Zero points for solution

[tayac]

After solving problem 42585, both my rating and the problem's stay the same. What's the reason for this ?

[richard]

Hi Tayac,

Probably the server detected a time difference between how long your computer said you took to solve the problem and how much time actually expired between serving you the problem and the notification of problem completion arriving at the server.  This check is there to prevent users changing their clocks (a method of cheating used on CTS).  Unfortunately if the network is a bit slow during problem solving (sometimes network packets can be dropped which take a while to resend) then these time differences can occur without the user doing anything wrong (I'm sure you're not doing anything wrong!).  In these situations the server decides it can't be sure of the validity of the clock so decides not to record the solution.  I realize this can be a bit annoying, but I do need some method of detecting unusual clock drift to make sure blitz "average seconds" is valid. Unfortunately this procedure is being used on both blitz AND standard problems which is a bit silly, I should only be making these checks on blitz.

Regards,
Richard.

[revenant]

Network latency seems to be lowest for me at about 3 in the morning (i.e. in my timezone) and that's when I've seen the biggest rating gains on ICC or here at Chess Tempo.  At other times of day when there is heavy lag it seems really hard to climb back up the blitz rating slope, and I don't think it's just because my RD gets low.  I think it's due to the Chess Tempo zero-adjustment policy you just mentioned or something related in the server.

Of course, as a true chess addict I continue to play all night and all day regardless of network conditions.   :-)

[richard]

revenant: are you doing many problems that you don't see in your problem history as the zero adjustment code will not put the problems in your history. If this isn't happening then maybe you are simply nocturnal :-) (or a vampire - but that doesn't seem likely given your aversion to all things red :-)  ).

Richard.

[revenant]

Affirmative on the nocturnal, but I still think network lag can push one's rating down (whether on ICC or on CT).  It's just a suspicion, as these things are notoriously hard to quantify either on the server side or on the client side.  Perhaps some other users can weigh in with their opinions.

I am gradually losing my fear of the red "Failed" flag ever since I decided to deliberately trash my Standard rating 10 days ago.  That was in response to a disastrous experience with the infamous Problem 35636 (Requiescat in Pace) which was mercifully disabled a short time later in the latest generator run.  After that I said "$#@% it, I'm not worrying about my rating anymore" and the resulting downward slide on my stats graph gives perverse satisfaction.

All revenants have come back from the dead and some revenants are vampires so some revenants drink other people's blood, but personally I still faint at the sight of it.

[richard]

:-)