interesting topic. One thing i would say is that i remember one GM, i forget the name, Speelman springs to mind, spending 30 minutes deciding what is the most troublesome variation of the modern defence against black at about move 3. I think that the clock ticking should be a fact of life rather than a nervousness problem- and not something that should be even thought about. You are perfectly justified in spending an inordinate amount of time on the clock if the position merits it, since your analysis speeds up subsequent moves. I have found that in tournament games the time constraint is more or less in line with the amount of time i would give the average position anyway. CC could be a problem... as sooner or later a time constraint is inevitable. But i generally agree that CC gives a fairer game to a beginner. It's just about having a feel for the position, and from my experience i find that a time constraint is a sound factor to speed up one's mind in any case :)
Is correspondence chess better/worse/same for beginners?
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Just wanted to see what you all thought of this topic. As a beginner, during live chess, I am way too aware of the clock ticking down as I figure out my next move, and I think it completely interferes with what little concentration I already have. Alas (who uses that word anymore except for Hansel and Gretel?), I feel much more comfortable at CC. Therefore, A) could there be an iota of truth in the idea that CC could be good for beginners because they don't have that time constraint, B) false because you can set live games for a high amount of time and therefore should not be affected, or C) I can't really be bothered with this now, American Idol is on. Your thoughts?