Curious time control

Historical knowledge and information regarding our great game.
Post Reply
User avatar
JustinHorton
Posts: 10364
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 10:06 am
Location: Somewhere you're not

Curious time control

Post by JustinHorton » Mon Dec 06, 2021 10:02 pm

I've been rereading Botvinnik's One Hundred Selected Games, prompted by this Twitter thread, and I was struck by a note to game 39, Yudovich v Botvinnik, 1934
The last move before the time-check, and, is often the case, inexact.
What's striking about that? The move was Black's 37th - and I don't think I have ever come across a 37-move session before.

The game was played in Leningrad at the "Tournament of Masters with the Participation of Euwe and Kmoch". Is it known whether such a time control was normal in those days, and how much time did the players have for those 37 moves? (And as an aside, are there other time controls known where the number of moves required to be made is a prime number?)
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

User avatar
IM Jack Rudd
Posts: 4818
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:13 am
Location: Bideford
Contact:

Re: Curious time control

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Mon Dec 06, 2021 11:12 pm

The time-check's being at move 37 doesn't necessarily mean the time control was then, mind. People often go past the time control when blitzing.

Roger de Coverly
Posts: 21301
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm

Re: Curious time control

Post by Roger de Coverly » Mon Dec 06, 2021 11:41 pm

IM Jack Rudd wrote:
Mon Dec 06, 2021 11:12 pm
The time-check's being at move 37 doesn't necessarily mean the time control was then, mind. People often go past the time control when blitzing.

30 moves in two hours was a popular time control in the 1930s and in recent years, county matches have been 35 moves in 105 minutes. Quitel ikely the time control was move 30 or 35, or even the old league favourite of 36 (in 90 minutes)

User avatar
JustinHorton
Posts: 10364
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 10:06 am
Location: Somewhere you're not

Re: Curious time control

Post by JustinHorton » Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:31 am

Maybe, but I think that if Botvinnik's error had been after the control due to blitzing, he might well have said so.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

David McAlister
Posts: 70
Joined: Sat May 21, 2011 1:09 pm

Re: Curious time control

Post by David McAlister » Tue Dec 07, 2021 10:16 am

I do not have any direct evidence regarding the time control for Leningrad 1934.

However a time control at the 37th move was used in Moscow 1935 (won by Botvinnik and Flohr ahead of Lasker and Capablanca).
6. Time for thinking: for the first 37 moves - 2 1/2 hours, for every 15 moves after that - one hour (with accumulation of time). Thus a control check of the chess clocks will take place after the 37th move, the 52nd, the 67th, the 82nd and so on.
Source: page 24 of Moscow 1935 International Chess Tournament (Translated by Jimmy Adams and Sarah Hurst: Caissa Editions, Yorklyn, DE 1998). From the Section "Programme of the Second Moscow International Chess Tournament" at pages 23-25.

Moscow 1936 (won by Capablanca ahead of Botvinnik) had a probably more usual first time limit at the 40th move.
Thinking time: for the first 40 moves - 2 1/2 hours, for each subsequent 16 moves - 1 hour [togther (sic) with the accumulated time]. Thus the control shown on the chess clocks falls after the 40th move, 56th, the 72nd, etc.
Source: page 6 of Moscow 1936 International Chess Tournament (Translated and edited by Jimmy Adams: Caissa Editions, Yorklyn, DE 1988). From the Section "Programme of the Third Moscow International Chess Tournament at pages 5-6.

User avatar
JustinHorton
Posts: 10364
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 10:06 am
Location: Somewhere you're not

Re: Curious time control

Post by JustinHorton » Tue Dec 07, 2021 10:25 am

Excellent: thanks very much, David. (I've asked Doug Grffin on Twitter if he knows specifically the time control for the Leningrad tournament, though my guess is that it's the one you've identitified.)

Any more prime number controls?
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

User avatar
Gerard Killoran
Posts: 1006
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 11:51 am
Contact:

Re: Curious time control

Post by Gerard Killoran » Tue Dec 07, 2021 11:31 am

The Bradford League had a time control of 37 moves in an hour and a quarter before the introduction of digital clocks. To be strictly accurate, we still do. From https://www.bradfordchess.co.uk/resourc ... 202019.pdf
16. If no digital clocks are available, the alternative time control of 3 hours at the rate of 37
moves in 1 1/4 hours shall be used. After Black's 37th move the clocks shall be turned
back 15 minutes and all the remaining moves are to be completed in the time available,
unless both captains agree otherwise before commencement of the match. ECF blitz
finish rules apply in all cases.

Kevin Thurlow
Posts: 5820
Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:28 pm

Re: Curious time control

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Tue Dec 07, 2021 12:59 pm

"The Bradford League had a time control of 37 moves in an hour and a quarter before the introduction of digital clocks. To be strictly accurate, we still do. "

Good grief - so those of us who try to assign a rough value to how many moves we intend to make in each 15 minute period have to be a bit inventive.

User avatar
Matt Mackenzie
Posts: 5205
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:51 pm
Location: Millom, Cumbria

Re: Curious time control

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Tue Dec 07, 2021 1:10 pm

I wonder if the 37 moves were combined with 23 in the next session to make a more familiar 60 in all?
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

PeterFarr
Posts: 624
Joined: Sat Apr 06, 2013 11:20 pm
Location: Horsham, Sussex

Re: Curious time control

Post by PeterFarr » Tue Dec 07, 2021 1:18 pm

37 in 2 1/2 hrs. and 37 in 1 1/4 hrs. make sense in that your are trying to get to 4 mins per move in a 5 hr. session and 2 mins per move in a 2 1/2 hr. session.

In both cases it seems a shame the logic was not pursued further to put the time control at 37 1/2 moves, i.e. after White's 37th.

Post Reply