Idea for a new competitive time control: 'Bilateral Pause / Mutual Time-Out'

In a tournament match, what if players had an opt-in pause switch, but the clock only stops if BOTH players activate it? What strategic dynamics would emerge when managing time pressure?

Infinite time is probably a bad idea.

It's not an infinite amount of time; a player simply needs to switch it to "off" for the timer to start running again.

If you want to see how the mechanic actually feels in practice, I built a lightweight open-source prototype here: [link]. You can open two browser tabs to test the switches. There is no spam, no advertising; it is just a prototype to verify functionality. https://my-indie-chess.vercel.app/

I am not sure what to say. Basically, I think we have already too many time controls. This is off the immediate subject--I apologize--so bear with me. I would like to play in a tournament without a delay of 5 to 10 seconds per move. I would like to keep the add-on time to a minimum. I think people are too worried about having their flag fall (in other words, they are worried they will run out of time). Well, people can and do prepare for tournaments...sometimes working on one's speed is a good idea. One can play rapid or blitz to prepare for time trouble in a real game. The other thing to do is study openings (not memorize them). Another thing to do is to study middle-game and the endgame. Usually, if two high-ranked players face each other over the board, they accept the fact that one of them might run into time trouble. I know some people call it flagging, but if you are equal in most ways (material, position, etc.) and you don't want to settle for a draw, it is legitimate to move fast while your opponent struggles to keep up with you. Besides, many games end up as draws due to threefold repetition of position. I like games with about an hour per side (or game in 1 hour) without any delays or add-on time. I sometimes mess up if I have too much time. I am a bit impatient, and can't always use my time wisely in really long games. It's something on which I need to work...

@frabar33 said ^

It's not an infinite amount of time; a player simply needs to switch it to "off" for the timer to start running again.

While the other party is afk?
Good idea, maybe that can increase my rating!
But seriously, your picture shows something else.

So the real problem is it turns into correspondence and we already have that.
And it’s a worse correspondence as u need communication on top to even be able to restart the game or you’ll never meet simultaneously again.

The time limit is 100%fake in your switch configuration, as @Royals_Fan22 already mentioned.

@frabar33 said ^

It's not an infinite amount of time; a player simply needs to switch it to "off" for the timer to start running again.

So player A can switch it on when it's their turn, then player B will immediately switch their switch off until player A plays, when player B switches their switch on and A switches theirs off. It does nothing.

@Rookitiki said ^

It's not an infinite amount of time; a player simply needs to switch it to "off" for the timer to start running again.

While the other party is afk?
Good idea, maybe that can increase my rating!
But seriously, your picture shows something else.

So the real problem is it turns into correspondence and we already have that.
And it’s a worse cor...

It is not designed for the early stages of the match or the middlegame, but for the endgame—when only a few seconds remain and the two players decide to settle the outcome without regard for the clock.

Where is the error in the switch configuration?

@frabar33 said ^

It's not an infinite amount of time; a player simply needs to switch it to "off" for the timer to start running again.

While the other party is afk?
Good idea, maybe that can increase my rating!
But seriously, your picture shows something else.

So the real problem is it turns into correspondence and we already have that.
A...

I think a better solution for this is the already-existing format of getting more time after 40 moves.

@frabar33 said ^

Where is the error in the switch configuration?

Are you actually that lazy that you can't even be bothered to look at the AI slop you generated? It shows the exact opposite of what you described, which anyone with at least one functioning brain cell can see instantly.