Allows players to request a 1/2 point forfeit draw if requested before a tournament starts. Essentially this would allow friends to keep from having to play each other if they are due to meet. Here is the discussion ongoing at our local forum about the rule…
I had never heard of this rule and am still fairly new to being a TD, but before I go scouring the rulebook, I figured I would turn to other experienced TDs to ask if they knew anything about it. Any help is appreciated!
I’m not sure exactly when this half point is being awarded or how it would work. Are the players not playing in that round or is the goal just to not pair them against each other?
Depending on the size of the event, I will try to accommodate requests not to play people who request it against each other in the first half or so of a tournament. (That’s another reason why the TD should always review computer pairings.)
Usually this applies to close relatives (siblings, parent/child) or to people who traveled to the event together from another state, not just to friends.
However, in the last half of the tournament, I won’t do that if it results in major non-trivial changes in the pairings. The most obvious case of this I’ve had recent was two brothers who were tied and were the only players in their score group.
I agree with Mike here. My wife and I went from Oklahoma to North Dakota for a tournament once, and we were paired despite having asked not to be and being in the even score group. I was displeased.
On another note, I have never heard of a half point forfeit draw, especially for players who wish not to play each other. According to the original poster’s link, it apparently has been used that way in some tournaments, and even without advance notice given. I’d have protested, personally.
Has anyone (else) ever used the forfeit draw option, and if so under what circumstances?
The rule book does provide for players to request to not play an opponent, especially for reasons of family or travel together or even location (most fo the national scholastic events do not pair players from the same state in the early rounds) but the TD does not have to honor this request. And it is not a “forfeit draw” it is simply pairing them differently. I think it depends on the event and the director - but most that I know will try to accomodate these requests early in the tournament but will not in later rounds when the result will make a difference in prizes.
In scholastic team modified Swiss events I will leave the team block on for the whole thing. For my individual scholastic state championship I do not accomdate any such requests, unless it is a later round and will have no bearing on prizes (which is really hard to be certain of due to scholastic tie breaks)
Rule 28 I think - don’t have my book at my fingertips
28U. Players may request a non-pairing against each other.
Individual players may request that they not be paired against each other in any tournament. Due to the pairing problems involved, the director may not be able to honor this request.
TD TIP: Honoring requests of players to not be paired against each other can present serious pairing difficulties for the director, especially in small events and in the later rounds in any tournament; however, sometimes players who often play against each other outside of the tournament do not enjoy traveling to a tournament to simply play against each other again. Some directors honor the player’s request for the first half of the tournament only. Directors may automatically “not pair” players from the same family, club, team, area, etc. without a request from the players; however, if at all possible those directors might want to consider consulting with those players first. After all, those players may not mind being paired against each other.
Did you mean that the players were paired with each other and, rather than trying to get the pairings changed, are instead asking to have a non-rated draw recorded for them?
That runs counter to having the players play real games with each other.
That is the way it sounds to me too, Jeff. Not good. Hopefully, that TD will read these comments and not do that again… As we know, the options are to request a “do not pair” which may or may not be honored, or request a bye for a specific round as allowed by the event. This (giving draw results without the players playing) could get a TD in some trouble…
To make matters worse, it appears that players actually cashed in using this.
It appears that players 8 & 19 did this in the second round and 2 & 6 did it in the last (5th) round. Since 2 & 6 tied for second, it appears that this did indeed change prizes.
Again, I ask for anyone who has given a forfeit draw to describe the situation(s).
Of course, the players could have simply played a 5-move pre-arranged (rated) draw, just as grandmasters are frequently accused of doing. That way, they get the same tournament result as a forfeit draw. So it may be largely a non-issue, except for TDs who want to crack down on grandmaster (and grandpatzer) draws.
It seems to me that initial reason that SwissSys had the ability to score a forfeit draw is for those cases where the TD had decided for whatever reason that two players should be scored that way. I’m not sure as a TD what would warrent such a ruling. But to take this and to allow the players to choose it seems just wrong.
Maybe it “seems just wrong”, but only in the same way a grandmaster draw seems wrong. There’s really not a whole lot a TD can do about it. If the players play a quick 5-move draw, and the TD nullifies it and insists on a replay, they could then just play a pre-arranged 40-move draw instead. Or if, instead of insisting on a replay, the TD declares a double-forfeit loss, there will be #### to pay.
Allowing an agreed forfeit draw may be simply a concession to reality. Since the players can easily agree to a draw anyway, the forfeit draw at least eliminates the damage to the rating system caused when an (essentially) unplayed game counts for rating points.
Personally, though, as a TD I wouldn’t allow an agreed forfeit draw. I’d insist that the players put their ratings on the line. Beyond that, though, I’m practical enough to realize that, if the players are bent on drawing, they’ll find a way to do it.
By the way, the plus-score prize format tends to alleviate these problems – or at least put the problems back on the shoulders of the players, where they belong.
Honestly, instead of an agreed draw, I would be more afraid of a thrown game between relatives (especially parent vs child) or between friends traveling together from far away. The USCF rules only say you cannot agree to the result of a game in advance. The rule does not prevent a player from unilaterally pretending to play a serious game (just for fun and practice) and then, while in time pressure, blundering a piece (on purpose) and losing. There is absolutely no way to prove anything…
The TD should use discretion to attempt to avoid last round pairings between relatives, friends or teacher/student when significant prizes are at stake. (This statement is just my opinion, not an interpretation of what the rules may or may not say.)
Michael Aigner
P.S. How many times does a higher rated parent actually beat their child if they are paired in a tournament? It happens, but only rarely!