DIGITAL CLOCK STANDARDS, CLOCK MODES

by Bill Smythe

Chapters 1 and 2 discussed the basic look and feel of digital clocks, and the arrangement of the digits on the display. Chapter 3 is devoted to the various clock modes.


MODES

Many digital chess clocks advertise 70 or more modes, but these are usually combinations of modes, numbers of time controls, display methods, etc. There are really only 3 modes needed in a chess clock. These modes, combined with the other factors, should produce all the flexibility required:

1. Delay mode (also called Andante)

2. Non-cumulative add-back mode (also called Adagio or Bronstein)

3. Cumulative add-back mode (also called Fischer, FIDE, bonus, or progressive)

In delay mode, five seconds (for example) tick away on each move before the main time begins. This is the current USA tournament standard.

In non-cumulative add-back mode (commonly called Bronstein), time is added back at the end of each move. The time added is the delay time (e.g. 5 seconds) or the time actually used, whichever is less. This mode is mathematically equivalent to delay mode, provided that an additional 5 seconds is added to both clocks when the clock is started initially, prior to White's first move. Most clocks which feature this mode do, indeed, add the delay time at the beginning of the game, for complete compatibility with delay mode.

In cumulative add-back mode, time is added every time a move is played. This time, typically 30, 60, or 90 seconds, is added regardless of the amount of time used by the player on the previous move. FIDE recently attempted to impose this mode in all FIDE-rated events, but now appears to backing down somewhat.

It is important to note that cumulative add-back cannot be used as a substitute for delay or Bronstein. Occasionally a player will set his clock for a cumulative add-back of 5 seconds, in a sudden-death tournament designed for a 5-second delay. Much to the opponent's consternation, the player's clock time may then actually increase with each move. Tournament directors should impose severe penalties on players who use cumulative add-back in tournaments where a simple delay was intended.

Another mode, the traditional moves-per-hour or sudden-death mode with no delay, has not been mentioned above. There is no need for such a mode on a digital clock, as the players can simply use delay mode, with the delay set to zero. In fact, it would be preferable if digital clocks did NOT have a no-delay mode explicitly, so that the use of the delay would be encouraged.

Non-cumulative add-back (Bronstein) could also be omitted, as it is nothing more than a confusing version of delay mode. Manufacturers should be encouraged to incorporate a straight delay, rather than Bronstein, if they choose to include only one of the two.

Delay mode and cumulative add-back mode, then, should be the only two modes necessary on a digital chess clock. Some manufacturers may prefer to add a couple of "fun" modes, such as byo-yomi or hourglass, to make their product a bit more attractive.


TIME CONTROLS

All three modes -- delay, non-cumulative add-back, and cumulative add-back -- should be available with either one, two, or three time-controls (possibly four, as well). For each control, the clock should allow the user to specify the number of moves. Entering 0 moves for the final control would signify sudden death, whereas a non-zero number would specify that the final control should repeat indefinitely.

Example 1:
Number of controls: 2
First control: 40 moves in 90 minutes
Second control: 0 moves in 30 minutes

The above would mean 40/90, then SD/30.

Example 2:
Number of controls: 2
First control: 40 moves in 90 minutes
Second control: 15 moves in 30 minutes

The above would mean 40/90, then 15/30, then 15/30, etc, indefinitely.

Example 3:
Number of controls: 1
First control: 0 moves in 90 minutes.

The above would mean game/90.

Example 4:
Number of controls: 3
First control: 40 moves in 90 minutes
Second control: 30 moves in 60 minutes
Third control: 0 moves in 30 minutes

The above would mean 40/90, then 30/60, then SD/30.

Example 5:
Number of controls: 3
First control: 40 moves in 90 minutes
Second control: 30 moves in 60 minutes
Third control: 15 moves in 30 minutes

The above would mean 40/90, then 30/60, then 15/30 indefinitely.

Any of the above settings should be possible with either delay, Bronstein, or cumulative add-back mode. For some reason, some clocks today do not allow multiple time controls in Bronstein mode. This should be corrected.


MISCELLANEOUS

Time should always be displayed as hours, minutes, seconds, as for example 1:59:59. If, however, hours is zero, it should be possible for minutes to be set up to 99, rather than just 59. For example, game/90 could be set as either 90:00 or 1:30:00. But if hours is set to 1 or more, the minutes should only go up to 59, so that 1:70:00, for example, would not be allowed. In no case should minutes be allowed to exceed 99, as a display showing 100:00 would be far more confusing than 1:40:00.


Next chapter: The user interface for making initial settings.


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