Clocks
Table of contents |
Clocks are used to monitor and control the time each player has for his remaining moves.
Online clocks
Which Go server supports which time system? These are explained and discussed at Go Servers and Time Systems.
Analog clocks
... are the most common (and cheap) clocks for face-to-face over-the-board games and tournaments.
Hardware-based digital clocks
... are more expensive than analog clocks, but enable time systems like Fischer Timing.
Software-based digital clocks for mobile devices
Ghronos
http://www.pilotzone.com/palm/preview/269076.html
Supports absolute timing per game, Canadian and Japanese byo-yomi, Fischer timing and chess-type time systems.
yclock
http://ylixir.dyndns.org/yclock/documentation.html
Supports absolute timing per game or per move and Fischer timing.
Miniban
If you have a Pocket PC, you can record games while simultaneously keeping the time with Miniban. Currently, no overtime/byo-yomi time system supported yet.
Chess Clock
Clocks
Chronos
One of the best clocks for playing Go face-to-face is the Chronos. See the Chronos Manual.
DGT
DGT sells two clocks: the DGT 2000 and the DGT XL.
2000
The older model. Main feature is that it has Japanese byo-yomi. (With a maximum of 9 periods)
Canadian byo-yomi can also be used, but only by manually adding extra time, like you do when you use analog chess clocks. This means you also must count the stones yourself during byo-yomi.
(Hint: The best timing method for this is probably the 3rd one. It does mean that, for each extra period, you have the specify the amount of extra time manually, but all the other time controls I tested do weird extra stuff that make them completely useless for this purpose. On the upside, you can see very easily when time has run out, at which point you can add extra time and start a new period.)
XL
New model. In a reversal from the 2000, the XL has Canadian byo-yomi, and not the Japanese. Since the Japanese method can't be easily simulated using one of the other time controls, this is a major disadvantage of this model.
Main advantages compared to the 2000 are a better user interface ("-1" button in addition the the "+1" for inputting time), and a buzzer.
Discussion
Chronos vs. DGT
A friend wants to buy a go clock. He's considering Excalibur II. A recent r.g.g. post mentions Chronos and DGT. Any suggestions? The comparisons on the net focus on chess... -- RafaelCaetano
Chronos hands down, without a doubt. My 1st chronos lasted for 5 years under *extreme* abuse (it was always left in my car, well below freezing temps in the wintertime) Originally used strictly as a chess timer (accounting for the other half of it's abuse) As I began to play go, the byoyomi features were discovered by reading the manual. Around $100-$120 (US) the cost hasn't changed, ever. Well worth the price for all the flexible options. -- Joshual000
There is a comparison on www.chessreviews.com between the Chronos and the 2 DGT timers. It focuses more on chess than on go, but also more on ergonomy than on chess, which makes it interesting regardless. -- uxs
The Japanse byo-yomi can be simulated in the DGT XL clock by programming a first period "Time" combined with a second period "Bronstein". The DGT XL has the option to store 5 individual user defined settings, so byo-yomi preferences can be used.
HermanHiddema: I've tried this and it simply doesn't work. Programming two periods, one "Time", one "Bronstein" was suggested to me as well, by DGT. I found that when one player enters his "Bronstein" period, the other does so as well. He does not lose his left over time, but he does get free time for each move. So one player is now held to eg 20 second per move. If the other still had 10 minutes left, he now has 10:20 left and gets 20 second free on each move.