Playing a 1 minute game i have 12 seconds on my opponent then bam it reverses the times on our clocks so that he has the advantage. Something aint right here
Don't worry - the clocks are not broken. This jumping is caused either
by Internet lag, or because of bonus time. Here is how lag works on chess.com:
You make a move, the move gets sent to our server, & then your opponent's
computer. We adjust the clocks dynamically so that neither player is "charged"
for communication time - but rather, only for the time actually spent thinking.
A very extreme example:
Imagine it takes 5 seconds for the move to hit our server, then another 5 seconds
for the move to hit your opponent's computer from there. Your opponent will
not see this move until 10 seconds after you make it, but your opponents clock
will usually start counting down on your screen when the move hits our server.
Then, let's say your opponent thinks for a total of 10 seconds. After this, it takes
another 5 seconds for the move to be transmitted to our servers, and another
5 seconds for the move to now go to your computer.
So, you have been waiting for this move for roughly 30 seconds
(10 seconds total travel time, 10 seconds thinking time, and another 10 seconds
total travel time), and your opponents clock has been counting down
for roughly 25 seconds. But since your opponent only spent 10 seconds thinking,
that's all the time they get charged for. So, when their move finally
hits your computer, their clock display re adjusts for the 15 extra seconds
that your opponent wasn't actually thinking. Meanwhile, your clock display
on your end will only count down while you are thinking.
There is no need for correction on your end (and remember, your clock is adjusting
similarly on your opponent's screen).
Fortunately, in reality, travel times are usually less than what is described above.
(In fact, we only allow members to play if their detected lag is two seconds or less.)
However, the travel times are not consistent, so adjustments must be made dynamically.
There is no way around it:
all real-time chess servers have to deal with
lag, though other sites are a bit less transparent about it.
Keywords: clocks, skip, clock, jumping, time, cheat, delay, bonus
Playing a 1 minute game i have 12 seconds on my opponent then bam it reverses the times on our clocks so that he has the advantage. Something aint right here