Introduction; Timing Methods; Time - DGT 3000 Bedienungsanleitung

Introduction

Congratulations with your purchase of one of the most versatile timers for games with 2 players. The
DGT 3000 has the ability of dividing the thinking time between two players in any combination of
known methods. What's more the DGT 3000 can be connected to the DGT e-Board. With the connec-
tion the timer can send the displayed times to a central tournament system, but it can also be used as
a display to show the moves and times when a DGT e-Board is used to play against a computer or
opponent over the internet. All timing methods that can be used with the DGT 3000 are described in
the next section.

Timing methods

Many different mind games are played all over the world. All games have their own specific prefer-
ence for different methods to divide the thinking time for the players.
In longer games there are often time controls during the game. For example players have to make
minimal 40 moves in the first 2 hours, then 20 moves in the subsequent hour, and end the game
within 15 minutes per player. In this manual the time between two time controls is referred to as a
period.
When one of the players runs out of time in a period that is not the last one, then the DGT 3000 will
show a non-blinking flag at the side of that player. The time for the next period will then be added to
both sides simultaneously. The players themselves or the arbiter have to check whether the required
number of moves is played. When a player at the end of the last period, or at the end of the only
period, runs out of time, then the DGT 3000 shows a blinking flag at the side of this player.
In some methods that are described in this document, the player who ran out of time can still finish
his turn by pressing the lever at his side. The time of the other player will then continue to count
down. This player should claim his victory, but when he does not stop his time before it shows 0.00,
the clock may show 0.00 on both sides. The blinking flag will indicate which player ran out of time
first. The flag symbol originates from analog clocks. The big hand of these clocks lifts a small flag a
short time before it reaches the top and then suddenly this flay will fall, indicating that all time is used
up.

Time

The method in which the clock is simply counting down until one player reaches 0 is called TIME,
"Guillotine" or "Sudden Death". If there is only one time control, the player whose time reaches zero
first has lost the game on time. In a game with more than one time control a player must have played
a required number of moves before each time control.
In some games, for example in chess, it can be imagined that one of the players has an almost certain
winning position in the end phase of a game. When this player has only a few seconds left, he will not
have sufficient time to play the last winning moves, or to finish the game with a draw. This player is
likely to lose the game due to lack of time. An arbiter may declare the game to end in a draw, if it is
clear that the player who has run out of time had a winning position.
Thanks to the modern digital clocks there are now methods to finish a game with very little time left.
The clock may pause a few seconds at the start of each turn, or the clock can add a certain amount of
time after each move.
6