Antillian wrote on 12/18/08 at 18:08:22:



The vast majority of all these other "sports" are also played by working adults with many other commtiments, such as family and demanding jobs.  This does not stop responsible, considerate people from being on time.  Most people that play baseball are not professionals.  There are amateur leagues for eveything from bowling to lawn darts to football and ice hocker.   Are most bicyclists professionals?  Hardly.

Across the board, being late at amateur events results in a forfeit, whether it is an Equestrian event, the Monopoly Championships in Atlantic City, or Nine-ball at the local saloon.  

Self absorption and overimportance of the self cross over any taxonomic barriers with regard to what is and what isn't sport.  

Being late is purely a manifestation of selfish and controlling behavior.  

If a flat tire makes one late, that person was ill prepared to begin with, pehaps giving the chance of a flat tire happening too little concern in their planning.  They need a good course in time management, for sure.  Either way, it is the flat-tire sufferer's responsibilty, not the tournament director, or the opponents who did what they needed to do to arrive on time.

Forfeit.


If the time period between work and start of round is so tight that any little glitch might make one late, then perhaps one needs to realize they should probably not be playing that tournament, despite "what they want."    If chess is so important to any person's, then maybe they should take full responsibility to consider even getting a different job, one that affords them a better schedule to play chess. There are many options available that do not force another human being to sit and wait for the more self absorbed person to arrive.

Bibs wrote on 12/19/08 at 15:09:45:

Advice for overweight people: Eat less. For those with road rage: Calm down. For depressed people: Don't worry, be happy!

OK I couldn't resist that. It always annoys me when people simply cite the prevailing moral code of (their own) society and think that actually solves any real-world, complex problems.

Even if I agree that lateness is bad manners (and I do), why does it follow that it's better not to see a game played than to see one that starts late? Several games were lost by immediate default at the olympiad and this is a loss to both players and spectators. The only people who benefit from such a draconian measure are arbiters and organizers, who sometimes too easily disregard the interests of players.

From what I can get this 0 default thing is a Stewart Reuben idea, who thinks it is "rude" not to be there on time. This idea could only come from an Englishman. I remember the same chap giving out about a players play being "disrepectful" to the opponent because he was playing an irregular opening - what will be next?

Did anyone see my article about FIDE rule changes in the 2009 Chess Companion? Isn't this another idea in the same mold?