We surely want to avoid draw odds.

Using rating in any way is also grossly unfair in a match - does anyone deserve a reward because he used to be weaker than his opponent?!

This is enough of a problem in tournaments already, where TPR used as a tiebreaker can in some cases irrationally punish people for being highly-rated. To make it fair you'd have to somehow remove any game played between the players you're trying to tie-break from the calculation, but if that's more than two players it quickly gets complicated.

That said, there is no such thing as the perfect tiebreaker (in chess or in football). For tournaments, I quite like "number of wins" if I have to pick one, since it rewards enterprising play. But you'd still need a backup when that fails to differentiate.

Zwischenzugzwang wrote on 05/27/12 at 09:21:52:

I remember seeing the same proposal (maybe from you!) during the candidates matches that led to this match. I liked it then and I like it now.

Hi All

The bottom line surely is that to become World Champion you have to defeat him! He cannot be regarded as a Champion if he has not defeated the present encumbant. Therefore should the match be tied at 6-6 Anand retains his title. In Boxing if a draw is declared the champion retains his title he does not have to box on for around or two more to determine the winner. Just to reiterate to be a champion you must defeat one!!   

Regards

Akita

PS Did Kramnik not retain his title by winning the last game of ther match against Leko and thus drew the match?

I really like that idea.

'If the match ends in a tie, the title goes to the highest rated player not playing in the match.'

Problem solved.

Does that not mean that all of the lower rated players will win the tournaments? Then I would think that in the case that if the higher rated players do not play, then the lower rated players will play even lower rated players. Does that mean that a 2200 could win a strong league tournament by this manner?

And the lower rated player does not even need to try to win; the lower rated player can try to find a perpetual check in an equal position, so that would mean perpetual check = win. It also means stalemate = win, so I suppose that means that the lower rated player will focus preparation whilst noting that key positions will include preparing lines with perpetual check and entering quite a worse endgame, if there is a chance to not lose a position with a material disadvantage and then play for a stalemate (which would in such a tournament be equivalent to a win if draws equal wins for the lower rated player). But how does a 2300 playing for a draw (solely for a draw; not even trying to win, only trying to draw) against a 2700 justify a win? The 2300's entire preparation might consist of, "What position can I enter so that I can draw? I do not want to win, but draw since if I draw I win."

Also there would be a very difficult phenomenom: how to prevent players from losing games on purpose in previous tournaments before this major league tournament to lower their rating to enter such a tournament, then play for draws against "higher" rated opponnets? For example, a 2500 who deliberately loses in previous open tournaments to become 2300 then plays against a 2301 and tries to draw all opponents > 2301, which would be quite easy since the real rating of that player would be 2500? Then this "2300" would win the tournament with the draws?

Hi All

Tedious or what this World Championship. What must the sponsers be thinking. I know " Never again"!

The point I would like to make is this. To be a World Chess Champion you have to defeat yes defeat the present champion not draw the classical part of the match with him.

The World Championship  to be decided by Rapid or Blitz play shows in my view how much or how little FIDE really think about Classical Chess. The whole things a farce. 

However, there is one saving grace and that is if Anand can beat Gelfand. It's clear to me that Ananad is the superior player but he is playing excessively cautiously. It's as though he knows he can beat this guy but respects him enough not to take too many liberties. Can you emagine if Gelfand wins it on a Blitz shoot out!! Ridiculous!!

Akita