Many fans complain about their favorite players not getting the invitations to XYZ tournament. Others complain that some players who always draw too much keep getting more and more invitations.
So if you are the organizer:
– Which active players would you invite?
– What rules would you impose?
– What time control would you choose?
So, let’s put on your creative hat and come up with your best event!
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
The rating system currently used does work but has one huge flaw – that activity is totally voluntary, so for many upper echelon players, they have little incentive to play regularly.
They should adopt some type of mixed system – like what is used in Tennis or Golf.
This would allow new faces or hot players to get into these bigger tourneys. Playing strength fluctuates and players come in and out of form.
If such a system is used, it would help bring in more new blood and more active play.
I’d definately invite fighters like Topa, Judit and Rajabov and probably Aronian, Ivanchuk, Moro and Kamski. I’ll definately pass on Leko, Kramnik and Svidler. Sofia rules would apply.
That picture looks like a glass sculpture that stands in the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT. I wonder if it is the same…
James! You’re too smart!
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
If you want to see more Chihuly sculptures, inlcuding his tallest one ever, check out the Oklahoma City museum of art on your way to Stillwater.
1.I would always invite Tiger Woods.
2.James, I hope all that time your spending the the casino is paying off!!
Martin said:
I’d definately invite fighters like Topa, Judit and Rajabov and probably Aronian, Ivanchuk, Moro and Kamski. I’ll definately pass on Leko, Kramnik and Svidler. Sofia rules would apply. >>
It’s hard to take you seriously when you want to blackball the World Champion and not the guy who actually did something that could get him suspended for 3 years if the rules applied to him.
Just change to rules a little and you will have more fighting chess. Award 2 points for a win, 1/2 for a tie, 0 for a loss and a flogging for every three unforced draws.
I’d hate to see draws so undervalued that instead of hard fighting chess like Leko played against Topalov, a player might just resign to have more rest time.
As far as time controls, already FIDE has switched to too fast a time.
People who want faster time controls, and claim it would help to “popularize” the sport, should consider that there are already blitz and quick tournies with the strongest players, and those events are not taken seriously.
Even down here at the amatuer competitor level, there is a clear difference in the quality of many of the games between 40/2 SD/1 and 40/90 SD/30. I can’t imagine the players at the top being less able to make use of their time. Although I doubt spending 60 minutes instead of 50 on a deep think very often changes the move made. So more time that 40/2 SD/1 would doubtfully change the results.
I think Sofia draw rules are clearly sufficient. However, there should be penalties beyond the tournament if they are violated. So far, “Sofia rules” have been respected by the players when in use, so it hasn’t come up yet. But I doubt if not held in good faith that there would actually be any penalty. It would be too controversial to decide it in the short time needed at a tournament. So instead it should have a claim/investigation system. And instead of charging a big deposit, let each player have 1 free complaint every 2 years. And if the complaint is upheld, then they keep their free complaint. And if not, then they would have to give a deposit to claim again.
– What rules would you impose?
I think this is the driving question.
Using anti-draw Rules, any reasonable variation thereof, by necessity, will become the deFacto standard at some point or spectator chess will go the way of the DoDo bird eventually.
Who wants to see 12-move draws? NOBODY.
Who want to play them occasionally? EVERYBODY.
Remove the ability to agree to short draws and you solve about 80% of the problem. Make them play to the first time control – MAKE IT REQUIRED, and MAKE IT 40 MOVES.
If you structure an invitational using anti-draw rules, then you could confidently invite any of the top players to your tournaments knowing there will be some fighting chess.
Time Controls: I like any 40/2 time control. This is a comfortable first time control, and 40 moves is roughly the length average of a game, and as fans, we cannot ask for the length of the game to be more than average really.
30/90 is an abomination and is for weekend swiss events.
Chess Training Blog
I’ve thought, for a while that some sort of “Fighting Points” system should be developed for GMs in the same sort of way that the “Grand Prix” system is done in the US.
This would not be related to the ratings system, but would award players something for showing “Fighting Spirit”. Hopefully, the “Fighting Points” concept will acquire prestige, and players highly ranked by this system will, more often, be invited to top tournmanents.
Brad Hoehne
>>I’d hate to see draws so undervalued that instead of hard fighting chess like Leko played against Topalov, a player might just resign to have more rest time.>>
Worse than that, instead of pre-arranging draws, players might pre-arrange defeats. In a double round robin “I’ll lose to you with Black if you’ll lose to me with Black” becomes an attractive deal if a win and a loss are worth more than 2 draws.
I would invite Topalov,Anand Kramnik and Aronian.They are out of the question.
Too Shirov,Judit and Mamedyarov…probably they are not going to win,but can give a good show,because they play very agressively.
Two young players: Radjabov and Carlsen
My last(10th) player is Kamski because he will win elite tournaments in the future.
And I would pass on:Leko is very boring and passive and have not the Kramnik´s positional deep:Banned.Svidler is lazy and only plays if he wants(not very frecuently):Banned.Moro preformes very well against players rated 2650-2700 but is a loser horse for the elite tournaments.
I’d have a 1,000,000 winner take all tournament. Anyone can join, no class prizes..
If you right click on the picture to save it then it will give you the name
mohegan-sun
Topalov would be banned from my tournaments for his behavior in Elista.
I would run a special non fide tournament with world wide publicity on the new rules.
New NO Draw rules would apply. Every game a winner and a loser to be provided.
$100,000 first prize
$10,000 for every won game. Since every game has a winner everyone will do well. But there is the extra $100,000 to really get them fighting.
No Draw rules would include things like the king can move into check and be captured.
I want the young and dynamic.
Magnus of course
Kamsky absolutely
Moro
Judit for sure
Ivanchuk
Memadyrov
Radj
Karjakin
Nakamura for sure
I would also like to see a “Rising Stars” tournament with the top player under 20y.o. with the winner gauranteed a place in the World Cup.
WHY people want Kamsky??
He is a decent player, BUT:
There are many better players.
His chess style is not particularly agressive nor tactical. He is a very good positional player. (note that people that include him, they usually have tactical players)
The only reason I can see, is because he got American nationality, and in this blog we have mainly americans…
Have a 20-player round-robin.
16 strongest players in the world to be invited [or perhaps one or two wildcards] and 4 qualifiers.
A bit like the old Soviet Championships.
Have Sofia no-draw offers rule, and any other possible anti-drawing measures.
But extra rest days to make up for this, eg a rest day after rounds 3,6,8,14,17, with a 3-day break after round 11 (halfway).
Classical time control.
Have an official World Cup event every year. The winner of this tournament wins the World Cup for this year. This is to encourage all the top players to participate.
Ties to be broken by playoff.
Wouldn’t that be a fantastic tournament? Top 20 players in the world playing!