CLOCKS

***** CLOCKS *****

All games on ICC are timed with a clock for each player.  Your clock
runs while it is your turn to move.  Your opponent's clock runs while
it is his turn to move.  The clock measures your "thinking" time.
If you run out of time on your clock, you lose the game!  (Technically,
your opponent could turn off autoflag and allow the game to continue,
but that's seldom done.)

The "initial time" is the amount of time you start with on your clock, in
minutes.  The "increment" is the number of seconds that are added onto
your clock after each move you make.  You can actually gain time on your
clock if you move faster than the increment.
  
A "2 12" blitz game would be a game with 2 minutes initial time, and
12 seconds increment added to your clock after each move.

Time controls:  Time controls are specified in the "match" or "seek" command
when you challenge someone to a game.  The time controls determine if
a game is bullet, blitz, or standard:  

Define "etime" as the initial time plus 2/3 the increment.  E.g. a 2 12
game has an "etime" of 10, while a 5 0 game has an etime of 5.  Then: 

   Bullet   -- Games with etime < 3   
   Blitz    -- Games with 3 <= etime < 15
   Standard -- Games with etime >= 15

You can add time to your opponent's clock if you wish, using the moretime
command.

ICC charges a minimum of 0.1 seconds (100 milliseconds) for every move, even
premoves. This means that you cannot make more than 10 moves in one second,
no matter how fast you move or how many of those moves are premoves.

"Why did time get added to my opponent's clock?"

   "Timestamp" compensates your clock for lag time.  It is built into some
   interfaces, such as Blitzin, Fixation, IC for Mac.  Timestamp can cause
   your opponent's clock to appear to gain time, if he was having a long
   "lag" while his move was being sent to the ICC.  He gets compensated for
   that time.  "Increments" in the time control also add time to the clocks.

"Why does my opponent's clock stop ticking sometimes?"

   When ICC detects that the connection from ICC to your opponent is
   "dead" or lagging, the clock display in Blitzin will stop.  Your
   opponent is not getting extra time to think.  The clock will be adjusted
   appropriately when the lag is over.

"Why can't I flag my opponent?  He has negative time!  What can I do?"

   Your opponent is having a long lag, or has been disconnected, and the
   signal has not reached ICC yet.  When his move finally gets through to
   ICC, you will be able to flag him, if the timestamp lag-compensation
   doesn't put him above 0:00.  If you don't want to wait, you can type
   "adjourn" to store the game for continuation later.

See also:  lag, definitions, flag, interfaces, match, seek, timestamp,
           moretime, premove