Answers.Body: <blockquote>
    <p>Now they they have selected them do we need to buy those to play in
    FIDE tournaments?</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>Certainly not! FIDE has never required players to buy any equipment to play in FIDE tournaments. We players have never been required to buy any clocks, sets, pieces, memorabilia, etc. The only two things we have to pay for are the appropriate level of membership of our national federations or associations and the entry fees charged by the organisers.</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>I would feel better if they had tested the clocks to ensure they were
    good quality and worth the money we pay for them instead of awarding
    the seal of approval to the high bidders.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>You appear to be ignorant of the <a href="https://old.fide.com/images/stories/NEWS_2019/FIDE_News/20190805-FIDE-Bidding_procedure-ChessClocks.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">FIDE Chess Clock Bidding Procedure</a>. Not surprising given the lack of clarity of much of the FIDE site particularly after the latest munged redesign.</p>
  
  <p>Here are some relevant sections of the bid document:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p><strong>11. Evaluation Methodology</strong></p>
    
    <p>11.1 The evaluation methodology used by FIDE for this ITB is based on “the lowest-cost / highest-reward, substantially compliant offer”
    approach.</p>
    
    <p>11.2 FIDE will determine which offers are substantially compliant, and will reject noncompliant offers. Compliance refers to whether or not
    the offer substantially meets the quantitatively and qualitatively
    defined criteria as per the requirements and other qualification
    criteria as stated in the ITB documents.</p>
    
    <p>11.3 FIDE will choose the lowest-cost / highest-reward offer among the substantially compliant offers. Various factors such as the price of
    the goods, the full life-cycle costs and service costs will be taken
    into account.</p>
    
    <p>11.4 All evaluation criteria use by FIDE are non-discriminatory.</p>
    
    <p>11.5 FIDE will use three main categories of evaluation criteria: (1) formal, (2) technical and qualification, (3) financial.</p>
    
    <p>11.6 Formal criteria allow checking for compliance with specific mandatory requirements in the present ITB. Offers that do not meet the
    formal criteria will be rejected.</p>
    
    <p>11.7 Technical and qualification criteria are derived from the requirements as well as from qualification conditions. FIDE has
    developed technical and qualification criteria for evaluation
    according to a weighted scoring.</p>
    
    <p>11.8 Financial criteria include payments to FIDE, royalties to FIDE, and guaranteed prices for FIDE purchases.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>Note that what is being bid for is primarily marketing rights:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p><strong>2. General Provisions</strong>    ...<br>
    2.3 FIDE shall grant the winner(s) a non-exclusive right to use the FIDE logo in conjunction with the words “FIDE Championship Clock”,
    “Official FIDE Chess Clock” and/or “Chess Clock Recommended by FIDE
    for National Federations” for one or more models included in the bid.</p>
    
    <p>2.4 This right shall be granted for three (3) years starting October 01, 2019, and ending September 30, 2022.</p>
    
    <p>2.5 The rights to use the FIDE logo and the clock designations as per Clause 2.3 above shall be provided to the winner(s) in consideration
    for:<br>
    a) lump-sum payments to be made to FIDE for each model of the chess clocks that
    are included in the bid;<br>
    b) royalties to be paid to FIDE for each wholesale or retail sale of chess clocks that
    are included in the bid for the whole duration of the contract;<br>
    c) <strong>an obligation to supply chess clocks to FIDE and/or national chess federations at
    a fixed price or/and with discount from the standard market price</strong> (royalties as per
    subcl (b) hereof do not apply for such supplies).<br>
    ...<br>
    2.7 <strong>FIDE retains the right to freely certify other chess clocks for competition use after testing</strong>. However, no other chess clocks could be
    designated as the “FIDE Championship Clock” or the “Official FIDE
    Chess Clock” prior to the expiry of the three-year period, i.e.,
    September 30, 2022.</p>
    
    <p>2.8 FIDE shall use the model(s) designated as the “FIDE Championship Clock” in its top-level competitions (Chess Olympiad, World
    Championship Match, Candidates Tournament, World Cup, Grand Prix)
    during this three-year period. No more than one bidder shall be
    declared a winner for this designation.  Bidding Procedure – August
    05, 2019.</p>
    
    <p>2.9 FIDE shall use the model(s) designated as the “Official FIDE Chess Clock” in its other official competitions included in the FIDE
    Calendar (e.g., World Seniors Ch., World Team Ch., World Youth Ch.)
    during this three-year period.</p>
    
