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Topic: 2007 World Championship Discussion (Read 5257 times) |
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Fritzlein
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2007 World Championship Discussion
« on: Nov 4th, 2006, 9:44pm » |
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We have twenty players registered, from ten countries! If everyone plays their games, this will be another record in participation.
Last year with 16 players, there was a perfect symmetry in that every player needed exactly six wins to become champion. This year, with 20 players, there will be byes starting in the third round already. It will be possible for some players to become champion with only six wins, while others will need seven. However, I don't think there is a scenario in which anyone would need to win eight games, so it seems as nearly fair as one can make it. The great thing about elimination tournaments is that each player is in total control of his own destiny.
Three players, namely omar, naveed, and 99of9 have been in every World Championship tournament so far. We wave a sad farewell to MrBrain and Belbo, each missing their first World Championship ever.
Every year so far the World Champion has been someone who had learned the game less than a year before. This year chessandgo is the highest-rated of the nine players with less than one year of experience. Will he extend the streak of inexperienced winners to a fourth straight year?
Nine players are returning from last year. On average, they are rated 119 points higher than last year. I fall just 2 points below the average increase. It is interesting to speculate whether that entire increase is attributable to increasing skill, or whether there is rating inflation afoot. I personally like to think that I have learned enough in a year of playing and studying to be 117 points better player than I was last year. According to the rating formula, I should be able to beat the me of one year ago 66% of the time, which seems plausible.
(Another reason to suppose there is no rating inflation is that the bots are rated about where they were a year ago: only the humans are rising.)
My sense is that, compared to last year, there are more strategies rather than fewer on the table. It is not the case that a single way of playing has become dominant. On the contrary, it seems more and more that it is essential to keep multiple strategic themes balanced. I expect to see games this year that are even deeper and more interesting than last year's excitement.
Let the games begin!
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| « Last Edit: Nov 5th, 2006, 10:10am by Fritzlein » |
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chessandgo
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Re: 2007 World Championship Discussion
« Reply #1 on: Nov 5th, 2006, 2:43pm » |
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amen 
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99of9
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Re: 2007 World Championship Discussion
« Reply #2 on: Nov 5th, 2006, 11:08pm » |
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Aargghh... I think we have the dreaded southern hemisphere timezone problem again. I'll try to work it out in the first week, but sorry if I miss any games by 2 hours.
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seanick
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Re: 2007 World Championship Discussion
« Reply #3 on: Nov 6th, 2006, 12:40am » |
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what is that, toby?
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Janzert
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Re: 2007 World Championship Discussion
« Reply #4 on: Nov 6th, 2006, 1:40am » |
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on Nov 5th, 2006, 11:08pm, 99of9 wrote:| Aargghh... I think we have the dreaded southern hemisphere timezone problem again. |
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Why can't you just call your warm season winter and follow us right side up types on the daylight savings thing, then there wouldn't be all these nasty problems. 
Janzert
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IdahoEv
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Re: 2007 World Championship Discussion
« Reply #5 on: Nov 6th, 2006, 4:52am » |
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on Nov 6th, 2006, 1:40am, Janzert wrote:
Why can't you just call your warm season winter and follow us right side up types on the daylight savings thing, then there wouldn't be all these nasty problems. |
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No kidding! Celebrating Christmas in the summer is just WRONG. You could at least call it winter, it would be a little better. Some styrofoam pellets for fake snow and you'd be all good.
Darn ozzies can't get anything right, eh?
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RonWeasley
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Re: 2007 World Championship Discussion
« Reply #6 on: Nov 6th, 2006, 8:45am » |
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I'm just reminding new players and spectators that there's usually a lively chat going during each WC match game. Just click on the chat button when the game is about to start or during the game. You don't have to comment to be welcome. I think it's the best spectator experience.
I recall that often Fritzlein and PMertens will disagree about who's winning. Each sees threats and strategy that I would never think of myself. Then the players make better moves than any of us see. I always come away amazed at how smart the other players are, even while losing.
There's added tension as your move number prediction approaches and you want the game to get sharper. Meanwhile other spectators are rooting for a longer game. It's a great sports experience and you don't even have to be quiet.
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IdahoEv
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Re: 2007 World Championship Discussion
« Reply #7 on: Nov 6th, 2006, 1:02pm » |
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I fear I may have entered my time preferences backwards. Of the three boxes for each time slot, which one meant "least preferred" and which one meant "most preferred"?
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Fritzlein
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Re: 2007 World Championship Discussion
« Reply #8 on: Nov 6th, 2006, 1:53pm » |
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leftmost = most preferred, unless mine are the backwards ones.
