Standardization of time control
To: FIDE Presidential Board
CC: FIDE Office, FIDE Rules and Tournament Regulations Committee, FIDE Titles and Ratings Committee
Following several fruitful meetings between the ACP and FIDE regarding time control in official FIDE events, it is time to make one more step forward, the one the majority of professional chess players are waiting for – to standardize the time control in all events.
Chess players find it very difficult to adapt to various time controls in various tournaments. The situation has become very serious, as practically, it is hardly possible to play two tournaments in a row with the same time control! In majority of other sports, the duration of a game is precisely set and there is no reason why in chess the situation should be different.
After the ACP – FIDE meeting in Athens in July 2005, the new time control was proposed for official FIDE events: 90 minutes for 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for remaining moves, with an increment of 30 seconds per move, starting from move 1. This time control has been widely recognised and warmly welcomed by many chess players and organisers, however a significant number of chess players preferred other, longer, 7-hour time control.
The standardization of time control is absolutely necessary, however the ACP understands, that it is reasonable to leave a choice between the two above mentioned possibilities to organisers of a particular event, as for some tournaments the shorter time control can be more suitable, while for other tournaments the longer one. After many discussions with players, organisers, arbiters, and officials, the ACP has decided to come up with the following proposal:
Section I – Digital clocks
Classical(90’/40+G-30′)+30″ (“the shorter”)
[90 minutes for 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for remaining moves, with an increment of 30 seconds per move, starting from move 1]
or
(100’/40+50’/20+G-15′)+30″ (“the longer”)
[100 minutes for 40 moves, then 50 minutes for 20 moves, then 15 minutes for remaining moves, with an increment of 30 seconds per move, starting from move 1]
Rapid
(G-20′)+10″
[20 minutes for all moves with an increment of 10 seconds per move, starting from move 1]
Blitz
(G-3′)+2″
[3 minutes for all moves with an increment of 2 seconds per move, starting from move 1]
The above mentioned time controls are to be used in all official FIDE tournaments, as well as in all FIDE-rated tournaments. Both, “the shorter” and “the longer”, time controls for classical chess are equally possible. Tournaments, in which different time control is used, should not be calculated for rating and title purposes, starting from the 1st of July 2008.
Section II – Mechanical clocks – Transition period
The ACP is aware, that some tournaments are still played on mechanical clocks. Therefore, we propose the following time controls to be used on mechanical clocks:
Classical
120’/40+G-30′
[120 minutes for 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for remaining moves]
or
120’/40+60’/20+G-30′
[120 minutes for 40 moves, then 60 minutes for 20 moves, then 30 minutes for remaining moves]
Rapid
G-30′
[30 minutes for all moves]
BlitzG-5′
[5 minutes for all moves]
The above mentioned time controls for mechanical clocks can be used in FIDE-rated tournaments, however no longer than till the 30th of June 2010. After that date, no international title norms (WIM, WGM, IM, GM) will be achievable in such tournaments, however the tournaments will be still counted for rating purposes.
Nevertheless, the ACP already recommends to use digital clocks with the time control described in the Section I.
Section III – Official FIDE events
Taking into consideration results of official meetings between the ACP and FIDE, we propose to use:- the shorter time control (90’/40+G-30′)+30″ in Olympiads, World Cup 2007- the longer time control (100’/40+50’/20+G-15′)+30″ in World Championship Matches, Challengers Matches, FIDE Masters Cup
The ACP proposes to conduct the official poll among all participants of the World Cup 2007, in order to establish whether they prefer the shorter or the longer time control to be used in World Cups and Continental Championships. The time control for future World Cups and Continental Championships should be set accordingly to the results of the poll.
Best regards
ACP General Secretary
Bartlomiej Macieja
On behalf of ACP Board
16th of September 2007
What do you think of the demands? Who should have the right to set the time control? FIDE, the players, the sponsors or the organizers?
Click here to vote.
I prefer the time control 1 move in 24 hrs + 24 hrs bonus after each move. My favorite game is correspondence chess, you may have already guessed! For “normal” chess the best time control is depending how much free time I have, which is little. So maybe, 5 minutes per game.
Hi Susan,
I don’t agree the way you set the poll. It is not like FIDE will determine the time control, or the sponsors, or the players, any time individually.
The case is that everyone find a consensus and then use a standard time control.
The question here is not who will determine the time control, but whether to have a STANDARD is good or not.
The players and sponsors may find that is good to have all games with a unique time control for classical, another for rapid and another for blitz.
But also, we can have 2 options for each, or 3, or 4! Whatever! To have 10 options of different standard time control is “infinitely” better than have infinite options!
🙂
Cheers,
Beco.
I though Rapids were 25 minute games with some time increment.
25+15 or 25+10 would be my preference for Rapids, not 20+10.
I think the organizers should have the authority to set the time controls.
When FIDE pays for all the tournaments, then FIDE can tell all the tournaments every picky detail it wants. But until then…
‘Standardization’ is sometimes just a pretty sounding spin term for the bad concept of stifling innovation.
as someone who is giving away a large sum of money to play and organize, fide can either reimburse me or keep their opinions to themselves. That ius a classic example of beurocracy interfering with promotion, tell our fide reps to get a job and make some money. eric d moskow m.d.
Eric, giving some dollars to chess doesn’t give you the right to silence FIDE.
A standardized time (not a compulsory time) is good for everybody. 90 min + 30 secs has proven slightly too short, 90+30 min + 30 secs is a reasonable alternative.
With your money you can have any time limit you like in your own events. If you want to sponsor a FIDE event such as Olympiad or World Youth, well it will have to be FIDE time limit .. or they will get another sponsor.
I agree, sounded like it applied to all fide rated events my bad.
Sheeer Garbage on the part of the ACP. Gary got on this diet 10 years ago, & now seems to not think of any more of it than FIDE’s performance, in a Tournament Organizer’s setting. Haven’t they got any better rules to debate (cf the fide forum for a wonderful batch of inconsistencies)?
I think that players and FIDE should have the authority to choose time controls and not organizers, because that promotes chaos and sometimes organizers do not have in account the quality of chess and only the organizers point of view. In the way of organizers, we end up in calling 1 hour a classical time! A tournament for FIDE rating must be a serious time! Organizers, can arrange any tournament they want but with the condition that to organize a FIDE event or a tournament for FIDE rating it must be according to players and FIDE will. 90min+30s is proven to be too short and do not defend the quality of played chess. 90+30 min + 30 secs is an interesting time but I think that 2h+1 k.o. defends chess more. Chess should not be selled to tv or to a rapid way of modern life. Chess should be for the players, and serious chess should be above cofee chess and the owner of the cofee should not give opinions about serious tournaments. This is the way organised sports advance.