English Chess Forum

Jonathan Rogers wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 01, 2022 6:46 pm

JustinHorton wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 01, 2022 4:34 pm

Also I see Ding v Naka is a last-round pairing

If they make the same result in round 13, and are at least as clearly ahead of Radja as they are now, there will be tiebreak talk ahead of the game, since in the event of a draw, the player with the better tiebreak might - might - play a match with Nepo.

Can someone tell me what the rules are (because I am lazy, but others must be curious too)? They have three wins and two losses each so it is not immediately obvious. Unless it is the number of Black wins!

Sonneborn-Berger, I think

Jonathan Rogers wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 01, 2022 6:46 pm

Can someone tell me what the [tiebreak] rules are ...

Yes, I can.

Slightly more helpfully:

Tournament Regulation 4.4.2.3:

"If there is no tie for first place after 14 rounds, ties for all positions shall be broken according to the following criteria, in
order of priority:
a) Sonneborn-Berger System;
b) Total number of wins in the tournament;
c) The results of the games between the players involved in the tie;
d) Drawing of lots."

Edit: Justin got there first.

Thank you both. I had no idea that SB was the first tie breaker. (Perhaps it isn't, as far as first place is concerned - would there have been a play-off then?)

But you underestimate my laziness. Assume that Naka and Ding each draw in round 13 - who would have the better SB then?

Nakamura. Half a point extra against the tournament leader goes a fair way.

"Half a point extra against the tournament leader goes a fair way."

I guess it does with this leader! Thanks Jack.

Jonathan Rogers wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 01, 2022 7:30 pm

(Perhaps it isn't, as far as first place is concerned - would there have been a play-off then?)

Yes

David Sedgwick wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 01, 2022 10:48 pm

Jonathan Rogers wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 01, 2022 7:30 pm

(Perhaps it isn't, as far as first place is concerned - would there have been a play-off then?)

Yes

The regulations were drafted on the basis that only first place would matter. Even if it had been foreseen that second ( or even third ) place might matter, it would have been awkward to put that in print.

I am hoping Naka gets second, seems to me an incentive for Magnus to play!

Would Naka want to play? Perhaps, if he could stream it.

Which is more awkward in the current international climate?

(1) A Norwegian and a Russian chessplayer contesting the World Title?
(2) A Russian and an American chessplayer contesting the World Title?
(3) A Russian and a Chinese chessplayer contesting the World Title?
(4) All the above?

(Has anyone under the FID flag ever become World Champion? I am going to guess the answer is "no".)

So a match that both the general public and the world champion don't have much interest in. Hmmm

What match would the general public and the World Champion have much interest in? It could have been Carlsen Firouzja, but do we really want finishing last in the Candidates to be the qualifying condition?

Its hard to tell how serious MC was with that "I only want to play Firouzja" comment.

As opposed to him being more generally weary of defending his title every two years (at most) which I can certainly believe.

Apparently Carlsen in Madrid for the last few rounds.
If so then we should discover soon what is going to happen.

Carlsen v Nepo II (preferred)
Nepo v A.N. Other (if so, then so be it)
Carlsen retires the title and it is given to Caruana as he was last challenger (Nah!)
A.N. Other v A.N. Other (Nepo refuses to play anyone unless he plays Carlsen.)
We could play this 'what if' game all day.

Of course he might just be there to visit the Real Madrid club shop to pick up next season's top.

Well, Nepo is never going to lose this position against Rapport (move 20, double rooks and same-colour bishops and better pawn structure). The Firouzja-Ding position (move 28) is very drawish as well. The Nakamura-Duda position (move 18) is unbalanced and interesting. Ditto (if slightly less interesting) for Radjabov-Caruana (move 19)