Dundee & Angus Congress

[Phil Thomas]

Allowing a player to demand an increment when time is low and the position looks drawn seems like a step in the right direction, and recognises that increments are the natural solution to what should be a non-issue. But why not simplify things a little, and just play with increments right from the start?

This hits the nail on the head

Sounds pedantic but players can't actually demand 5 second increments they can only request them.

For an extreme example consider opposite colour bishops with 1 pawn each. Surely no arbiter would allow 5 second increments and task himself with counting 75 moves without capture or pawn move before he can call a draw. In that case his decision should be to play on and once drawing technique had been demonstrated declare the draw claim accepted. Which with most players on the circuit that should take only a few seconds of play.