Chess rule, I don't see any reason why the clock shouldn't give the increment for move one in the Custom mode as well. 

*If you set the clock for a multiple time control with the increment only on the sudden death time control (such as the time control for the next World Championship match which is 40/120,20/60,SD/15 with a 30 second increment only on the sudden death time control) the clock incorrectly gives the increment for move one if it is in the FIDE mode. 

Funny how DGT has remained the dominant choice, and all the challengers have not been good enough to be the next brand.

Maybe someday after covid is no longer a pandemic, companies like Casio and Seiko would vie as the official time keepers in the game of chess.