What Eljanov wrote is very reasonable. I fully support anti-draw rules in Invitational tournaments and official FIDE events but NOT in Open tournaments. I even made an official proposal to FIDE (https://chessdailynews.com/proposed-rule-change-regarding-draw-offers/) during the last Olympiad in Istanbul.
As an organizer of both major invitational and open events, I have no-draw rule in the Invitational and no such rule in the Open tournament. My view is consistent on this issue.
It is unreasonable to have no-draw offer rules in open tournaments where the players have to pay their own entry fees, flights, hotels, and meals, etc. I think that it is also unreasonable to say that players who can earn an IM or GM norm / title, or can secure 1st place and a decent pay day, should not be allowed to offer or accept short draws. As long as the players play by the rules of the tournament, it is natural that their livelyhood come first.
I support Wesley’s decision to secure a historic milestone of 2700+ for him, his country, and his university. Now he can move on to work on achieving bigger goals.
Eljanov was the #6 player in the world. He had a bad streak and his rating dropped. This is a big mental accomplishment for him to get back to the top and I am happy for him. He played many wonderful games in the first 9 rounds.
The organizer invited the top 3 juniors in the world. Wesley So, ranked #3, tied for 1st and finished ahead of the other 2 and this is the only thing some of the people can talk about? Ridiculous! Enough already.
Some of the criticism have been nasty and unfair and it is unfortunate. Reykjavik Open is a prestigious event. A lot of great games were produced and the organizer should have been praised for doing a great job. Unfortunately, there were more discussions about this non-issue than the great work of everyone who was involved in putting on a great tournament.
I want to personally thank the organizer of the Reykjavik Open for inviting Wesley So and for giving him the opportunity to achieve his short term goal. Keep up the good work!
Go Wesley and Pavel! Great performances at Reykjavik.
While your points are valid, a 3 move draw was bound to draw flak!
At least they could have been a little more smart and played out 10-15 moves of some standard opening 🙂
@Anand Gautam , why? What’s the difference between a 15 moves vs 3 moves if both players thinking ever since from the start of the game that they will go for a draw anyway? Just for the show?
Usually I agree with all of your comments Susan. On this one “it is natural that their livelyhood come first” I have to strongly disagree.
Shouldn’t chess come first? There are hundreds of people being laid off in my company. I’m sure the vast majority of people working for US companies cannot say that their livelihoods comes first 🙂
The same standard should apply here. That’s how everything else works, like it or not.
Are you saying that the players should not be concerned about their ability to pay their bills? They should be more concerned about entertaining the few hundred people who watched the games online?
You get 9 rounds of fighting chess and you still aint satisfied. if you cant accept that a player has to think about his finances then you’ve never known how it is NOT to have food on your table or NOT being able to pay your bills.
Wesley and Pavel must have been thinking, “I’ll win this tournament in 9 rounds so that I’ll have many options on the last round.” I guess that worked out for them because they are co-champions.
You guys probably just saw comments on the internet and didn’t actually spend hours glued to your pc watching the actual games.
They are PROFESSIONAL not amateur chess players so give them space.
They are PROFESSIONAL not amateur chess players so give them space.
The mere fact that the 3-mover of GMs Eljanov and So drew global flak means there was something wrong indeed.
The main point is not that the fans should be entertained, but that chess should be preserved as an honorable and pleasurable sport for all to enjoy.
Given all the pressures over the board during actual games, the need for money for paying personal bills, and all the other burdens associated with chess tournament participation, let’s still preserve the integrity in chess.
The success or failure to overcome such pressures defines the greatness or infamy of the sport itself and of the souls in it.
Watch the game of wesley in round 9. Thats a fighting chess dude…they shouldnt be criticize in the last round for that after a superb 9 rounds
‘Watch the game of wesley in round 9. Thats a fighting chess dude…they shouldnt be criticize in the last round for that after a superb 9 rounds’
So what? So was praised for all his fighting games every and every time. So when he no fight, why cannot critise??
This is fun and Good for chess, because a lot of media coverage.
@ Chris Rezon: We all agree that the chess community should commend GMs Eljanov and So for their great efforts overall in Reykjavik Open 2013. In particular, we are very proud of GM Wesley So for finally hitting the 2700 mark and for finishing co-champ. We are very proud of him.
But, as we are free to commend, we are also free to criticize that particular 3-move draw in the last round which we perceived as a brutal blow against chess itself as an honnorable and enjoyable sport.
As much as we honor the men and women in chess, we should also pay respect to the sport itself.
@Anonymous:
I never said they were wrong.
I only said that the controversy was bound to happen and they could have been smarter to avoid it.
However, as Pavel said, he didn’t want to put up a “show”, completely acceptable if he didn’t want to “be smart”.
If you say “Enough already.” then why do you allow more posts after this??
Chess is a game of war, so why fight with your opinion?
@ rusticbull–you make a valid point, but you did not take into consideration the nature of the tournament wes and pavel joined. Your point about upholding the nobility of chess would have been understandable if the tournament was free and without any prize money at stake. The presence of prize money coupled with the fees a player has to shell out before he can participate strongly suggests that this is not just a tournament for chess’ sake, but rather an undertaking to promote the game with commercial implications, not only for the organizers but also for the city of reykjavik itself.Since this event is already tainted with commercial considerations, would it not be fair to conclude, going by your argument,that the holding of the tournament irreparably harmed the “nobility” of chess as a sport?
@eazydazzit588
You hit the nail on the head! That’s exactly the point – the three-move draw tainted the commercial value of chess as a sport and of the Icelandic folks as princely host.
Once players uphold the nobility of chess by avoiding lifeless 3-move draws in the final round of a top-board encounter of a prominent internatioal chess tournament like the Reykjavik Open, the winners of the tournament could take home more money in prizes.
More commercial value means more valuable prizes. The 3-move draw simply kills the commercial value of chess as a sport, and therefore depriving the players of possible bigger fortune.
Think big. Look a little further. Don’t just look at GMs Eljanov and So. Look at chess in its entirety.
Have you ever wondered why a football, golf, boxing or basketball superstar, earned so much compared with a chess world champion?
If you think you really care for the plight of chess players by legitimizing a 3-move draw for the sake of winning some amount of money in one particular tournament, then think gain. You might not be caring enough.