Hi all, I don’t know if this has been discussed but forgive me if it has…
I am so dying to play some OTB games. It doesn’t make sense for me to play in the online tournament such as the one coming up on ICC. I don’t see how you can prevent cheating Are any of you getting the idea to just pick someone you know and getting on a rated match?
Edit: I think I didn’t explain my question enough. I don’t trust online rated play and for money (just my opinion and not the topic of my discussion). What I am asking is how to play OTB when there are no OTB tournaments available… Has anyone considered, hooking up with someone you know around your strength and arranging for a OTB match, say in your garage. Maybe get both players tested for covid. It is safer than a tournament, and you can DIY.
The topic you’ve mentioned has in fact been discussed already a bit I believe. Bottom line is that ICC, Chess.com (and hopefully other servers in the near future) have met with US Chess leadership and have delivered assurances sufficient enough that the EB feels that games played in those select locations can be rated for online ratings. And it is online rated, and does not affect your OTB ratings. No, those who run the servers will not just tell you what methods they use to identify cheaters. No, those who received the assurances won’t tell you, either.
I don’t know if match play has been addressed yet, but even in OTB play you are allowed to gain or lose only so much in match play against a different opponent. The rating system is primarily based on swiss based tournaments. I’m not even sure that match play is authorized to be rated online (not sure it ain’t either, it’s not a question that interests me but might others). Our club will hopefully run an online rated for our club members beginning next week.
At the end of the day you either trust the venue you’re playing in, or you don’t. That’s true in the OTB world as well.
I hope you find opportunities again soon, and stay safe and well while doing so!
I think the EB is looking into updating the match rules to make sure they address several of the issues raised upthread, and possibly other issues.
As far as the programming is concerned, it would currently treat online matches like it treats OTB matches. The mathematical reasons for the match rule limitations are still valid for online events, as are concerns about ratings manipulation.
The EB or Executive Board, is the Board of Directors of the corporation, aside from a few matters like the Bylaws, the budget and the Rules of Chess, all of which are under the control of the Delegates, the EB sets policy for the Federation.
Yes, Anthony, you can play an OTB USCF rated match. There will be several conditions you will have to fulfill. First, both players will have to be USCF members with up to date memberships. Second, you will have to get a certified director to sign off on the match. He has to send the results in through an affiliate. He can do this online or by mail. It would be preferable if he was there watching the games to see all of the rules are followed and can deal with rules issues, but a lot of matches happen without a tournament director on site when you play in your game room or dining room. Both players need to agree on the result. Those reporting measures are up to the TD to handle. Third, there is a rating fee that has to be paid based on the number of games, with a minimum fee. The TD will tell you how much it costs to rate your match.
The amount of rating points you can receive from a match have upper and lower limits. IIRC, the most you can gain or lose is 50 points. Likely, you will not gain or lose very much if you find an equal opponent to play. You seem to just want to get some good practice games in that are meaningful, that is, rated. Both players have skin in the game and want to make the experience be as much like a tournament atmosphere as possible. A match will allow you to control social distancing arrangements, noise, and distractions, unless you have kids who will burst in to see what you are doing and want you to get them cookies or play with them outside. Dogs have been known to walk off with spare queens or “adjudicate” games with a sweep of a paw.
Besides a match, you might want to get several friends together and do a quad. You will still need a TD to sign off on the quad and follow similar reporting procedures as above. There is a quad form sheet under “Forms” on the main menu that you can download and fill out. There is no limit on rating points you can gain or lose when you do a quad, but practically speaking the 50 point range up or down is going to happen. With quads, you can play different people in each quad which will give you variety in play. You can play a quad in one day or over a weekend, depending on the time control you use. There is going to be a minimum charge for rating a quad that the TD will handle for you when he sends in the quad for rating. I believe the minimum charge is $8. Whether you play a match or a quad, have fun. When real OTB chess comes back, you will be able to hit the ground running with these practice games under your belt.
