Correspondence Chess – the draw problem

[cdani]

Interesting article on Chessbase

http://en.chessbase.com/post/correspond ... aw-problem

[AdminX]

Interesting article on Chessbase

http://en.chessbase.com/post/correspond ... aw-problem

I read this a few days ago, and I can't help thinking that changing the score will also change the playing style of many players. I wonder if this would be a good or bad thing? Of course the article is only about changing the scoring for Correspondence Chess, still I would like to see some test events to see how this would impact Correspondence Chess in reality.

[jdart]

I am a little dubious about it because it is basically saying there are "good draws" and "less good draws," and that is significantly changing the rules of chess.

I am not sure what an alternative solution would be though. GM Nickel implies that computer use is a factor in the high draw rate, but I am not so sure about that - pure computer-computer matches do not have an 80%+ draw rate. I think it has more to do with the fact that high-level correspondence players are cautious and many choose less risky openings. And then also, many OTB games are decided by relatively simple blunders (like the Hammer-Topalov game from Norway Chess yesterday), but you don't get that in correspondence.

You could go to a system where each player gets an opening choice from a book like the CCRL etc matches do (a little like Fischer random but standard chess positions). Might make a difference, I don't know.

--Jon

[Ozymandias]

GM Nickel implies that computer use is a factor in the high draw rate, but I am not so sure about that - pure computer-computer matches do not have an 80%+ draw rate. I think it has more to do with the fact that high-level correspondence players are cautious and many choose less risky openings.

Computer use isn't restricted to engine advice. The high draw rate, seen today in correspondence chess, is a direct result of players being able to enhance their opening, middle game and endgame play, through the aid of computer resources (databases, engines and tablebases).

As the level of play increases, so does the draw rate, and this can only be explained by the progress brought on by computers. Even the improvement experienced in OTB, has to be attributed to the resources made available to players, via computers; either in the form of training software, or by the possibility of playing against opposition, at any time, anywhere.