2018 Women's World Championship

Discuss anything you like about women's chess at home and abroad.
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Chris Rice
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2018 Women's World Championship

Post by Chris Rice » Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:05 am

This event starts tomorrow and unfortunately as usual there doesn't seem to be a lot of people that care. Think that says it all for the format that has been used up to now where one bad game can knock you out of the championship so easily, exciting as that can be, mind you. The good thing is that from what we are told by the new FIDE regime this will be the last time it will be done like this and in future the women will have a similar cycle to the men. Indeed already for this tournament a major change is that all semi-finalists except for the eventual winner will qualify to the forthcoming Women’s Candidate Tournament of the 2019-2020 cycle.
OK so this event will be held in Khanty-Mansiysk, the usual venue when you can't find a decent sponsor. Chessdom have an article looking at the runners and riders. In the continued absence from women's chess of Hou Yifan, top seed is current world champion, Ju Wenjun.

Chris Rice
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Re: 2018 Women's World Championship

Post by Chris Rice » Fri Nov 02, 2018 7:17 pm

The first round of matches are due to start on Saturday morning at 9am according to Chess 24 (and notice how they haven't asked anyone to pay to watch it). Here are the pairings for the knockout matches.

NickFaulks
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Re: 2018 Women's World Championship

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Nov 02, 2018 7:25 pm

Chris Rice wrote:
Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:05 am
This event starts tomorrow and unfortunately as usual there doesn't seem to be a lot of people that care.
Not in England anyway, because we haven't got anyone in it. The Scots may be following with greater interest.
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Chris Rice
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Re: 2018 Women's World Championship

Post by Chris Rice » Sat Nov 03, 2018 8:15 am

The start time for the live broadcast is at 10am and for some unknown reason Chess24 have moved it so that it appears to be only available via Youtube link with commentary from Pavel Tregubov, link here. There is an intriguing first round pairing between two Chinese women, Sun-Tan.

Alex Holowczak
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Re: 2018 Women's World Championship

Post by Alex Holowczak » Sat Nov 03, 2018 10:35 am

Chris Rice wrote:
Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:05 am
Think that says it all for the format
Does it? I hardly ever pay attention to the match format, but I'll pay attention to this 64-player format. I probably wouldn't watch either live for very long unless there was English interest, but I'll certainly make more of an effort to keep up-to-date with the results as the tournament progresses than I would the match format.

The Chess World Cup, and the 64-player Women's World Championship, are certainly better than the drawfest Round Robins we've become used to.

Any format ending in a standalone match is old-fashioned. Wimbledon and the Davis Cup used it in the past, but I think they stopped in the Inter-War period. I think the problem is that chessplayers would reject any format where the World Champion isn't someone like Carlsen, or Kasparov before them, because there have historically been so few World Champions largely because of the protection afforded to the incumbent during the cycle. I have some sympathy with that when I think of some of the seemingly random winners of golf majors we have had in the last decade or so.

I'd much rather have a series of 16 or 32 player knockouts over the calendar year, with some sort of points system where the leader at the end of it becomes the World Champion. Lots of sports use a similar system, and if there are enough events in the series, you get the best of both worlds - events with an exciting format, and reduced potential for a surprise winner of an individual event to become World Champion.

NickFaulks
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Re: 2018 Women's World Championship

Post by NickFaulks » Sat Nov 03, 2018 11:11 am

Alex Holowczak wrote:
Sat Nov 03, 2018 10:35 am
I'd much rather have a series of 16 or 32 player knockouts over the calendar year, with some sort of points system where the leader at the end of it becomes the World Champion.
I wouldn't, because it would block out a huge chunk of the calendar, and with the smaller fry generally going home at an early stage.

Yes, I do realise that this is how tennis works. This has never seemed ideal to me, with the top players playing too much and the rest too little, but I suspect that most professional chess players rely even more heavily on competitive games to stay sharp.
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Mick Norris
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Re: 2018 Women's World Championship

Post by Mick Norris » Sat Nov 03, 2018 11:23 am

Alex Holowczak wrote:
Sat Nov 03, 2018 10:35 am
Chris Rice wrote:
Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:05 am
Think that says it all for the format
Does it? I hardly ever pay attention to the match format, but I'll pay attention to this 64-player format.
It's about the money; the 64 player format is expensive, which is why it normally takes place without (much) sponsorship in places like Khanty (or in the case of the World Cup, as part of the Olympiad bid)

The match format does (apart form when AGON organise it :roll: ) raise quite a bit of sponsorship and gets quite a bit of media coverage

I like the WC but I wouldn't follow it as closely as a match; each to his/her own I guess

There's not enough money in Women's chess of course, whatever the format

The main issue with this particular tournament is there was a World Championship match a few months ago; it needs to be given a proper cycle
Any postings on here represent my personal views

Nick Burrows
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Re: 2018 Women's World Championship

Post by Nick Burrows » Sat Nov 03, 2018 11:52 am

An individual match is more deeply engrossing as opposed to the modern shift towards titilating formats.

