English Chess Forum

Predictable, but still not good.

Federations have received a survey to fill in, which is currently being discussed and completed. I will certainly be reading people's thoughts here before making my contributions, so feel free to make them.

Alex Holowczak wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 13, 2026 6:05 pm

I will certainly be reading people's thoughts here before making my contributions, so feel free to make them.

If the ECF wants tournaments with three rounds in a day to be unconditionally rated, it needs to ask for the two games a day restriction to be removed for tournaments where Norm chances don't arise.
Does the USCF still have tournaments with three rounds in a single day? There certainly used to because that's where Stewart Reuben and perhaps others got the idea from.

It's authorized for norms, but the schedules that would make it sensible are not. Yay, joined-up thinking.

I believe I once came across a rather satirical description in German of an attempt to speed up chess in the early 20th century as "Dampfschach" - steam-driven chess. I can't remember who it was that used this word, but I am sure that they would approve of my condemnation of this unnecessary cheapening of the rating and title system using the same term.

60m with a 30s increment seems OK to me, although I prefer 90+30

There used to be quite a few English weekend congresses with a three round day (usually Saturday) but I think that has almost died out now.

Matt Mackenzie wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 13, 2026 7:49 pm

There used to be quite a few English weekend congresses with a three round day (usually Saturday) but I think that has almost died out now.

They are still going in places. Adam Raoof organises them with time limits of 60+30 in London. I organise some in Warwickshire, with a time limit of 80+10.

Alex Holowczak wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 13, 2026 8:02 pm

They are still going in places. Adam Raoof organises them with time limits of 60+30 in London. I organise some in Warwickshire, with a time limit of 80+10.

They are popular where a Friday evening round would be difficult. Witney, Kidlington and St Albans are examples where the move rate is 90 minutes + 15 seconds.
Derbyshire and the Somerset New Year are other examples. Essentially it's any 5 round tournament over two days.

I seen to remember such 3 game a day congresses being heavily disrupted by certain players abusing the 30 seconds increment to drag especially long endgames on for an unnaturally extended duration