Why do so few players play 30 min live chess?

I have found 30 min live chess (the longest live version offered on Chess.com) to be the most useful tool towards improving my chess skills, especially when combined with analysis of these games to identify my weaknesses (and of course healthy doses of Silman's "Reassess your chess" and tactical puzzles). However, despite chess.com having a huge number of people playing live chess, I have found myself repeatedly playing the same people multiple times, even on different days! It can also take a while to find an opponent, even though my filters are set for anyone over 1400 elo (I am around 1450 myself). Many of the games only use a fraction of the allowed time, usually 10-15 min per side, but in more complicated positions you have sufficient time to think, plan and learn; often leading to beautiful rewarding chess games.

My question is: why is 30 min live chess not more popular on chess.com

People have lives outside of the screen and they can't sit down for more than 15mins without being interupted, also lot of them may be working where they should be ! lol

I like longer time controls but i choose not to play 30 minute games because ill make the same mistakes in those games as i would in 15 minute games and i hate resigning with 29 minutes left on my clock, incidently so do my opponents who choose to disconnect in losing positions only to arrive just before they time out, move, and then do it again after i move hoping ill choose to abandon the game because i value my time more than winning (this happens somewhat frequently in 15 minute games so i cant even imagine agreeing to a 30 minute game) thats a definite downside to internet chess... you cant karate chop d-bags in the throat for being jerks

205thsq wrote: "I like longer time controls but i choose not to play 30 minute games because ill make the same mistakes in those games as i would in 15 minute games and i hate resigning with 29 minutes left on my clock, incidently so do my opponents who choose to disconnect in losing positions only to arrive just before they time out, move, and then do it again after i move hoping ill choose to abandon the game because i value my time more than winning (this happens somewhat frequently in 15 minute games so i cant even imagine agreeing to a 30 minute game) thats a definite downside to internet chess... you cant karate chop d-bags in the throat for being jerks"

Wow, how annoying! This hasn't happened to me yet in a 30/0 game, I wonder if there is a lower incidence of immaturity/poor gamesmanship in the albeit smaller 30/0 pool compared to the 15/0 pool?

kco wrote: "People have lives outside of the screen and they can't sit down for more than 15mins without being interupted, also lot of them may be working where they should be ! lol"

Interestingly, I find 30/0 games permit some interruptions, such as my wife or daughter asking me a question, which I can respond to then get back to the game. However, any interruption in a 5/0 blitz game usually means the game is lost!

Happens to me quite a bit. Players, rather than resigning like sportsmen, will just walk away so I have to sit there and wait for their clock to run down. Damned annoying 

yeah, in my one and only 30 minute live game my opponent let also running down the clock in a losing position. not a good start I think. Actually, I'd like to play a 90 minute game once a week here - guess there's no hope to find an opponent here? I need to improve in long time controls since I performed so badly in my first OTB tournament...

@DrJamesB: I'd like to play some 30/0 games with you but due to the time difference it may be a bit difficult. at what time do you play chess normally?

Ón chess.com i play for fun. Blitz and bullet is fun. If I want to play longer games fx 2 hours i play a Real tournamant.

The longer the time control on the game the easier to cheat.

But I think it's a time thing.  Most 10 minute blitz games are over in 5 - 10 minutes or so.  So I can get a bunch in in a day.   I played 5 minute for a long time, but they almost always get so crazy that it feels that it's almost exclusively about cheap shots and mistakes.  I'm sure OTB players and correspondence players (who have the analysis board to cheat with) feel the same way about 10 minute chess.  But with 10 minute, you can often spend a few times thinking for a minute or two and get some interesting strategy or tactics going.

Cloverstinnia wrote:

Many players do not have the patience for 30/0 because they think fast chess is more fun. However, 30/0 is the best time control for improving one's skills. It is best to notate and analyse the games as well.

30 minutes is not very long. I Think 120 min. Is the Best time control if you want to improve your chess. 30 min. Games is called rapid.

i'd bet that is true but i also dont play 30 minute games online because I lose focus in endgames i believe I am winning and i think my opponent should just resign but when they "rightly" do not i make ridiculous blunders due to lack of focus, you'd think having longer time controls would help with that but it dosent it just makes me more impatient to hurry up and move because in my mind ive already won.... this is all a "me" problem but i am just trying to add to the conversation as to why there are much fewer 30 minute live chess enthusiasts... i think it is a good time control... i have timed out of 15 minute games simply because my focus was too deep and i could not force myself to make a decision

Everytime i play longer games on chess.com i Won with about 5 min. Left and my opponent have 25 min. Left. People dont use Their time they need patience. Therefor they play blitz because they dont have patience to play games on 1 hour. But standard chess games normally takes 2-5 hours!

@Kageri, I usually play several 30/0 games in the evenings. I'm in California so it is usually after 8pm PST. If the timing works out I'd be happy to play some 30/0 games.

@205thsq, I think 30/0 games have helped me stay focused for longer, which is good practice for OTB games I play about once a week. Basically, for me at least, 30/0 forces me to focus longer, play well thought out strong moves and play better chess. 5/0 blitz chess gave me bad habits of moving without thinking too much.

I can't speak for everybody else. I don't play it just because there are so many trolls out there, who will play 4 moves. Then when they decide they don't like how the opening went, just walk away. (Darn! He didn't fall for it!)

And I really don't feel like waiing 29 minutes and 45 seconds for his time to run out. So I don't play 30 minute chess.

@reflectivist, I don't worry at my level about people cheating. Any computer assisted player is going to be at my level (1450) for such a short period of time (before they cross the 2000 barrier) that the chances I will play them, will be very small. And even if I do play a cheat, it will still help me improve my game in the post game analysis. As a small aside, I feel a bit sorry for cheats, they will never get that genuine rush of a well fought mental battle.

Yeah lots of people cheat in standard live, at the level ~1800 and above.

@varelse1, this seems to be a common theme! I must have gotten very lucky. I have played at least a couple of dozen 30/0 games and have not met a troll yet. A couple of guys took a good 10-15 minutes on a single key move, but I just answered email and watched TV while I waited. It wasn't a high price to pay for the improvement I've gotten from 30/0 games, but I respect that some people may see this as wasted time that they could be playing an extra blitz chess game in. All said, I haven't met one of these time-out trolls yet, and I am not looking forward to it!

PS. Could anyone tell me what elo their "time-out troll" was? My theory is the kind of player that will just let his game timeout after only playing a few moves will be under 1400 elo. As I am filtering out all sub 1400 players perhaps I am filtering out (or at least dramatically reducing the incidence of) these trolls?

I've played thousands of games of 5 and 10 minute blitz here and have hit plenty of trolls who have kept me waiting for the remaining 7 minutes or so of their time.  And that adds up.  A 30 minute game, I'd be pissed.  And it will happen to you enough that it won't be cute anymore even if you can find distractions.

If people want long slow games with time controls of 45/45 join the DHLC group or Aww Rats groups. No trolls just genuine players.

i play only 30min games. never happened