Ken Blake said in a message to Doug Attig:

DA>4. Time control is 3 moves in 30 days.  This is a standard for slow EMa
DA>   chess. Allowances must & will be made for technical difficulties.  I
DA>   not anticipated that anyone will be forfeited for time violations, u
DA>   they simply disappear (in which case they will aso be SHOT! ).  T
DA>   is just a guideline.

 KB> All these rules are very clear, except number 4, the time control.
 KB> I  understand that it's just a guideline, but I'd still like some 
 KB> clarification.

 KB> What is counted in determining 3 moves in 30 days? One player's 
 KB> receipt of a move untill he send his reply? Or is it from receipt 
 KB> of a move until his  opponent's receipt of his reply? In case a
 KB> dispute arises, how is it determined when a player received a move.

I can't speak for Doug's original perspective on this matter, but I will
voice my personal opinion at this time. If Doug and I need to
discuss/compromise on the interpretation, it will be done in netmail and
the results posted as necessary.

So.... since the definition of a "move" includes both white and
black in pairs, and we have no way of knowing whether or not such a move
was received by the intended recipient, the only real way of evaluating
this is if the moves are received by Doug or myself.

In any event, I believe the standards for time constraints would be based
on the POST time of the message, as recorded -in- the message header, just
as a snailmail game would be based on the postmark of the envelope.

While it would be inappropriate for Doug or I to make any announcement
concerning possible 'delays' or 'missed' mail -- I would suggest that for
purposes of this tournament, if more than seven days have passed since you
posted your last move without a reply, that a netmail message should be
sent to one of us to determine if the reply move was posted.

If so, we can repost the move if posted. Or advise (publicly? privately?)
that no move had been posted? I'm not sure about this latter issue.

Note that this is one of the reasons for requiring the moves to be posted
in -BOTH- echos.

 KB> What happens after the first three moves? Is unused time added to a
 KB> players  allotment? In other words, if he made his first 3 moves in
 KB> 3 days, does he  now have 57 days to make his next 3?

I don't think so, Ken. My interpretation would be that the 30 day time
applies to any sequence of three moves. 

 KB> Assuming that each player uses his full time allotment, the first
 KB> three  moves could take 60 days. 

Nope. A "move" consists of white's play -and- black's play. The
first three moves must be completed within the first thirty days. Depending
on when the third move is posted, it may be possible for the first four
moves to take 60 days, although if more than thirty days elapsed from the
third move to the completion of the fifth move, then a violation would
exist.

But as Doug indicated, this is not a 'rule' to disqualify competitors, but
rather a 'guideline' to insure mail is flowing, moves are posted/received,
and the tournament does not stagnate.

 KB> That means a 40-move game could take as much as  800 days, which 
 KB> seems extraordinarily long.

Actually about average for echomail. 

I've been moderator of CHESS for about a year (I think? -- can somebody
recall?) and have yet to see any game be completed (mate or draw) --
although I did recently resign a game in which Mr. Moon was royally kicking
my backside.

lawrence{at}garvin.hd.co.harris.tx.us 
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