In another topic Minimum timeout in stone removal phase I wrote:
And since this was not related to the above mentioned topic, I started a new topic.
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I think this would be a beneficial feature. Zeus will nuke them after 5 mins if they disconnect, but currently there is no timer other than the game timer if they’re on the game page and just not moving for some reason.
However, since either player can disconnect before both players have made their first move, this issue primarily affects tournaments… specifically live tournaments since timeouts in corr tournaments are basically par for course.
edit: The simple answer could simply be “just play fischer” as this time control has a relatively low initial main time, since more time is added with each move of the game.
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Thanks, but in live tournaments (I play a lot of ASTs) the tournament set up (Fischer, MacMahon, etc.) is fixed. Not much choice there :- 
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When I join a live game and the host doesn’t immediately play or respond, then I think that cancelling the game after waiting only 5 seconds is rude to the host who now has to create a new game request. On the other hand, if I wait 10 minutes, then I’m probably wasting my time waiting for a rude host. If you tell me that the timeout implemented by OGS is too long and that I should cancel games manually, then what is the recommended waiting time before cancelling a game?
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That is open for discussion. Personally I’d settle for 1 minute (60 seconds).
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What do you mean?
If both players have not played a stone, no-one can win the game: if it does not proceed it is cancelled and annulled.
The essential question here seems to be one of “etiquette” or “what is socially acceptable” (not related to winning/losing tactics).
As a one-off, almost anything is acceptable. Broadly, it is acceptable to cancel a game before it starts. This capability is there to cater for people taking too long to join the game, maybe accidentally not noticing it started, and avoiding forced waits under those circumstances.
It is also there to allow people a chance to double check who they are playing and the conditions of the game before committing to it.
If your partner calls for dinner right at the moment that you accepted a game, it is OK to cancel immediately it the game starts. A chat comment apologizing will help in this case.
If you got distracted and didn’t play your first move for 5 minutes, this is also OK because you know your opponent can cancel.
What is not OK is repeated “abuse” of this flexibility. This is a grey area, but people who continually cancel games, or continually make their opponent wait excessively to start, are asked if they can please fix that.
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In my experience most players wait between one and two minutes. This is reasonable, because the notification system has sometimes had problems.
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Black waiting for a long time before playing the first move hoping white is distracted or has forgotten about the game. Bad etiquette but also strategy.
Isn’t it so that in an AST you can not cancel a game, but only resign?
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No, you can still cancel a game, in so far as it will not affect your rating points. But you will still be kicked from the tournament, or dropped into a lower bracket, depending on the tournament settings.
After some research and time spending, may I ask what is a AST? T like Timing?
Automatic Sitewide Tournament
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Interesting twist about the AST.
I think that a person joining one of those has less of an excuse to be slow starting, and if a repeat-slow-starter in an AST were reported to me, I’d take action about that.
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You’re forgetting the case where one may get up to make a drink or go to the toilet between rounds, and if a round should suddenly end while that is happening they may be delayed playing in their game. This could be resolved if rounds had a fixed start time, but as is they just start randomly as soon as the last game ends…
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Sorry that I have to correct you, but in an AST you cannot cancel. You can resign, but that is not the same as canceling a game.
See screenshots below.
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huh… strange… thanks for the correction… I believe it should still auto-annul if less than 2 moves have been played… I’d be concerned if that too were not the case
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Hah we are learning stuff! Who knew!
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Cool!
Do I get a bonus badge for this?
(Just kidding.)
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Done 
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Ah, you put the AST Guru behind my name in the Lounge, I guess.
forum wide, friend 
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