The AF4C has just decided on the new format for the US Championship. It will be the KNOCKOUT format! And the AF4C will no longer organize the US Women’s Championship. It is now the responsibility of the USCF. Below is the official article about the format:
2007 US CHAMPIONSHIP DETAILS ANNOUNCED
The 2007 US Championship, organized by America’s Foundation for Chess in cooperation with the US Chess Federation, will consist of 32 players who will play knockout matches. To maximize spectator interest, each match will be broadcast live on the internet and only one or two matches will be held per day. It is expected that most matches will be held in the home area of one of the players, though some may be held elsewhere, such as at major tournaments. Matches may be played online. The final match will be held in Las Vegas.
The first three rounds of KO matches will commence in March, and each match will consist of two games. Each match will be conducted over two days; one game per day. Tie-breaks, if necessary, will also take place on day two.
The fourth and final preliminary round will involve four game matches, possibly played at the US Open. This final round will reduce the field to two players. These two finalists will play a match in Las Vegas in November for the US Championship title.
The rest of the article can be found here.
What do you think? Do you like the knockout format (Internet play possible)?
Ick. I hate the kockout format. What’s wrong with taking the top X-number of players and having a round-robin or double round-robin tournament? Games could be held over the Internet, eliminating the need for housing expenses for the players.
I’ve just finished reading Soltis’ history of the US Championship; that tournament has always had a troubled history. :/
Yes, women should be separated from the main event. Those games they won off top male GMs like Nakamura are too humiliating to be allowed to happen again.
Another victory for the advancing tide of gimmicky formats.
The only thing knocked out last year was the prize money. LOLOL
Physical violence is just wrong. I understand they taken out women to protect them but why engage in fisty cuffs? Chess is a mental sport and no chessmen should knockoout another chessmen! I blame DOOM and TV for this!
[1a]
Tie-breaks now become a MAJOR factor in who wins.
I think that indicates a flaw in the format. Tie-breaks should be no more than an occasional or minor factor (unless it is a Blitz chess tournament, which this is not).
[1b]
I would argue that Blitz chess now has two annual championships. Blitz has its own championship tournament. Now Blitz has infected and taken 33%-50% of the main U.S. Chess Championship.
The US Championship should be renamed to something more honest and accurate: “The U.S. Chess and Blitz Championship Tournament”.
As the role of Blitz continues to increase like this, at some point the intended definition of the US Championship tournament is violated.
[1c]
If the draw rate in chess was much lower than the rate actually is, would this Knockout gimmick still be as attractive to those who favor it at AF4C?
[1d]
A preliminary qualifying tournament using the Knockout format would make sense. It would give more people a theoretical chance of becoming the US Champ, without the usual over-usage of the player rating numbers.
[2]
“… another woman’s spot will be offered to the winner of an online women’s tournament for players rated 2100 or above.”
I am curious about how these online matches are run.
Are participants required to use an expensive DGT board hooked to a computer?
Does someone have to be paid to be a Tournament Director at each remote site?
Gene_M
http://CastleLong.com/
Knot out format is not that good!
With Topalov as a good proof! One can have a bad start and recover in the middle to run far away all the others!
With KO system, players ,like topalov in the earth, would be eliminated too soon!
The online tournaments that qualify players, one for state champions and one for (which?) women, are asking for trouble.
And the matches seem to be arranged by the players involved. Who secures the location? Who pays their travel, food and hotel expenses? Is the answer that the players would have to pay, and if they don’t want to pay they can play online (again with the security problems that come with it?)
I am totally outraged that you can play US championship games “online”. this is absurd and if they follow through with this idea and allow players to play us championship games online I will quit playing chess! my dream is to someday become good enough (IM hopefully) to play in the US championship and I am very very disappointed to hear this today about games being played online possibly.
For the love of pete, why fix something that ain’t broke?
Who is Pete? Which Pete? Me?
Online? How do you prevent cheating?
You don’t. They have no idea what they’re doing. They should have asked Susan to help them organize it.
On-line play could work with sufficiently trained and trusted proctors to ensure no schenanigans, but I am against it. I like knockout format — should be much more dramatic than swiss or other formats.
Mike D.
I think Internet chess is fine in general, but I do not think that it is an appropriate way to determine the U.S. chess champions. I think the sport is elevated by having it played in a special location by people who can watch it happen in person. (I think the Internet feed itself is helpful for those fans who cannot make it to the event, but I don’t think the games themselves should be played over the Internet.)
I also do not like the knockout format.
I’m writing from here Europe, but interested in new playing formats you regularly seem to be experimenting with there.
Not sure about top US players, whether they all are professionals. If so, no problems with jobs. Still, long round robins are easily just quite expensive to the participants, pro’s or not.
Does USCF offer some kind of compensation to players of championships for their living costs? I guess not.
Weren’t your women playing with men last in year’s championship, or am I mistaken? Was it just an exception?
Uff.I don´t know if that crazy idea of the kockout is going to work in you country,USA, but i can´t think seriusly in a champion who obtain his title in this type of play.For me the champion must win matchs of candidates,playing with other GMs of the top level.For me the favourite and the best player is Gata Kamsky,and if he doesnt win because he lose a stupid game against a minor master,then is a problem of the KO system,isnt a problem of quality or class:nobody can play prefect games every day.Doing this type of things,the USCF is going to have a cheap champion,just somebody that is the most lucky for a few days,not the best player.