Why should I quit playing chess online? All I ask is not to have to wait 3 weeks for someone to make a move. What's playing by post card got to do with the discussion? I'm fully aware that no vacation tournies exist and I'm not categorically saying vacation time shouldn't be allowed, but weeks on end is excessive! One last point, if posting a forum topic makes me a whiner then maybe we should all stop posting, including you!
Vacation Time
Vacation is something that is taken when all of ones responsibilities are taken care of, not to avoid them. If you sign on for a tournament, play the games you signed up for! Don't be selfish and hold up the the group of players that want to play chess that has some continuity and tempo tothe game.
Dose a Dr. leave a patient half way through sergery and say "I think I'll take a vacation I'll put you back together in a week or so"
Dose a landscaper mow half the lawn and say I think I'll take a vacation and finish this lawn when I get back"
I hope that was whinney enough for a post
I think vacation time is actually very necessary for correspondence chess to work at all. Since games go on for months even when neither of the players uses any "extra" vacation time, life will eventually get in the way no matter what. It may be work, family or whatever, but it will definitely be something at some point.
It is called "vacation" but I agree with efour that it should be called "life" or "problem". I know it is frustrating to have to wait for a player to return to the game, but I always believe that a problem has occurred before I suspect anyone of being irresponsible or selfish : sickness, computer major problem, some life problem that is much more important than being present at our games...etc. I am playing in one tournament where one of the players in my group stopped playing after the 5th move. We had to wait more than a month because he is a diamond member with more than a month vacation credit. He never came back.
And also, the post is about engaging n a tournament, not just a correspondence game.
And please, why the insulting posts against wbilfc ? This website doesn't deserve such aggressive posts.
VACATION TIME IS IMPORTANT===IF YOU MUST LEAVE THE GAME FOR A SHORT TIME==YOU CAN SHORTLY RETURN AND NOT BE DISCREDITED
You could just not enter tournaments that allow vacation time and only enter those that dont, seems simple enough to me.
Peace
Of the 279 Upcoming Tournaments that I can see, 42% (117) are No Vacation.
There is a filter to show you No Vacation tournaments, but no filter to show you Vacation-allowed tournaments.
I believe chess.com should seriously consider removing vacation time. I'm sick of entering tournies only to have one or two players hold the whole thing up whilst on vacation time, which can extend to weeks and weeks. If chess.com insist on keeping it then it should be very much more limited in its use. If you can't commit to fulfil your tournie commitment then you shouldn't enter in the first place.