I'm seven years late to this thread, but thank you for this conversation, NM Reb. I was reading the USCF's Official Rules of Chess and how an opponent playing Black cannot insist on an analog clock over a digital clock with time delay in a game with sudden death rules. While I understood the concept of sudden death time controls, I couldn't think of an example of what non-sudden death would be. I think every tournament I've ever played in has had sudden death.
Your post cleared up a lot. Thanks!
For closely contested games with SD time controls, there is also the issue of FIDE's "cannot win by normal means rule". For example, in recent game of mine when very short of time, hard to say exactly because where not using digital clocks, made the draw claim when had Rook and h+pawn v Rook. However, there was no arbiter because a club championship game, and opponent issisted on playing on. We sort of resolved issue in a friendly fashion by making record of final position and sending off for decision. I am not even sure if Danish Chess Federation uses FIDE rules, what a pickle!
I also remember that most of the unphleasant incidents have seen when playing in the Yorkshire league, were related to the grey areas of what "normal means" meant.
Bye John S