    <p>2.10 <strong>FIDE will make available its development fund, subject to certain criteria established solely by FIDE, to subsidize, in whole or
    in part, the purchases by its member federations of the clock models
    designated as the “Chess Clock Recommended by FIDE for National
    Federations”</strong>.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>In other words, clocks which win the bid must be available to member federations at subsidized prices. Other clocks which meet FIDE's technical specifications and which are consequently approved separately by FIDE may be used in ordinary level FIDE competitions.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-02-02T14:03:45.700Z
Answers.Text: FIDE  is truly odd. Glad they are not required. The only two I am considering are both not on that list and look much better absent an independent consumers lab test.
Answers.UserDisplayName: edwina oliver
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-06-03T11:57:03.587Z
Answers.Text: Is this repeated every 3 years?  Are chess federations allowed to pass on the discounted price to chess clubs?  (Seems to be a nice method of enabling mass manufacturing to reduce production costs.)
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ian Ringrose
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-06-03T16:16:26.357Z
Answers.Text: @IanRingrose I think it's less frequent than once every 3 years but the ECF just emailed me and a bunch of other organisers/club officials a few weeks ago to ask us if we wanted to buy clocks at basically half price. The last time my club bought a bunch of clocks when they were offered. This time they have enough.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Brian Towers
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-02-02T11:32:05.570Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2020-02-02T11:32:05.570Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Brian Towers
Body: <p>It seems odd , except maybe not for FIDE, that they announced the winners who BID to be the official clock.  </p>
  
  <p>Now they they have selected them do we need to buy those to play in FIDE tournaments?  </p>
  
  <p>I would feel better if they had tested the clocks to ensure they were good quality and worth the money we pay for them instead of awarding the seal of approval to the high bidders. </p>
  
  <p>None of the clocks they selected were on my list that I was considering to select my choice  to buy. </p>
  
  <p>Details at:
  <a href="https://www.fide.com/news/346" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.fide.com/news/346</a>
  The right for certain models of chess clocks to be designated as a “Chess Clock Recommended by FIDE for National Federations” has been granted to:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><p>DGT 2010 model and DGT 3000 model (both manufactured by Digital Game Technology);</p></li>
  <li><p>Chess Evolution Classic model (manufactured by Chess Evolution Kft.);</p></li>
  <li><p>Leap KK 9908 model (manufactured by Shenzhen Huibo Industrial and Trading Co., Ltd).</p></li>
  </ul>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-02-02T02:33:23.840Z
Comments.Text: wtf?  valid questions are not spam.   they can all be answered whenever you get around to them.  nobody is demanding  you answer them today.
Comments.UserDisplayName: edwina oliver
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-02-02T02:49:02.830Z
Comments.Text: I consider this a valid question.  I would rather see this as a petition to force FIDE and other tyrannical organizations to serve its members.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Mike Jones
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2020-02-02T14:01:41.943Z
Comments.Text: I did not know there was any quota or limit for questions.  This place is rather slow as it is.
Comments.UserDisplayName: edwina oliver
Tags: <fide><chess-clocks>
Title: Now that FIDE has just announced BIDDING winners to be the official FIDE clock does that mean we have to buy those to play in their tournaments?
ThreadText: # Now that FIDE has just announced BIDDING winners to be the official FIDE clock does that mean we have to buy those to play in their tournaments?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2020-02-02)
  
  It seems odd , except maybe not for FIDE, that they announced the winners who BID to be the official clock.
  
  Now they they have selected them do we need to buy those to play in FIDE tournaments?
  
  I would feel better if they had tested the clocks to ensure they were good quality and worth the money we pay for them instead of awarding the seal of approval to the high bidders.
  
  None of the clocks they selected were on my list that I was considering to select my choice to buy.
  
  Details at:
  <https://www.fide.com/news/346>
  The right for certain models of chess clocks to be designated as a “Chess Clock Recommended by FIDE for National Federations” has been granted to:
  
  * DGT 2010 model and DGT 3000 model (both manufactured by Digital Game Technology);
  * Chess Evolution Classic model (manufactured by Chess Evolution Kft.);
  * Leap KK 9908 model (manufactured by Shenzhen Huibo Industrial and Trading Co., Ltd).
  
  **Tags:** fide, chess-clocks
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: wtf?  valid questions are not spam.   they can all be answered whenever you get around to them.  nobody is demanding  you answer them today.  
  > **username_1**: I consider this a valid question.  I would rather see this as a petition to force FIDE and other tyrannical organizations to serve its members.  
  > **username_0**: I did not know there was any quota or limit for questions.  This place is rather slow as it is.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2020-02-02. Score: 4
  
  > Now they they have selected them do we need to buy those to play in
  > FIDE tournaments?
  
  Certainly not! FIDE has never required players to buy any equipment to play in FIDE tournaments. We players have never been required to buy any clocks, sets, pieces, memorabilia, etc. The only two things we have to pay for are the appropriate level of membership of our national federations or associations and the entry fees charged by the organisers.
  
  > I would feel better if they had tested the clocks to ensure they were
  > good quality and worth the money we pay for them instead of awarding
  > the seal of approval to the high bidders.
  