The biggest problem with your proposal might be getting a TD to certify the result. The TD is supposed to be physically present at all times. You might find a TD who was not physically present, but who is willing to sign off on the results you give him. However, that TD is risking her certification by doing so. I would not do it myself.
If Anthony cannot find a TD, he can always apply to become a Club TD. He can even spend $40 and become an affiliate, which will give him the ability to send in matches and quads, even small Swiss System events. After he directs enough events, he can apply to take the test and become a Local TD. As long as he follows the Rulebook and sends in rating fees and membership fees, he will be fine. All of his friends can also become Club TDs and take turns running events which will be sent in through Anthony’s affiliate.
I played a game yesterday in my yard with a friend. We each had a board and sat ten feet apart wearing masks. We called out the moves to one another. It worked out fairly well. We used an INSA analogue clock that I kelp next to me where he could see it. I hit the clock for both or us. In a rated match I supposed you could have the TD or arbiter do that. I would recommend having the moves put on a demo board between you. There were two instances where my friend mis-heard the the move and we had to reset the game.
Mr. Magar’s post above is not strictly accurate. For example, if both players sign off on the results of a match, a TD is not necessary. Please contact the office for details on how to do this without problems.
I’ve watched a number of players compete who had to use their own board due to a handicap. (One player quite active locally had severe cerebral palsy and moved the pieces around using a head stick.) I’ve also worked with blind players.
I have seen moves made incorrectly on one of the boards in several of those games. The TD (in some cases, me) was able to get it straightened out.
I suggest we just consider social distancing requirements as a type of handicap under the rules, one we all currently need to deal with, and just try to be as flexible as we can. If there are errors, just deal with them.
A TD not being necessary to get the match rated is even better. With the need for social distancing, the fewer the people involved with the process the better. So, Anthony, if you want to play a match with someone, contact the US Chess office first to find out what procedures they want you to follow and how much it will cost.
Matches submitted by the players must meet very strict standards for compliance, and are not very common. My understanding is that the EB has initiated a review of match protocols which may include reviewing procedures for matches without a TD in attendance.
IMO, a TD being present is better. The TD can also relay the moves accurately between the players. I suggest that the TD post the moves on a demo board that can easily be seen by both players along with the clock.
The only requirement in the rulebook for a match that is not supervised by a TD is that the players must sign and have notarized a statement that the match conformed to all US Chess match rules and regulations for rated play. However, I would think that if the results look the least bit fishy the fact that a TD was not present would cause US Chess to get interested quickly.
During the summer of 1972 I worked in the U.S. Chess Office, then in Newburgh, NY, trying to reduce the backlog of tournament reports that had been submitted to the office during the Fischer boom. Ratings were calculated on desk calculators, and entered onto a tray of 3x5 index cards (the tray was about 8 feet wide and 3 feet back-to-front, in one corner of the room).
While I was there I saw a letter that had been written by one of the office staff to a person who had submitted multiple matches to the office for rating.
The letter read something like this: “The odds against your losing three consecutive matches to Ms. X 10-0 on three consecutive days are astronomical. Therefore, we are not rating the matches you submitted.”
That gave me a good laugh. Obviously, the staff member who wrote the letter had consulted Col. Ed Edmondson, the ED (and office manager) at the time.
I figured somebody was trying to get his girl friend into the U.S. Women’s Championship or something.
Before the rule change that playing a match at your rating floor would be treated as a request to lower the floor went into effect (which may have happened because of this) there was a player who was always at or very near the top of the most active players list who would invite ambitious juniors to his house and play an eight or ten game G/30 match against them. They loved the easy rating points, and he had few if any to lose. He’s passed on now, and I hope I’ve obscured his identity enough that anyone who doesn’t know who I’m talking about still doesn’t.
My point in response to Mr. Smythe’s post is simply that if a 1286 player goes 10-0 in a match against a 1400 player, the games very possibly were fairly played.
The player in question was one of the factors behind the ‘playing a match while on your floor’ rule, but not the only one.
A 10-0 result in a match by a players rated 114 points below the opponent would be well outside of expectations and should trigger an alert in validation.
