Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

[irony towers]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

Since I think ad hoc's partial to a bit of Benko, I'll post my two games from a club match where the opening was predetermined.

This shows what can happen if Black is allowed to develop without pressure.

And this one could do with an addition to the lexicon: Chessphyxia. (4...Bb7 is not the way to play this opening.)

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

I mentioned a page or so ago that in one particular tournament - this one to be precise:

https://www.chess.com/tournament/the-world-cup-of-960-chess-lt-1475-challege-4-ds

I was deliberately trying to postpone my inevitable defeats to some Russian hotshot called olegkon until he'd beaten all the other players in our group and got his rating up closer to his ability level so that the defeats did my own rating less damage. Well, he actually got 7.5 points out of 8 against the other 4 players but then, get this, I've only just gone and won both of my matches against him. My best wins ever I reckon, in terms of caliber of opponent. His 960 rating is now only in the 1400s like mine, but his true level is revealed by his standard chess rating, currently 1703. I'd never have dreamt of beating an opponent with an above 1700 strength, never mind twice out of two. I mean, he presumably took his eye off the ball a bit, maybe made a move or two drunk or something, but even so, I'm dead chuffed.

[Sam]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

Belated congratulations ad hoc, and thanks all for contributing to one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had in 2016. It's been a pleasure getting into this game. Flattered by Bored's nomination of me, and I'm very pleased with what I've managed so far from a standing start, but I'd agree that really Kev has to be the most improved player.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

Summary of 2016 in OTF Chess:

First, to give it a bit of context, the participation in the tournaments was as follows (with three stalwarts ever-present for the year)

IT 1 3 6
Ad hoc 1 2 3 7
Alex 3 5 6 7
Etienne 1 2 3 5 6 7
EEG 1 2 3 4 6 7
Kev 1 2 3 4 5 6
Wouter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Matt 1 2 3 6 7
VT 5 6 7
Levin 2 3 4 5 6 7
Sam 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Rogin 2 3 4 5
Bored 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Top threes were as follows

OTF [1]

IT
Matt
EEG

OTF 2

ad hoc
EEG
Etienne

OTF 3

IT
ad hoc
Matt

OTF 4

EEG
Kev
Wouter

OTF 5

Alex
Kev
Wouter

OTF 6

IT
Alex
Kev

OTF 7

ad hoc
Alex
Etienne

And the medals table so far (gotta be in it to win it)

IT 3-0-0
ad hoc 2-1-0
Alex 1-2-0
EEG 1-1-1 ("asterisk, whaddyamean asterisk?")
Kev 0-2-1
Matt 0-1-1
Etienne 0-0-2
Wouter 0-0-2

[Sam]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

Good data compiling, EEG.

When does the 2017 season start?

[Wouter D]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

As soon as chess.com and I have resolved the fallout from an administrative fuck-up. I hope soon.

The situation is this: I'm mainly using the chess.com android app, which sends push notifications whenever it's my turn. The problem is that it fails to do so when a new round of a tournament has started: for those games I get no notifications until after I have made my first move. This is a bug in the app.

So somewhere at the end of November, I opened the app to find that the third round of a 960 tournament with 1-day time limit had started, and I had already timed out on seven out of eight matches. This is annoying, but I thought nothing more of it. I resigned the eighth game to make things fair for the rest, and thought nothing further of it.

Yesterday, however, I attempted to set up OTF Chess #8, and found out that you can only direct tournaments if your timeout rate over the last 90 days is below 5%. Those seven games add up to way above that 5% for me. So I currently cannot set up the tournament.

I have messaged support, who promised to get back to me within two working days. If they do not resolve things quickly enough, I will ask one of you to do the honors for me.

[Etienne]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

A few days delay would suit me, so no hurry.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

Yes, no hurry from me either. But also, I'm happy to do the honours if needed, if that's something I'm able to do with Gold level membership of the site.

[Sam]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

Same here, although I can't help thinking one should be a bit better at chess than I am before one makes oneself a tournament director.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

I'm sure you'd make an excellent TD, Sam!

