shorter than the extra time per move, a player can build up the thinking time available for subsequent
moves.
Note: The Digital Game Timer remembers, through the operation of the lever at the start of a game,
which player is playing white. This has consequences for the moment when a player exceeds the
available thinking time for the first time. If black is the first to exceed the allotted time for the first period
then white receives a double bonus. This is also important in the FIDE-tournament and in both Fischer
options.
6. FIDE Tournament
(Options 15, 16 and 17)
In this method two periods of time are alloted before extra time per move is available.
7. Bronstein
(Options 18, 19 and 20)
The oldest proposal from the chess world for a solution to the problem of limited thinking time came
from IGM David Bronstein. His method applies from the first move, so that the triangle appears
immediately in the display. The principal thinking time is reduced by delay. Before the principal thinking
time is reduced the player has a fixed amount of time to complete a move. It is not possible to increase
the thinking time by playing more quickly as it is in the FIDE and Fischer methods.
8. Fischer Rapid
(Options 21, 22 and 23)
This method also applies from the first move. The difference between this and the Bronstein method is
that it is possible to obtain increased thinking time by completing a move in a time which is shorter than
the extra time allowed.
Always ensure that the lever is in the correct position before a game begins.
9. Fischer Tournament
(Options 24 and 25)
The Fischer Tournament method is the most complex in the way thinking time is regulated. In addition
to the extra time available per move, the player is also allotated an extra amount of principal thinking
time after a pre-determined number of moves has been completed.
For this option a move counter is available. This counts the number of completed moves (that is: the
sum total of the moves played by both white and black). The allocation of new principal thinking
time occurs only at the appropriate moment if the DGT is carefully operated.
10
a
. Go with byo-yomi
(Options 26, 27 and 28)
From its very nature the game of go lends itself naturally to allowing players extra time to complete a
game. Traditionally, the byo-yomi method is used for this. Byo-yomi gives the player who has used up
his thinking time a fixed amount of time for each subsequent move.
In normal games of Go the principal thinking time allowed is 1 ½ to 2 hours, usually combined with a
byo-yomi of 20 to 30 seconds. After the principal thinking time has been used the clock jumps to byo-
yomi time. Each time a player completes a move the clock jumps back. If the player has not completed
the move before the clock reaches 0 a flag appears in the display. For top matches the principal thinking
time is 9 hours which is followed by 5 byo-yomi periods of 1 minute each. At the end of the 9-hour
period the clock jumps to 5 minutes. If the player completes a move before a time of 4 minutes is
reached the clock jumps back to 5 minutes. If he completes a move after the 4-minute period has been
exceeded, the clock reverts to 4 minutes. The clock thus reverts each time to the beginning of the current
byo-yomi period.
10
b
. "Overtime", Canadian byo-yomi
In order to use the original byo-yomi method with traditional clocks it was always necessary to have a
time referee with a stopwatch. This regularly resulted in personnel problems. Therefore, in recent years
the game has often been played using a compromise solution in which each player is given 5 minutes
new thinking time to complete a fixed number of moves, usually 10 or 15. The Digital Game Timer
allows "Overtime" to be employed through the use of time correction as described in paragraph 8 of the
technical section of this manual.
