English Chess Forum

Roger de Coverly wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 13, 2022 5:47 pm

The Maidenhead venue has the advantage (or disadvantage) of being relatively easily accessible from the London area.

Three Division 3 venues instead of two = easier travelling for many = more entrants but proportionately fewer staying overnight. Or, to flesh that out with some example figures, if the number of players consequently increases from 300 (of whom 50% stay overnight) to 360 (of whom only 40% stay overnight) then there's a loss of hotel income. A small loss on those particular figures but perhaps rather more in reality.

Dear Team Captain,

The pairings for the second weekend (rounds 3 & 4) will be published on Monday.

At the moment it is intended that all teams will be included. If you intend to play then you do not have to do anything.

However, if you do not want to be included then please let me know no later than Sunday 6th February.
Teams not taking part may request a 1 point bye for both rounds.

I look forward to not hearing from you.

Regards,

Alex McFarlane
Chief Arbiter

Subsequent e-mail: For clarification, teams opting out will get a 1 point bye for the entire weekend. It is not intended to be a 1 point bye in each round.

(Alex McF) LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 02, 2022 4:26 pm

Teams not taking part may request a 1 point bye for both rounds.

That's different from previous practice of awarding a zero point bye. It could make a difference to end of season relegation, given that divisions 2 and 3 South will be culled down to twelve teams each.

LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 02, 2022 4:26 pm

I look forward to not hearing from you

Roger de Coverly wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 02, 2022 4:40 pm

(Alex McF) LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 02, 2022 4:26 pm

Teams not taking part may request a 1 point bye for both rounds.

That's different from previous practice of awarding a zero point bye. It could make a difference to end of season relegation, given that divisions 2 and 3 South will be culled down to twelve teams each.

The subsequent e-mail amended that to 1 point bye for the weekend, not each round.

personally I am very surprised by matchpoint byes being available. Whilst there is every reason not to punish/not to fine teams which cannot play in present circumstances, to give them some matchpoints, possibly more than they might have achieved even normally, is quite something else. I admit to not having thought much about it, but would have thought that 0 matchpoints but imagined 6-2 or 4.5-1.5 losses for gamepoints purposes would be more proportionate.

Hhmm...so a very weak team, or a team not expecting to win either match, has an incentive to 'no-show', meanwhile profiting from the team that does show, but loses both matches. Very odd

LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 02, 2022 4:59 pm

The subsequent e-mail amended that to 1 point bye for the weekend, not each round.

Clarified rather than amended, I think.

One match point for the weekend is obviously not much use for promotion, but could still come in handy for avoidance of relegation.

NickFaulks wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 02, 2022 6:20 pm

LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 02, 2022 4:59 pm

The subsequent e-mail amended that to 1 point bye for the weekend, not each round.

Clarified rather than amended, I think.

One match point for the weekend is obviously not much use for promotion, but could still come in handy for avoidance of relegation.

Well initially it was "Teams not taking part may request a 1 point bye for both rounds" but the subsequent e-mail amended the wording to: "1 point bye for the entire weekend" so a definite change. I'm sure it was an unintentional slip rather than anything else though and I'm sure we've all hit send and then realised something isn't quite right.

LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 02, 2022 6:32 pm

so a definite change.

No, to me "one for each round" clearly means two for the pair. "One for both rounds" probably means one for the pair, but needs clarification.

NickFaulks wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 02, 2022 6:56 pm

LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 02, 2022 6:32 pm

so a definite change.

No, to me "one for each round" clearly means two for the pair. "One for both rounds" probably means one for the pair, but needs clarification.

Ah yes, good point.

David Robertson wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 02, 2022 6:19 pm

Hhmm...so a very weak team, or a team not expecting to win either match, has an incentive to 'no-show', meanwhile profiting from the team that does show, but loses both matches. Very odd

Thinking about it further, I would now add to my charge of Perverse Incentive (to not turn up), the charge of Risk Assymetry. That is: the team that declines to show because of the Covid risk (as they judge it) is also declining the potential benefits of participation. Fair enough. No fault applied. By contrast, the team turning up takes on any Covid risk available in return for any benefits than may accrue from participation. Yet the proposal of a match point bye to the no-show rewards the risk-averse, and loads all the risk onto the team(s) that turn up. Unfair. Hence, wrong

David Robertson wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 02, 2022 6:19 pm

....Yet the proposal of a match point bye to the no-show rewards the risk-averse, and loads all the risk onto the team(s) that turn up. Unfair. Hence, wrong

They want to genuinely let people who aren't worried about the risk play, and those that are to not play. So they're trying very hard to avoid incentivising people to turn up if not happy about it.

Looks ethically commendable to me.

Some non trivial issues in sporting terms, yes, but to my eyes this season is already a write off in strict sporting terms anyway.

Much more about letting people who want to play, play. Hopefully we can do it properly next season

NickFaulks wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 02, 2022 6:56 pm

LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 02, 2022 6:32 pm

so a definite change.

No, to me "one for each round" clearly means two for the pair. "One for both rounds" probably means one for the pair, but needs clarification.

The wording "1 point bye for both rounds" also struck me as ambiguous but it then occurred to me that no-one, not even Alex, was going to be so generous as to award two match-points per weekend for a non-participant team - as others have observed, that would become a tactical option.