TIME-KEEPING IN IECC GAMES
Below, you will find some questions and answers about time-keeping in IECC
games. Some of these questions arise frequently in the Arbiters' daily
work. They often come from new members, who have been playing
correspondence chess in another organization before. If you still have
questions after reading it, please contact the Arbitration department at
.
Q: Which games are we talking about?
A: These rules don't apply to IECC's International Team Events, which are
handled separately by Conrad Goodman and have different time-limits and
time-keeping rules. Everything below applies only to IECC internal games.
Q: How is reflection time calculated?
A: In the IECC, only the dates are used for counting reflection times, not
the time when a mail arrives or is sent. To get the number of days you
used for a move, you subtract the date when your opponent's move became
available to you from the date when you sent your move. For example, your
opponent's move became available to you on February 12, you send your
move on February 15. Your reflection time is 15 - 12 = 3 days.
Q: What does "when the mail became available to you" mean?
A: What counts is the date the mail arrived at your mail server, not the
date on which you download it to your own computer. For example, if
your opponent sends his move on the 12th, but you don't get around the
check your mails that day and download it the next day, you still have
to count from the 12th, the day when you could have downloaded the mail.
Q: What about time-zones?
A: Time-keeping is based on your local time. Mail clients like Outlook
Express display the date of mails in the inbox adjusted to your local
time, so you don't have to think about this. You don't even need to
know in which time-zone your opponent is. An example: Player A is
located in USA East coast (time-zone -5), player B is in Germany
(time-zone +1). Player A sends his move on the 14th, at 9pm. It
arrives at player B's server almost instantly, but due to the six hours
time difference it is already 3am on the 15th there. Player B's time
starts counting the 15th and he effectively "gained" a day. Please note
that this day is not counted in either player's account. Player A's
time ends on the 14th, the day when he sent his move; player B's time
starts on the 15th. This may seem unfair to player A, but next time he
may be playing against an opponent in USA West Coast or in Hawaii, and
then he will have the "advantage".
Q: Do I have to keep track of my opponent's time, too?
A: Yes, you do. You must keep track of your opponent's time somehow, even
if all you do is keep his mails, because if you do not get a response to
your last move within five days, you have to repeat your last move. If
you do not hear from him after another five days, in other words ten
days after your first mail, you need to submit a formal time-complaint
to the Arbiters (not "optional": see below).
Q: Do I have to send time-keeping information with my move?
A: Unlike in some other chess clubs, in the IECC it is not mandatory to
send time-keeping information with each move. However, many players
agree on some sort of time-keeping system at the start of a game, in
order to avoid future disputes. How you keep track of your own and
your opponent's time is up to you.
Q: What if a mail gets lost?
A: Occasionally, it may happen that a player does not receive a mail his
opponent sent to him. This is why we have mandatory re-sends in the
IECC. If you don't hear from your opponent for five days, you repeat
your move. If a mail got lost somewhere, he will most likely respond
to the re-send. In these - rare - cases, reflection time for the days
between the first mail and the re-send is not counted. Your time ends
when you sent the mail the first time, your opponent's time starts
when he got the re-sent mail.
Q: What are the IECC time-limits?
A: IECC time-limits are: (a) not more than 10 days for any single move, and
(b) not more than 30 days for any 10 consecutive moves - in other words,
not more than 30 days for moves 1 to 10, not more than 30 days for moves
2 to 11, not more than 30 days for moves 3 to 12, and so on. This means
that time saved is _not_ carried forward, and playing fast during the
opening will _not_ give you much of a time-advantage later in the game.
Q: What if my opponent violates time-limits?
A: If your opponent violated either of the time-limits (10 days for a
single move, 30 days for 10 moves), you have to submit a formal
time-complaint to the Arbiters at . A
time-complaint must contain the following information:
- Event name and number
- Your name and E-mail address
- Your opponent's name and E-mail address
- The date of the start of the game(s)
- The date of your last move transmission
- The date of the mandatory 5 day resend transmission
- Record of the game
- The nature of the violation
- Any other information that may be pertinent in assisting
the Arbiter or the TD in resolving the matter in a
timely manner.
The Arbiters will then try to contact your opponent and try to sort it out.
Q: Does a time-violation always lead to a forfeit of the game?
A: Often, players do not submit a time-complaint when their opponent
violated time-limits, because they prefer to finish the game the
"regular way". This is not correct and can cause a problem,
especially in multi-round events, where the next round cannot be
started before the previous one is finished. Submitting a
time-complaint is "not" a choice a player can make, it is an
obligation. When the Arbiters receive a time-complaint, they will try
to contact the missing/offending player and try to determine the reason
for the delay. Unlike in other chess clubs, in the IECC a
time-violation does _not_ automatically lead to a forfeit of the game.
The Arbiters can rule that the game be resumed under certain
circumstances:
- if the missing/offending player responds to the arbiter's enquiry
within 6 days
- if it is the first time-violation in that game
- if the missing/offending player has a reasonable excuse for the delay
- if the missing/offending player can give the Arbiters some kind of
assurance that he is both willing and able to complete the game in
accordance with IECC guidelines and time-limits
In other words, we allow one time-violation, if all the above conditions
are met. Whenever possible the Arbiters will try to resume the game rather
than forfeit it. So please, don't see the Arbiters as "executioners";
mostly, we are just trying to help to keep games in progress.
Q: What if my opponent does not respond any more?
A: If your opponent does not respond at all any longer, the same rules apply
as for time-violations. After five days you repeat your last move, after
10 days you submit a time-complaint to the Arbiters. They will try to
contact your opponent. If he does not reply to their enquiries within a
reasonable time, the game will have to be awarded to you by forfeit.
Q: What if my opponent and I cannot agree on the times used up?
A: Because of these rare cases we strongly recommend that you keep copies
of your last ten mails to your opponent, as well as your opponent's last
10 mails. In case of a dispute, occasionally the Arbiters may ask you to
send them copies of these mails (but please do not include them initially
with your time-complaint: only send them if the Arbiters request it).
Q: What if I am on vacation?
A: If you go on vacation or cannot resume your games for whatever reason,
you have to send a mail to , as well as to
all your opponents, explaining shortly the reason for the absence and
the exact dates.
Q: Is all this in the IECC guidelines?
A: Yes, it is. The relevant sections are:
7.2 All calculations of Reflection Time are based on your local
date of receipt and transmission.
7.3 Reflection Time is the number of days from the date that a
legal move becomes available to you on your server until, and
including, the date you respond to your opponent with a legal
move.
For example: if your opponent's move is available to you on
your server on July 4 and you respond on July 4 you accumulate
zero days of Reflection Time; or, if you respond on July 5 you
have accumulated one day of Reflection Time; or, if you respond
on July 6 you have accumulated two days of Reflection Time.
7.4 IECC time controls are 10 consecutive moves in 30 days of your
own Reflection Time. 10 consecutive moves is represented by
moves 1-10, 2-11, 3-12, etc.
7.5 You may NOT take longer than 10 days of your own Reflection
Time for any one move.
8.1 All leaves of absence must be notified in advance to all
current opponents and to the Absence Coordinator at
. The Absence Coordinator will
produce a weekly list of notified absences which will be
circulated to all staff members.
|