Case of resignation in WCH tournament

  

Back to forum


Thibault de Vassal    (2011-07-14)
Case of resignation in WCH tournament

Hello all,

I'd like your opinion on this special case in a WCH tournament (that did not happen yet, as far as I know). Currently rules do not allow to change anything there but I'm not even sure that something should be changed. Please note that I consider that correspondence chess is not all about chess, so resignations in equal positions are most often wins like other wins.

The case: Player A draws or wins a game in a round-robin WCH tournament, then resigns all his other games in equal positions.

Of course this is not good and maybe unfair for the player who offered/accepted the draw or lost the game against him. If player A resigned some other games in equal positions before, the rules allow the referee to adjudicate the game for the other player, but not here.

While I'm writing these lines, I feel and realize that the referee shouldn't be able to change such a result as the limit is unclear (what about 2 games, 3 games, 4 games or 5 games before those resignations in equal positions), but this may be worth to discuss anyway.


Gino Figlio    (2011-07-15 07:17:43)
Case of resignation in WCH tournament

Finishing games early in a tournament can cost you if the player you agreed to draw ends up losing interest and either resigns many games or withdraws.

Having said that, resigning games in equal positions could be grounds to a complain to the TD who may then question the player. If there is a valid explanation (health reasons for example) the player could be given the chance to submit games for adjudication instead of resigning.
I think the system should be ready for a change of results in these rare circumstances.
If the player does not have a valid reason for resigning games in equal positions the he should receive a penalty that prevents him from joining tournaments for a period of time (2 years maybe). The games should be sent to adjudication also. It's a lot of work but the effort provides a sense of added value to the site


Don Groves    (2011-07-15 19:56:40)
Case of resignation in WCH tournament

I agree with adjudication in these cases. It seems to be the fairest solution for all concerned.


Thibault de Vassal    (2011-07-15 22:39:40)
Case of resignation in WCH tournament

The current rules on this point are 11.6 : "Any player who forfeits (by resignation or silent withdrawal) his games in an equal or winning position, without giving an explanation to referee in a rated chess tournament could lose his other games in the tournament, get a limited access to the server and couldn't enter waiting lists anymore during a period of 2 months, at the referee's discretion."

Any suggestion to improve it?


Don Groves    (2011-07-16 07:51:33)
Case of resignation in WCH tournament

How about this:

"The game result of a resignation or silent withdrawal in an even or winning position will be adjudicated by the referee. In addition, the player who resigns or withdraws in such positions may face punishment by ... etc."


Don Groves    (2011-07-16 07:55:09)
Case of resignation in WCH tournament

Insert: "... or withdraws in such positions [without a valid explanation to the referee] may face ..."


Don Groves    (2011-07-16 07:57:17)
Case of resignation in WCH tournament

Or maybe: ... without an acceptable explanation...


Thibault de Vassal    (2011-07-16 11:23:35)
Case of resignation in WCH tournament

You're right Don, there was already things to fix :) But what about the point discussed here, a possible re-adjudication as a loss of the game(s) finished before these withdrawals?


Don Groves    (2011-07-16 12:21:27)
Case of resignation in WCH tournament

I don't think that is necessary if the withdrawn games are adjudicated since the problem pointed out earlier will not occur. The player(s) who earlier lost or drew a game with the one who withdraws from the tournament will not be penalized by everyone else getting a full or half point unless they earned it.


Thibault de Vassal    (2011-07-16 16:50:44)
Case of resignation in WCH tournament

"will not be penalized by everyone else", I don't follow you there... half a point or a full point less is penalizing by itself in a WCH tournament, right?


Don Groves    (2011-07-16 17:52:35)
Case of resignation in WCH tournament

I thought the original point was that those who lost or drew with the dropout would be penalized when the other players got the full point, even if they were losing or only even against the dropout. But if the referee adjudicates those remaining games, the full point will only be awarded if the dropout was losing anyway. Right?


Garvin Gray    (2011-07-16 18:02:39)
Case of resignation in WCH tournament

Thibault- I think I can offer you a solution to this from the fide laws of chess, tournament rules section.

These types of situations are already covered: http://www.fide.com/fide/handbook.html?id=20&view=category

11. Where not all games are played

(c) When a player withdraws or is expelled from a round-robin tournament, the effect shall be as follows:

(d) If a player has completed less than 50% of his games, his score remains in the tournament table (for rating and historical purposes), but the points scored by him or against him are not counted in the final standings. The unplayed games of the player and his opponents are indicated by (-) in the tournament table and those of his opponents by (+). If neither player is present this will be indicated by two (-).

(e) If a player has completed at least 50% of his games, his score shall remain in the tournament table and shall be counted in the final standings. The unplayed games of the player are shown as indicated as above.

(g) Articles 10(e) and (f) also apply to team events; both unplayed matches and unplayed games must be clearly indicated as such.


Gino Figlio    (2011-07-17 18:03:24)
Case of resignation in WCH tournament

There is a big difference between OTB and cc where unplayed games are rarely seen when a withdrawal occurs since all games are played simultaneously in cc. Thst's why adjudications are needed.


Thibault de Vassal    (2011-07-18 13:04:52)
Case of resignation in WCH tournament

@Don: The rules try to make tournaments (particularly championships) & ratings coherent as much as possible (to "protect" results & ratings), in other words if a player resigns several games in a tournament without giving a valid explanation, even the games he won or drew in these tournaments may be adjudicated as losses in this aim. The only question is: should it be extended to games (in these tournaments only) finished before the first resignation...

@Garvin (& Gino): Thanks for the information! Would you know what ICCF says about it?


Gino Figlio    (2011-07-18 13:53:39)
Case of resignation in WCH tournament

http://www.iccf.com/rules/ICCFTournamentRules01-01-2011.pdf

Scroll down to find "6.Withdrawal and Substitutions"

It doesn't specifically address the issue though...


Thibault de Vassal    (2011-07-18 14:28:19)
Case of resignation in WCH tournament

Thanks a lot Gino!