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Also missing is the shining example of Hikaru Nakamura at last year's World Open (a nine-round event). Choosing the three-day schedule, he played five rapid games on the first day, two regular games on the second, and was granted half point byes for the last two rounds. Result - 7.0/9 and a share of first place.
I never give half point byes in the last two rounds of any event I organize and always ask the players for their bye requests before the tournament starts. I always award 0 point byes in the final two rounds.
OK, for one tournament I organized, I did allow for half point byes in the first four rounds. But just once. I have never given a half point out in the final round of any event. It just doesn't seem right.
In most other countries, Chess is recognised as a sport. In a sport, it does not make sense to have half point byes. How would you like to hear that the Maple Leafs have requested a half point bye? Obtaining without playing points that could makes the difference at the end of the season does not make sense.
Half point byes continues to exist because without them, we fear that registration to tournaments would drop dramatically. It is common for non-professional players to be unable to play in all rounds, and with zero point byes, that would imply that those players can no longer win any price. Some players will not register if they believe that they have no chance to win a price.
Another trouble that half point byes causes is that it makes it impossible to use FIDE endorsed pairing programs because they do not support half point byes.
A solution would be to abolish half point bye and to play only one game per day and no game on Friday night, except if Friday is an holiday. Off course, this would mean that tournaments would last more then one weekend.
The funniest "bye" story with which I was ever involved:
Roughly 25 years ago I was paired with a FIDE-rated Scottish FM(?) in the penultimate round of a tournament held at SFU. There was no sudden-death control (TC was 40/2, 20/1 ad infinitum), and the game dragged on and on. Eventually we got the ending R vs B, N and P, with me having the lone R. I was about to sacrifice my R for the P and run my K into the middle of the board when I figured heck he'll know how to mate, so may as well resign. Even so, the game was somewhere between 80 and 100 moves.
The result was that almost every other player in the event, of which there were about 20, took half-point byes in the final round - including someone who up til then had a perfect score and guaranteed himself clear first! Only the FM, me, and our respective last-round opponents played the last round. I miss the days of the neverending games, but I suspect I am one of the few. ;-)
Oh ya and I have a couple of times organized/directed tournaments where players who were to get forced byes got a pro-rated amount of their EF returned as compensation for not getting a game and my inability to provide a substitute.
Last edited by Tom O'Donnell; Wednesday, 26th May, 2010, 03:50 PM.
"Tom is a well known racist, and like most of them he won't admit it, possibly even to himself." - Ed Seedhouse, October 4, 2020.
as a player I have often taken zero point byes for the last round (yes and requested in advance). Man's gotta know his limits! Once, when I misjudged my limits in deciding to play all 3 Saturday games instead of taking my usual first round bye, I asked the TD after round 2 for a zero point bye for round 3. He refused so, I withdrew. Rounds 4 and 5 subsequently had an odd number of players - no one was better off with that interpretation of not allowing byes.
It is clearly not about reinventing the wheel, it is about putting an end to a practice that is virtually absent in chess developped countries. For a long time adjourning games was also "common" if not the only practice. Now it has completely disappeared and virtually nobody wants it back.
Half point byes are simply a nonsense from a competitive point of view. But in North America, attendance is such a vital factor in financing the tournaments (guess why...) that organizers have been increasingly willing to bend normal competitive rules hoping to draw a few more entries. The argument that for most players we are talking about "recreational" events work both ways. Recreational players have no reason to object to a zero point bye. The others should not be allowed to get a competitive advantage (rest and the half point) from half point byes.
At the risk of becoming a "fanboy of Jean Hebert" (just kidding), I must say I agree that half-point byes (even arranged in advance) seem to be a bizarre "solution" to a problem that should not exist. I can understand tournament organizers might offer them to permit a small number of players to participate who otherwise would not or could not. [[ I blew coffee all over my monitor at Pierre Denommee's suggestion that the Leafs could get half-point byes (to which I could only say - Yea baby, bring it on! -but that's the Loafs). ]]
In all these discussions, perhaps there should be some differentiation according to the type of tournament: of course, the setup for a local, club swiss tournament might be quite different than a more prestigious event. It isn't always clear that the same measuring stick can be applied to any and all tournaments.
All this reminds me of kids sports - where "participation is the thing" (much to the dismay of kids who excel and who *can* handle the competition). House League versus Rep etc. I think serious tournaments/leagues should have serious rules and regulations and the others can do whatever loosening of the rules they want - provided they realize that by doing so they also drop the pretense of being serious or competitive.
...., and with zero point byes, that would imply that those players can no longer win any price. Some players will not register if they believe that they have no chance to win a price....
It's more than just the chance of winning a prize. The quality of one's opposition depends on one's point score. If all you can get is a zero point bye thereby guaranteeing that you will get a patzer in the subsequent round, even a purely recreational player with no interest in prize money will have good reason not to bother playing.
It's more than just the chance of winning a prize. The quality of one's opposition depends on one's point score. If all you can get is a zero point bye thereby guaranteeing that you will get a patzer in the subsequent round, even a purely recreational player with no interest in prize money will have good reason not to bother playing.
Faced with having to change our views or prove that there is no need to do so, most of us get busy on the proof.
-John Kenneth Galbraith
Faced with having to change our views or prove that there is no need to do so, most of us get busy on the proof.
-John Kenneth Galbraith
What up, chief, I may have a solution. How about you organise your tournaments however you feel is right, and Roger organises his tournaments however he feels is right. Novel concept, hey?
everytime it hurts, it hurts just like the first (and then you cry till there's no more tears)
What up, chief, I may have a solution. How about you organise your tournaments however you feel is right, and Roger organises his tournaments however he feels is right. Novel concept, hey?
Not your best, chief. What about a double zero point bye for that one ?
The only thing to do with good advice is pass it on. It is never any use to oneself. -Oscar Wilde
American tournaments are ******* weird... What's with all the different schedules? Come on...
Lucas, you missed the 25th Annual Keres Memorial in 2000. That had, AFAIR, 17 playing sessions, and you could almost roll your own schedule.
Please don't ******* apologize, Nigel. Only ****heads use ***-**** ******* rude language. Gracious.
The Nova Scotia Open, an 8-round Swiss event held over the four-day Victoria Weekend in Halifax, was won by Brian Pentz with 6 points out of 8. Relevance to this thread? He took 3 (count 'em) half-point byes. His score in games played over the four days was 4.5 out of 5. I think it's OK, but here's the chance for critics to have at it.
"Back in the day", Vancouver organizers used to "celebrate" three-day weekends by holding 7-round events. And taking a bye was not even a glint in a tournament director's eye. Men were men, and coffee percolators were frightened.
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