THE F.I.D.E. TIME CLOCK RULE IS GOOD FOR CHESS

written by Abed

Our honorable International Chess Federation, better known as FIDE, has found a way once again to stir-up the chess world, this time via a chess clock.


In the last FIDE congress, the international chess federation voted to implement a new rule, by which, if a player is not physically at his board by the time the clock starts - he loses.


For some reason one would think this is a good thing; however, surfing through the world of chess blogs one sees an outpouring of anger over this new rule.


Here is where I have to drop by two-cents into the machine of "every one has an opinion." We, the chess community, always critize why our sport (because chess is a sport and if it is not then we must stop trying to have it incorporated into the International Olympic Committee) is not taken seriously.


Football, I always see football teams on the field way before the game starts and they are multi-million salaried players.


Baseball, the players are on the diamond way before the games starts.


Soccer, the players even meet on the field before the whistle blows to discuss strategy.


Ok, ok, maybe that is because they are team sports, how about the individual sports?


Golf, I see Tiger Woods always ready to go collect his weekly "allowance" of $180,000 a week at every tournament he participates. I have never seen him arrive late.

How about, Tennis? Marathon runners? etc

Oh, but we chessplayers are severly inconvenienced to be on the board when its our time to compete. A $40, 000 a year grandmaster wants to be allowed to arrive at least 10 minutes late to his game, when $500,000 dollar a month Tiger Woods is expected to be minutes prior to his game ready.

Maybe their is a reason why chess is not taken seriously by other sport organizations.

If my own daughter were to lose because she arrived late, even a minute or five seconds late, I am sure it would never happen to her again. If you cannot respect the game then maybe its time to chose another game to play...wait tennis, golf, soccer, baseball and every other sport would force me to play on time.

I guess we better stick to chess then.

I said my peace.