Give me a 16 game match anyday.

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: 2018 Women's World Championship

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Sat Nov 03, 2018 12:47 pm

Alex Holowczak wrote:
Sat Nov 03, 2018 10:35 am
The Chess World Cup, and the 64-player Women's World Championship, are certainly better than the drawfest Round Robins we've become used to.
This is true, but the Candidates' Tournament, unlike most of those other round-robins, was worth watching. That's because it's a tournament where everybody's aim was to win the tournament, rather than to gain rating points from it.

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Re: 2018 Women's World Championship

Post by Alex Holowczak » Sat Nov 03, 2018 1:13 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Sat Nov 03, 2018 11:11 am
I wouldn't, because it would block out a huge chunk of the calendar, and with the smaller fry generally going home at an early stage.
There were four Grand Prix events per year until as recently as 2017. That didn't seem to block the calendar out too much. If you had 32 players, that would take 15 days; or 16 players would only take 12 days, so you might have rest days between each round if you wanted to.
NickFaulks wrote:
Sat Nov 03, 2018 11:11 am
Yes, I do realise that this is how tennis works. This has never seemed ideal to me, with the top players playing too much and the rest too little, but I suspect that most professional chess players rely even more heavily on competitive games to stay sharp.
Isn't it how every sport works? The best players play the most often and get the most financial reward as a result. In golf, the top players qualify for an event like The Masters, whereas Joe Bloggs the relatively weak PGA Tour Card Holder might watch it from home.
Mick Norris wrote:
Sat Nov 03, 2018 11:23 am
Alex Holowczak wrote:
Sat Nov 03, 2018 10:35 am
Chris Rice wrote:
Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:05 am
Think that says it all for the format
Does it? I hardly ever pay attention to the match format, but I'll pay attention to this 64-player format.
It's about the money; the 64 player format is expensive, which is why it normally takes place without (much) sponsorship in places like Khanty (or in the case of the World Cup, as part of the Olympiad bid)
The money comes from the stakes of what is being hosted. The reason why the Grand Prix didn't generate much sponsorship income is because of Kirsan if you believe Agon, but in my opinion, it is more to do with the fact that it's the qualifiers for the qualifiers of the World Championship. Who is queuing up to sponsor the Wimbledon Qualifying Tournament, or The Open Championship Qualifiers?
IM Jack Rudd wrote:
Sat Nov 03, 2018 12:47 pm
Alex Holowczak wrote:
Sat Nov 03, 2018 10:35 am
The Chess World Cup, and the 64-player Women's World Championship, are certainly better than the drawfest Round Robins we've become used to.
This is true, but the Candidates' Tournament, unlike most of those other round-robins, was worth watching. That's because it's a tournament where everybody's aim was to win the tournament, rather than to gain rating points from it.
I'm sure there's a lot of truth to that; the events need context, or need a reason for people to try to win them.

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JustinHorton
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Re: 2018 Women's World Championship

Post by JustinHorton » Sat Nov 03, 2018 1:14 pm

Chris Rice wrote:
Sat Nov 03, 2018 8:15 am
The start time for the live broadcast is at 10am and for some unknown reason Chess24 have moved it so that it appears to be only available via Youtube link with commentary from Pavel Tregubov, link here.
?
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Barry Sandercock
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Re: 2018 Women's World Championship

Post by Barry Sandercock » Sat Nov 03, 2018 2:28 pm

You can get it on Chessbomb website.

Chris Rice
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Re: 2018 Women's World Championship

Post by Chris Rice » Sat Nov 03, 2018 3:54 pm

JustinHorton wrote:
Sat Nov 03, 2018 1:14 pm
Chris Rice wrote:
Sat Nov 03, 2018 8:15 am
The start time for the live broadcast is at 10am and for some unknown reason Chess24 have moved it so that it appears to be only available via Youtube link with commentary from Pavel Tregubov, link here.
?
No idea what went on there but its back to normal on Chess 24 now as you probably have already discovered.
Some first game shocks as usual. "18-year-old Iranian Mobina Alinasab beat Elisabeth Paehtz in the biggest upset of Day 1, but favourites Olga Girya, Alina Kashlinskaya, Ni Shiqun & Lela Javakhishvili also lost & must win tomorrow to stay in the event! "

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: 2018 Women's World Championship

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Sat Nov 03, 2018 4:02 pm

Chris Rice wrote:
Sat Nov 03, 2018 3:54 pm
"18-year-old Iranian Mobina Alinasab beat Elisabeth Paehtz in the biggest upset of Day 1, but favourites Olga Girya, Alina Kashlinskaya, Ni Shiqun & Lela Javakhishvili also lost & must win tomorrow to stay in the event! "
Down to earth with a bump there.
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Chris Rice
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Re: 2018 Women's World Championship

Post by Chris Rice » Sun Nov 04, 2018 10:00 am

Just about to kick off the second game of the round 1 matches. Hadn't realised that zero tolerance was in effect.

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