Saint Louis 2014 norm tournament short draw question

[tzs]

I’m puzzled by some of the games in the GM norm tournament currently being held in Saint Louis. There are 10 players: 3 GMs, 3 IMs who are seeking GM norms, and 4 IMs who have all the GM norms they need but have not reached the necessary 2500 rating to earn the title.

They are playing 2 rounds a day.

In round 1, GM Finegold was playing one of the IMs who has his norms and just needs rating points. Finegold offered a draw on move 12, and his opponent accepted.

In round 2, a similar thing happened. Finegold’s opponent had his norms and just needed points. He accepted Finegold’s draw offer on move 13.

In the first game, a pair of minor pieces had been traded off, and black (the IM) had equalized according to the computer, but there was plenty of life left in the position. In the second game, nothing had been traded off and white (the IM) was about half a pawn up according to the computer.

By accepting draws, these two players gain about 0.6 rating points. They both need about 50 to get the GM title, so a draw doesn’t really help them.

So why would they accept? Finegold is a GM, but he’s not exactly in his prime. He’s only about 50 points stronger than the IMs he was playing.

I’m also a bit curious why Finegold would offer draws so early. I don’t think there is anything suspicious about it, because he is only doing it with players for whom a draw doesn’t really help them (the two IMs mentioned above, and one of the other GMs). When he played one of the players who needs a norm, that game went 45 moves and Finegold won. I’m guessing that he’s offering draws to the rating seekers to try to save energy so as to make the norm seekers work for their norms.

[GeneM]

Hard to understand why Sinquefield chooses to Not apply the Sofia rule against short draws.

[Sevan_Muradian]

@GeneM

Hard to understand why Sinquefield chooses to Not apply the Sofia rule against short draws.

Sofia rules can easily be circumvented.

[fantasychess]

@tzs

I’m puzzled by some of the games in the GM norm tournament currently being held in Saint Louis. There are 10 players: 3 GMs, 3 IMs who are seeking GM norms, and 4 IMs who have all the GM norms they need but have not reached the necessary 2500 rating to earn the title.

They are playing 2 rounds a day.

In round 1, GM Finegold was playing one of the IMs who has his norms and just needs rating points. Finegold offered a draw on move 12, and his opponent accepted.

In round 2, a similar thing happened. Finegold’s opponent had his norms and just needed points. He accepted Finegold’s draw offer on move 13.

In the first game, a pair of minor pieces had been traded off, and black (the IM) had equalized according to the computer, but there was plenty of life left in the position. In the second game, nothing had been traded off and white (the IM) was about half a pawn up according to the computer.

By accepting draws, these two players gain about 0.6 rating points. They both need about 50 to get the GM title, so a draw doesn’t really help them.

So why would they accept? Finegold is a GM, but he’s not exactly in his prime. He’s only about 50 points stronger than the IMs he was playing.

I’m also a bit curious why Finegold would offer draws so early. I don’t think there is anything suspicious about it, because he is only doing it with players for whom a draw doesn’t really help them (the two IMs mentioned above, and one of the other GMs). When he played one of the players who needs a norm, that game went 45 moves and Finegold won. I’m guessing that he’s offering draws to the rating seekers to try to save energy so as to make the norm seekers work for their norms.

I imagine playing 2 rounds a day has something to do with them not using Sofia rules, I hear chess can be quite exhausting at their level. Also Finegold posted something on his website about his first short draw, gmfinegold.wordpress.com/.

One thing I don’t understand is that Finegold has gone on a fund raising mission recently, gofundme.com/gmfinegold, but the offering/acceptance of these short draws would seem to be detrimental to this particular project.