  You appear to be ignorant of the [FIDE Chess Clock Bidding Procedure](https://old.fide.com/images/stories/NEWS_2019/FIDE_News/20190805-FIDE-Bidding_procedure-ChessClocks.pdf). Not surprising given the lack of clarity of much of the FIDE site particularly after the latest munged redesign.
  
  Here are some relevant sections of the bid document:
  
  > **11. Evaluation Methodology**
  >
  > 11.1 The evaluation methodology used by FIDE for this ITB is based on “the lowest-cost / highest-reward, substantially compliant offer”
  > approach.
  >
  > 11.2 FIDE will determine which offers are substantially compliant, and will reject noncompliant offers. Compliance refers to whether or not
  > the offer substantially meets the quantitatively and qualitatively
  > defined criteria as per the requirements and other qualification
  > criteria as stated in the ITB documents.
  >
  > 11.3 FIDE will choose the lowest-cost / highest-reward offer among the substantially compliant offers. Various factors such as the price of
  > the goods, the full life-cycle costs and service costs will be taken
  > into account.
  >
  > 11.4 All evaluation criteria use by FIDE are non-discriminatory.
  >
  > 11.5 FIDE will use three main categories of evaluation criteria: (1) formal, (2) technical and qualification, (3) financial.
  >
  > 11.6 Formal criteria allow checking for compliance with specific mandatory requirements in the present ITB. Offers that do not meet the
  > formal criteria will be rejected.
  >
  > 11.7 Technical and qualification criteria are derived from the requirements as well as from qualification conditions. FIDE has
  > developed technical and qualification criteria for evaluation
  > according to a weighted scoring.
  >
  > 11.8 Financial criteria include payments to FIDE, royalties to FIDE, and guaranteed prices for FIDE purchases.
  
  Note that what is being bid for is primarily marketing rights:
  
  > **2. General Provisions** ...  
  > 2.3 FIDE shall grant the winner(s) a non-exclusive right to use the FIDE logo in conjunction with the words “FIDE Championship Clock”,
  > “Official FIDE Chess Clock” and/or “Chess Clock Recommended by FIDE
  > for National Federations” for one or more models included in the bid.
  >
  > 2.4 This right shall be granted for three (3) years starting October 01, 2019, and ending September 30, 2022.
  >
  > 2.5 The rights to use the FIDE logo and the clock designations as per Clause 2.3 above shall be provided to the winner(s) in consideration
  > for:  
  > a) lump-sum payments to be made to FIDE for each model of the chess clocks that
  > are included in the bid;  
  > b) royalties to be paid to FIDE for each wholesale or retail sale of chess clocks that
  > are included in the bid for the whole duration of the contract;  
  > c) **an obligation to supply chess clocks to FIDE and/or national chess federations at
  > a fixed price or/and with discount from the standard market price** (royalties as per
  > subcl (b) hereof do not apply for such supplies).  
  > ...  
  > 2.7 **FIDE retains the right to freely certify other chess clocks for competition use after testing**. However, no other chess clocks could be
  > designated as the “FIDE Championship Clock” or the “Official FIDE
  > Chess Clock” prior to the expiry of the three-year period, i.e.,
  > September 30, 2022.
  >
  > 2.8 FIDE shall use the model(s) designated as the “FIDE Championship Clock” in its top-level competitions (Chess Olympiad, World
  > Championship Match, Candidates Tournament, World Cup, Grand Prix)
  > during this three-year period. No more than one bidder shall be
  > declared a winner for this designation. Bidding Procedure – August
  > 05, 2019.
  >
  > 2.9 FIDE shall use the model(s) designated as the “Official FIDE Chess Clock” in its other official competitions included in the FIDE
  > Calendar (e.g., World Seniors Ch., World Team Ch., World Youth Ch.)
  > during this three-year period.
  >
  > 2.10 **FIDE will make available its development fund, subject to certain criteria established solely by FIDE, to subsidize, in whole or
  > in part, the purchases by its member federations of the clock models
  > designated as the “Chess Clock Recommended by FIDE for National
  > Federations”**.
  
  In other words, clocks which win the bid must be available to member federations at subsidized prices. Other clocks which meet FIDE's technical specifications and which are consequently approved separately by FIDE may be used in ordinary level FIDE competitions.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: FIDE  is truly odd. Glad they are not required. The only two I am considering are both not on that list and look much better absent an independent consumers lab test.  
  > **username_3**: Is this repeated every 3 years?  Are chess federations allowed to pass on the discounted price to chess clubs?  (Seems to be a nice method of enabling mass manufacturing to reduce production costs.)  
  > **username_2**: @username_3 I think it's less frequent than once every 3 years but the ECF just emailed me and a bunch of other organisers/club officials a few weeks ago to ask us if we wanted to buy clocks at basically half price. The last time my club bought a bunch of clocks when they were offered. This time they have enough.  
  
  ---
  
  