Having a six game match with a Master and a unrated player? If I am right, Mike fixed the problem with a match like that. If the tournament or in this case a match, if it cannot be rated, does it not void out any prize money?
If the tournament only has two players, if the match cannot be rated … does it not void out the prize award? If the tournament cannot be rated or in this case a match, it should void out the prize award.
It is clear from the match rules as revised at the last Board meeting that a match is a series of pre-arranged games between two players, not a pairing quirk caused by poor turnout at a tournament.
Unfortunately, it is sometimes the case that only two players show up for a section of an event. (I’ve had it happen to me.)
If this occurs, one of the options the TD has is to hold a match between the two players in that section.
In this case, the TD would have to explain the situation and have the office override the match rule restrictions before an event containing such a section could be rated.
The office would have the discretion to decide whether to approve rating such an event and may consider such factors as the tournament history of the players or TD as well as whether it was advertised in advance.
(Have I mentioned recently that the new Online TLA system will go live on March 6th?)
This is NOT intended to create yet another way around the match rules, which is why is will not be something that can be handled strictly through the online reporting system.
[size=75]If the tournament only has two players, if the match cannot be rated … does it not void out the prize award? If the tournament cannot be rated or in this case a match, it should void out the prize award.[/size]
Doug,
Regarding the rating of the match; I’m thinking that the 6 games between the M and unr would be ratable as such: Say the M is rated 2300. Since the rating that a TD can assign an unrated player varies, say they choose not to assign one. The master wins the first game, giving the unr player a 1900 performance rating for that first game. Now, say the unr player draws the 2nd and 5th games, but loose the others. The unr players performance rating would be (1900+2300+1900+1900+2300+1900)/6= 2033 which would be their provisional rating after 6 games. The only problem I see with rating any games, is if all of players that show up are unr’s, and the TD has no idea what there playing strengths are. If either player in a match is rated, then I think the match is ratable.
In a match, which as I said before is a PRE-ARRANGED series of games between two players, BOTH players must have a published rating, and the two players must be rated no more than 400 points apart.
Effective March 1st, both players must also have established ratings. (It turns out this is how match rules have been stated in the ‘Bits and Pieces’ column of the rating supplement for the last several years, but the rule was worded differently elsewhere, so the Board revised the rule to make it clear that the players in a match must have established, published ratings within 400 points of each other.
However, that’s getting WAY off the point of this thread, which has to do with prize distributions in a tournament.
Al Howlett:
The match rules have changed for the better. As Mike Nolan has pointed out, the rules have changed. Even if the prize section only has two players, that can happen just as much as one person in the section. Any unrated section cannot have a rated match. First, as unrated players they do not have a published rating. Second, they have to be established players within 400 rating points, at their last published rating.
The other point, the players came to the tournament to play in a tournament not a match. The match between the unrated players would be a pre-arranged match. As the director would have to inform the players they are going to play with each other for whatever amount of games. There is not a time amount for any pre-arranged match, as it can be arranged five minutes before the first game or five days before the first game.
If you have two players in the same section, if they are not able to play within a rated match, than the prize award should be void. If the members cannot play any rated games within the section, than the section or the match is unrated. The prize award is only granted for rated sections not unrated sections.
It would be the norm, just to place the players within a section that is ratable. In the case of only having two players that cannot play any rated games, than the tournament cannot be rated period.
Did either player enter and show up with the intention of playing a match against another player?
No, they entered assuming it would be a swiss event and they would get multiple opponents.
It’s the organizer’s (and players’) bad luck that only two players showed up.
Therefore it is NOT a pre-arranged match, because neither the players nor the organizer nor the TD was planning to hold a match.
Any other way of interpreting the intent is wrong and USF match rules should not apply. However, because intent cannot be deduced from just a crosstable, in order to rate the event it will still require the USCF ratings staff to be informed of and review the specific circumstances and agree that there was no intent to hold a match.