Introduction: Timing Methods; Time (Options 1 To 5); Period + Guillotine (Options 6 And 7); Periods + Guillotine (Option 8) - FIDE DGT XL Manual De Usuario

User Manual

Introduction: Timing Methods

Time is an exciting aspect of many sports. This is certainly true in games such as chess,
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go, draughts, shogi and Scrabble . A players' skill is determined not only by decisions, but
by how quickly those decisions are made. The more a sport is seen as a contest, the more
important it becomes to reduce the time a player has to perform an action. This should
be realized in a way that is closest in line with the typical features of the contest and the
sport that is practiced.
The DGT XL offers 11 different standard methods for timing two-player games. The
thinking times that are most commonly used are pre-programmed in the DGT Clock as
options 1 to 22, but it is also possible to combine different methods by manually setting
your own personal preferences (use option 00).
Whilst several methods are well known, others may be less familiar to you. Several of
these methods have been in use for a long time; others are the result of the possibilities
now offered by modern electronics.
Every method has its own charm and has an influence on the manner in which a sport is
experienced.
The traditional "quickie" of 5 minutes per person is different from 3 minutes using
'Bronstein' or 'Fischer' in which every move attracts an extra 3 seconds of thinking time,
although the total thinking time for a game is hardly any different.
We recommend players to experiment with the various methods which the DGT XL offers.
It can add an extra dimension to your favorite sport.

1. TIME (Options 1 to 5)

This is the simplest way to allocate time. Each player is given one period in which they
must make all moves.

2. 1 PERIOD + Guillotine (Options 6 and 7)

The first period is used to play a predetermined number of moves. The second period,
the Guillotine, is used to finish the game. 1 Period + Guillotine can be used as an
alternative to the traditional ''Rapid and Blitz'' with a quiet start.

3. 2 PERIODS + Guillotine (Option 8)

For a less frantic game, it is possible to play a game with two periods before the
Guillotine.

4. 3 PERIODS + Guillotine (Option 9)

A quiet end to a game also has its advantages. The simple traditional clock gives the
players repeated one-hour periods in which to complete a predetermined number of
moves.
For more than 50 years, it was standard in chess to play a serious game in two periods
separated by a break. This had two disadvantages:
Games could not always be decided after two periods.
From 1990 onwards, the increasing strength of chess computers and endgame databases
added what some considered an unfair advantage in the ability to analyze adjourned
games.
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