If you are to organize a big International round robin chess event for 10-12 players with big prize funds, how do you decide who to invite? What do you look for in a player?
1. Fighting spirit on the board / No quick draw
2. The ability to handle the media
3. The ability to draw media attention
4. The ability to deal with the fans
5. Playing strengths
6. Ratings
7. Appearance / Hygiene / How the players dress
8. All of the above
9. None of the above
10. Other criteria
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Other criteria. I’d first look for the best players from my own country whose services could be acquired, and then try to find people who had a history with those players that could have a new chapter written in my tournament. If I could get Reshevsky, I’d hope to get Najdorf too. Or Fine. If I could get Kasparov, I’d also be interested in getting Karpov. If I could get Petrosian, I’d also love to get Spassky, and so on.
I’d rate 1, 5, 7, and 2/3 as the most important, in that order. Decisive chess makes for exciting tournaments, and how one presents oneself and handles the media governs the impression chess makes among potential new fans.
If I had to pick one and one only out of the ten you listed (and not counting 8, 9, or 10), I would say 3.
I’m thinking players (if there are any such at this time) who could sneak chess into the mainstream the way Tiger Woods did for golf.
Chess seems to have two schools of thought with regard to appearance and dress. On one hand, you have the fashionistas who are dressed to the nines as if they just came from a formal function. On the other hand, you have those who appear as if they just woke up and slept in their clothes.
As long as the person is moderately presentable and doesn’t smell bad, what’s the problem? By moderately presentable, ordinary jeans and a T-shirt, or perhaps shorts if it’s summer are just fine. The only caveat would be their attire or grooming shouldn’t be a distraction to the opponent.
#1 is a non-issue. Use Sofia-like rules.
#7 – Dress code can be set in the tournament rules. Minor issue with hygeine, I suppose, but there are some really smelly GM’s out there…I guess a free bottle of cologne might help…
#5 and #6 – how do you differentiate between those two. Are they not the same and how do you prove otherwise?
‘Big prize funds’ means sponsors wanting big media attention so #3 is PRIMARY. AFter that, 2 and 4 come into play.
So, I’d say #3, (#2, #4), #7.
Remember, this is for a BIG INTERNATIONAL ROUND ROBIN for 10-12 players with big prize funds and big media attention.
I will look for you, Susan! You have all the criteria and you have many fans, offcourse all the story of coming back, your Polgar’s family background, your Polgar foundation and many other.
I will look for Topalov with his ambition to recover and Kramnik, the world champion to match him. The “toilet gate” will be arround again, that’s good for media.
I will invite Kasparov with all the political story of him.
I will invite Karjakin and Magnus Carlsen, they are the future of chess. Everybody want to know how far they go now.
I will invite Bobby Fisher, because he is excentric and he is history.
My tournament will be success if they play in it.
Dreamming….ZZZZZzzzzz….
Last round of round robin:
The players should be
separated, so that they
do not know how other games
develop. This will avoid
many short draws.
Before I answer your question I’d like to lay out my top 3 priorities for holding the tournament in the first place.
1. Increase the popularity of chess – more players and more fans.
2. See great games played by skilled players in an exciting atmosphere.
3. Keep/draw sponsorship, for the players as well as the tournament and for chess in general – this means making the sponsors happy.
With these goals in mind:
1 is very important, draws are okay as long as they are hard fought. Short draws are very frustrating for spectators and sponsors will feel cheated.
3 (2,4 & 7) are important for raising interest in playing chess. It is no good to get publicity if it portrays chess players as cheats, freaks and ‘losers’. People should be able to see chess as something enjoyable and open to all kinds of people regardless of age, class, gender, race etc.
I don’t believe that it is necessary for players to dress FORMALLY in order to dress WELL. If a player can dress stylishly in smart casual it certainly doesn’t hurt the image of chess. How a person treats their appearance reflects how they see themselves, so chessplayers should demonstrate high self-respect by looking their best. Respect for fans is important, they make a huge difference.
5/6 are not such a priority, as long as there is some balance in the field. Every competitor should have chances of winning some games.
Two Criteria I would add are:
10.a) Engaging commentator(s). I think it’s really important to have commentry to ‘liven up’ the live games and to give insight into what is happening on the board in layman’s terms. The commentators do not necessary need to be strong, so long as they are good at explaining things in an interesting way.
10.b) I’ve mentioned that ratings are not a big issue, what I think would be good is different playing STYLES. The most memorable world champions are often described by their playing styles. In this regard I think a clash of styles between players would add character to the games and drama to the competition. This of course goes hand in hand with 10.a)
5. Playing strengths
1. Fighting spirit on the board / No quick draw
3. The ability to draw media attention
7. Appearance / Hygiene / How the players dress
2. The ability to handle the media
4. The ability to deal with the fans
10. Other criteria: If I were in charge besides above given in my order of importance I also would want to include from USA top 3 Male and top female and top junior.
Ratings are most important. And also behaviour. eg Topalov wouldn’t get invited by me!!
if there was only ten or twelve Kramniks out there I would be ecstatic
Dear Susan, I think it’s clear that the most important point is The fighting spirit / NO quick draw. René