I think 99of9's problem is that the server doesn't properly recognize his local time. It's confusing to try to pick time slots when you are on Eastern time and the server insists on believing you are are Central time, or something like that.
These quirks aside, I think the scheduling tool is a nifty way to allow a true World Championship without extravagantly disadvantaging any time zone. Of course, since 99of9 is the lone Asian player competing against nine North Americans and ten Europeans, he's much less likely than the rest of us to get comfortable time slots, but it still works out better than making him compete at a set time that is convenient for New York or Berlin.
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| « Last Edit: Nov 6th, 2006, 1:54pm by Fritzlein » |
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99of9
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Re: 2007 World Championship Discussion
« Reply #9 on: Nov 6th, 2006, 3:04pm » |
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on Nov 6th, 2006, 1:53pm, Fritzlein wrote:| I think 99of9's problem is that the server doesn't properly recognize his local time. |
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Yes, something like that. It gets my time right in the gameroom, but wrong for all scheduling. I think it's related to the fact that we've just switched to daylight savings, but you've just switched off it (if you have it).
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Fritzlein
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Re: 2007 World Championship Discussion
« Reply #10 on: Nov 7th, 2006, 8:29am » |
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Eerie flashback? In the first round one year ago, Adanac was paired against megamau for a game time in the middle of the night (for Adanac). Apparently Adanac is unavailable during the day. Megamau forfeited that game, but later came back to win twice before elimination. In the first round this year, Adanac is paired against megamau for a game time in the middle of the night (for Adanac). Adanac, I think you should just sleep in this time, and save yourself the trouble. Is it really worth waking up just to be sure? 
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Adanac
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Re: 2007 World Championship Discussion
« Reply #11 on: Nov 7th, 2006, 1:39pm » |
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on Nov 7th, 2006, 8:29am, Fritzlein wrote:| Eerie flashback? In the first round one year ago, Adanac was paired against megamau for a game time in the middle of the night (for Adanac). Apparently Adanac is unavailable during the day. Megamau forfeited that game, but later came back to win twice before elimination. In the first round this year, Adanac is paired against megamau for a game time in the middle of the night (for Adanac). Adanac, I think you should just sleep in this time, and save yourself the trouble. Is it really worth waking up just to be sure? |
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Correct, it's deja vu all over again. Every November my friend Mel hosts a late night Pizza & Movie party. Last yeart my first game was 5:00 in the morning after her party and I only had 4 hours sleep before waking up to face Megamau. This year, Mel is hosting her annual party on Saturday November 11th and I'm playing megamau next morning at 5am. Oh yes, it all sounds very familiar!!
I couldn't even begin to tell you how few available time slots I have this week. I breathed a sigh of relief when I got the Sunday 5am slot because most other times would have overlapped other commitments if the game goes 50+ moves. Hopefully, by the end of November I'll be able to practice regularly and schedule some normal times.
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Fritzlein
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Re: 2007 World Championship Discussion
« Reply #12 on: Nov 10th, 2006, 10:32am » |
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I woke up this morning expecting to see that Brendan had forfeited his game to JDB, due to a lack of Internet connection. However, it turns out the game has not yet been scored. I asked Omar about it, and he said that a game can't be forfeited unless one person shows up and the other doesn't. The rules do not specify what happens if neither player shows up.
I am guessing that in this case, JDB didn't show up because I tipped him off that Brendan would have no Internet connection until Monday. I don't suppose that Brendan will want to claim a draw or a replay or anything on the basis of the vagueness in the rules. Still, it would be good if JDB could respond as soon as possible with his story.
Also, for future reference, players need to be sure to show up in order to claim a win, even if they know their opponent will be forfeiting. My apologies if I earlier implied the contrary.
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| « Last Edit: Nov 10th, 2006, 10:35am by Fritzlein » |
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chessandgo
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Re: 2007 World Championship Discussion
« Reply #13 on: Nov 10th, 2006, 11:52am » |
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Actually, jdb was there, and logged to the game window ...
it's really too bad that you couldn't play, Brendan. It's not only one less exciting game, but a hard blow to the "Newbies Team" as well ... I hope you'll be able to play next week under good conditions.
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Fritzlein
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Re: 2007 World Championship Discussion
« Reply #14 on: Nov 10th, 2006, 3:35pm » |
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on Nov 10th, 2006, 11:52am, chessandgo wrote:| Actually, jdb was there, and logged to the game window ... |
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Oh, sorry, my mistake. Omar said the logs showed neither player sat down. There must have been a technical glitch as well. Anyway if JDB was present, then there can be no question of a rules loophole.
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| « Last Edit: Nov 10th, 2006, 5:45pm by Fritzlein » |
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