People taking time over moves

Ok grumpy old man here again and hello chess lovers everywhere.

I've got three 3 day games on the go right now and all of them play their moves within hours of timing out (crossing my fingers (and naughty me) I wish they did) - the other 24 games, no problems. They all happen to have in common the fact they playing over 100 games (in one case 600).

Ok, to cut the chase, it ****** me off. I find it difficult to be enthusiastic about playing these dear folk, having to retrace steps every time, and would much rather there was a warning before I took on the challenge that I would up against such a person - so I can choose NOT to play them.

It takes all sorts I know but give me the honest plodder (like me I suppose) who play timely moves (once in the morning and once at night say) taking occasional extra time for other things or to think when the possition is complex.

Please chess.com, make available info about prospective opponents playing habits so we can decide if we wish to play them or not.

John, in someone's profile it does list information such as:

• How many games they are playing
• Their average time per move
• Their time-out percentage for the last 90 days 

Or did you mean on the Open Seeks screen itself? 

If you click "view", a screen will show some information, but of course while you are looking at that someone else might accept the seek. Personally I glance over prospective opponent's WLD ratio before making a decision.

If you make your own open seek, you can adjust the settings (such as by lowering the time control) and specify certain requirements your opponent must meet. 

Of course, when it comes down to it, your opponent's time is theirs to use as they wish - just as yours is. Cannot complain about someone using their time. That's what it's there for. That notwithstanding, hopefully some of the above practical considerations will help you :)

When you start and online game isn't there a setting to select people who make their moves faster than the maximum allowed time.

Also, you are allowed to take as long as you like to make a move, so you don't get to be frustrated when other people use a their time.

Thanks David for the helpful info.

I will try that - I was looking before I posted but couldn't see that info. Most of my games these days are as a member of a team so I don't have the luxury of choosing my opponent - most I do play are perfectly fine.

When I do open seeks I do try to find out about my opponent beforehand but usually I am asking a question along the lines "is this guy interesting" - v.subjective I know. But I will now look at his playing habits too.

About time for moves, I have come to a view that 3 day games suit me most - while I try to play every day and hope my opponent does too, it allows some leeway when needed. Shorter creates undue pressure and longer can attract procrastinators. Having said that I have played a number of games with a chess playing friend where the time control is seven days, yet we usually (both) play at least one move a day.

I should also add that when you do get a person that drags out moves in a team match you can and do get the situation where a game is >90% complete quite early on but it takes a few months more to complete the match. Can't help feeling there should be a way to stop this happening as it can't do good for the morale of those who just "want to get on with it".

I think that this may just be one of the prices of playing online chess with day/move time limits.  Recently I have been slowing down my play - I used to fire off my moves super fast - to look more closely at the positions, so I hope I am not one of the offenders!  

The people at chess.com want to keep chess fair...   ...In other words, it would be unfair for you to be able to cherry-pick which games that you want to play. (No offense)

Razdomillie: I'm not aware of settings other than time to make move, which doesn't solve problem. I appreciate when you sign up to play there are rules and people who take 2 days 23 hours to make a move in a 3 day game are playing within the rules if not the spirit of playing online chess.

Estragon: my answer to your question crossed before I saw the question.

dgmisal: I see no problem with your approach - most of us need to slow down, even if only to avoid burnout, becoming addicted and becoming more susceptible to making errors. My miff is with those who take time playing moves without respecting what their opponent might want and then to add insult to injury justify it by the number of games they play.

msjstrehler: I disagree - if I can find a way to cherry pick I will and feel no compunction doing so. It is selfish people who are unfair (no offence).

I have this same problem and see it over and over. I'm in a team chess match where a guy literally will come within 5 hours of timing out everytime before making his move. He has gone on vacation at least 5 times during our two simultaneous games and he has about 80 games going at once.  With open seeks, I have now limited my games to 24 hours per move because even though it is their time, it really sucks having to wait and losing my train of thought.

Might I suggest a new Online Chess game mode for chess.com to consider? An online game mode where a person has x amount of time to make their moves. For instance, each player has 7 total days to make all their moves, and their counter does not reset. If it takes a player 24 hours to make their first move, they only have 6 days left to make the rest of their moves. This would reduce the amount of people abusing the time limits, because let's face it, even though it is their time they are absuing it.

sounds an excellent suggestion ohsnapzbrah and as a refinement limit the number of vacations people can make as that could be a loophole.

you mention the two simultaneous game scenario but what about if only one? people like your chappie can then double the agony time. As an admin for a group I tend to specify two rather than one simultaneous games to avoid this even though I prefer one.

The problem with a certain amount of time per game is, someone can win on time just because they go to bed an hour later than their opponent each night.

Something like "2 days per move plus 7 days total extra time" might work, so if for some reason you get delayed unexpectedly once you don't just lose, but that's pretty similar to vacation.

How about looking inside your feelings for a solution? I really find it hard to think that it is necessary to you to feel the irritation. Maybe you can pin down exactly why this thing irritates and then convince yourself that whatever the reason it is not worth the irritation?

You seem a very reasonable guy. I'm betting that if you met these opponents it would turn out you'd get on fine with them. Goodness knows why they take the time but you say you sometimes find the full three days useful. Can't you just assume that there are things which make the same true for them just a bit more frequently and leave it at that?

I can see the irritation of delayed tournaments.  But there is a guy in my division of a tournament at the moment who takes his full three days every single time and when I looked I found he had timed out in his last tourney with a won position playing the last game that would determine first and second. No way did he time out for any reason to do with irritating an opponent. He just must lead a busy life and struggles to get his chess in.  (This chap only plays half a dozen games at a time).

And if that won't work and it comes right down to it, resign the irritating games. Your posts don't suggest to me that you are obsessed with rating points. I'd guess you value them pretty much precisely to the same degree I do myself. Or play some blitz. :)

By coincidence the guy I mentioned just made a move. In my two games with him we have managed six moves and seven moves. In the other games the numbers are 19, 26, 33 and finished some time ago.

Must admit it is going to slow the tournament down. Although I imagine he will not be the only one in a field of 100.

Why oh why are they always from the USA?????

...Because 40.9% of the members on this site are from America...

I don't mind slow players at all, as I usually end up playing slow myself.  I  feel free to take my time and end up playing a better game.  However in a tournament slow players (and there usually is one) can make it to drag on forever.

Well three of the most populous states in the world are in America so I'm not too surprised about that statistic. Not sure, though, why it tells me something about the posting characteristics of folk from the USA.

Let me jump in on this bandwagon.

People from the USA are all stupid, just because they were born there!

Hooray, politics. 

Politicians are not real Americans, I believe that they might be related to the human tailbone...   ...completely useless...

JRB136.....going back to  the topic.....If I was you...I would be more selective with who you play with....that is all....try not to stress about it...enjoy your games :)

For decades I played postal chess, where you'd get one move per week if you were lucky. 3 days is nothing! Some people take more time than others. So?