I seem to be going through a stupid phase. I've lost over 100 points of Tactics rating in two days I think. Depressing!

[Wouter D]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

An agreeable solution to my administrative predicament seems to be on its way, slowly but surely. I expect to be able to open registration in the next few days. I hope that that's still in time to take advantage of EEG's stupid phase...

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

I hope that that's still in time to take advantage of EEG's stupid phase...

Ha! I can enter a new stupid phase at any moment, but I've had a good last few days. Finally clawed back the entirety of my recent sharp 116 point fall in my Tactics rating, and in Chess 960 I've just had a run of 15 consecutive victories (across 2 tourneys), which have taken me to a thoroughly unsustainable new Chess 960 rating PB of 1526. Even in standard Daily, I'm currently still holding my own after 38 moves in a match against a much higher ranked player, admittedly mainly because he made an error early on which gave me a pawn advantage.

[Wouter D]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

Well, I've learned in the past few days that the specialty of the chess.com support team lies neither in reading comprehension not in knowing what they actually technically can and cannot do. My optimistic post of a few days ago was completely misguided; a solution to my situation is not in sight.

Therefore, EEG, would you be so kind to set up OTF Chess #8? A gold membership should suffice for this. The process is quite straightforward, but if you need any specific pointers, do let me know.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

With pleasure, Wouter. Made a start on it already, I just have to send out the invitations now (which I'll do this evening as I have to go off now and cook for the family). One thing puzzled me: given that I've disapplied the "auto-start when registration full" option, I don't see what the significance is of the start date which it requires me to choose. I've chosen Thursday 12th for what it's worth.

[Wouter D]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

Yeah, some things seem superfluous. Maybe it's a "if the tournament is still not full at date x, start the tournament anyway". Don't know for sure, though. I always pulled the trigger manually.

Thank you for the effort!

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

No trouble at all thanks Wouter.

OK, OTF Chess 8 is now set up, same settings as OTF Chess 7. I've sent out invitations to everyone who played in OTF Chess 7, plus IT and Kev (though I think IT has already declined).

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

6 of us registered so far for OTF 8: ad hoc, Wouter, Matt, Levin, Sam and me.

I'm interpreting the fact that Etienne, Alex, Kev, Bored and VT are still shown as "pending" invitees as an indication that they haven't yet responded either way, and the absence of IT from that list as an indication that he declined (as I'm fairly sure I sent him an invitation).

[Etienne]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

I am currently involved in a tournament, which I think will conclude in the next couple of days (hence why a delay suited me) but as a freeloading member I can't play in more than one at a time.

[irony towers]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

Ditto, except for "days" read "years".

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

I am currently involved in a tournament, which I think will conclude in the next couple of days (hence why a delay suited me) but as a freeloading member I can't play in more than one at a time.

Thanks for letting us know. I doubt we'll be starting OTF 8 before a few more days have passed anyway, so we can see how you're placed then. Do you know how the one tournament limit rule works in detail? It looks to me as if players aren't marked as "eliminated" from a tournament until the whole of their group (not just their own matches) are completed, even if they have completed all their own matches and the standings make it impossible that they could progress. I've no idea myself as to whether the system would allow you as a non-paying member to play in another tourney during that interim period.

Sam, do you know if Alex is likely to be joining us?

[Kevin S]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

Sorry for late reply - I'll duck out of this one please.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

noted, thanks Kev [edit: I've just cancelled your invitation as a tidying up exercise so, in the unlikely event of your changing your mind, you'll have to let me know first]

[Etienne]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

I'm pretty sure I can't accept any invitation until my participation in this one concludes. I'm happy to withdraw from it once my matches are completed, but not before as that would mean I'd forfeit the games left and that wouldn't be fair on the others in my group. I'm down to my last two, both in the endgame, but my opponent suddenly slowed down 3 days ago so it's taking longer than I anticipated.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

OK. I'm still waiting for responses from Bored, VT and Alex anyway so nothing imminent.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Roll up, roll up for the OTF chess tournaments

Alex has registered. That just leaves VT and Bored to hear from.