GM Joel Benjamin’s article on game 11 brought up an issue I’ve been thinking about for a while: where do we go with time controls?
I grew up with classical time controls of 40/120,20/60… and sometimes longer, and adjournments weren’t uncommon. I still remember the debates about how to make chess more ‘exciting’ by shortening the time controls, especially for broadcasts to attract a wider audience. While I supported the idea of attracting a wider audience, I did wonder what might happen to classical controls and how it would affect the quality of the games played—quick thinking, pattern memory, and immediate tactics versus deep thinking and subtle, positional strategy. Joel rightly noted there were some beautiful games played under slow controls.
I try not to be one of those ‘things were better when…’ people, and I recognize that shorter time controls have benefits. It’s possible to play a quick game over lunch, and one does exercise their pattern memory and tactics when deep thinking isn’t possible. It makes tournament scheduling less complicated as well. I also support the variety of controls used now so people can play according to their personal preferences.
Perhaps, though, it’s time to revive the discussion. Not so much for casual play, but where do we go with tournaments? What do we want chess to become? Can we find a way to enjoy deep, subtle games as well as quick, sharp tactical games in tournaments, or do we, as Magnus apparently prefers, emphasize one over the other. Personally, I would miss long, leisurely games, but then, I miss smoking a pipe while playing as well. We now live in an age of personal computers and powerful chess engines with massive databases, which have also changed the character of the game. My old ECO’s and printed Informants don’t get much use these days. My computer does. But, I still enjoy chess.
At my age, I probably won’t be around to see the ultimate result of current trends in the game. But I do love the game, and as Joel observed, it is probably time to consider carefully what we, especially the younger players, will make of chess in the now not so distant future.