# In Chess Notation, How Is It Recorded When A Player's Clock Runs Out?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-chess-notation-how-is-it-recorded-when-a-players-clock-runs-out/939390>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Tags:** board-card-word-game, chess\
**Created:** [April 4, 2021, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-chess-notation-how-is-it-recorded-when-a-players-clock-runs-out/939390 "2021-04-04T15:39:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2021, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-chess-notation-how-is-it-recorded-when-a-players-clock-runs-out/939390/21 "2021-04-06T18:01:09Z")

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> [@Pleonast](#):
>
> Yep. A game that’s not completed is not completed. :shrug: Chess doesn’t exist to fulfill the needs of tournaments.

But, your ideal world already exists.  
People who want to play with a clock, play with a clock. People who don’t, don’t.

Tournaments need them, because tournaments necessarily need to have clear rules and be decisive.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2021, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-chess-notation-how-is-it-recorded-when-a-players-clock-runs-out/939390/22 "2021-04-07T16:07:14Z")

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I suppose that one could have a per-move time limit, that reset every move. That would still force an eventual definite end to a game, but would make losses by time extremely rare, because the player would always be able to make a move, any move, before the clock ran out.

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