Hastings Congress

[Ian Thompson]

Entries to the Masters now exceed 100, so according to the entry form accelerated pairings will be used

Probably, but there is still the (small) possibility that enough players take first round byes that they aren't used.

presumably the Baku method of awarding dummy points to some of the players for half the tournament.

That''s what the website says - 5 rounds of acceleration with the top half of the field (rounded up) getting 1 dummy point for 3 rounds and 0.5 dummy points for 2 rounds.

With 4 days to go there are 124 entrants, with only 2 of them taking first round byes. If there are no changes that means pairing numbers 1- 63 from chess-results (Last update 23.12.2019 21:00:11) will be getting the dummy points and half-points for the first 5 rounds.

[Alex McFarlane]

The 'top half' will be an even number (excluding byes) and will be bigger than the bottom if necessary.

[Ian Thompson]

The 'top half' will be an even number (excluding byes) and will be bigger than the bottom if necessary.

If I've understood the pairing rules correctly that's only necessarily true for the first round.

At the moment, we have 122 players playing in Round 1. Top half is 61 players, rounded up to 62. They will be chess-results player numbers 1 - 63, excluding number 59, who's taking a bye in round 1.

In round 2, number 59 will play and get the notional point because he's in the top half, meaning a total of 63 players will get the extra points for pairing purposes up to round 5.

[Tim Spanton]

We are lucky in chess - some games/sports do not have such simple and straightforward pairing rules …

https://beauchess.blogspot.com/

[NickFaulks]

We are lucky in chess - some games/sports do not have such simple and straightforward pairing rules …

Not just the pairing rules - why would you invent a game where the object is to win the opponent's king but if it is en prise you're not allowed to take it? Everything about chess is supposed to be unnecessarily complicated, so as to put off simple people.

[Stewart Reuben]

NICK, you are overlooking the stalemate rule. A player must move, placing his king where it can be taken. Thus it is a draw. The rule rule reduces white's advantage from about 60% to 54%, AlloWing repetition similarly causes more draws.

I don't believe for one moment these rules were delliberately put in to alienate some players.

[NickFaulks]

NICK, you are overlooking the stalemate rule.

I was wondering how long that would take. As you know perfectly well, I am doing no such thing.

[Kevin Thurlow]

In Round 1, Fishbein vs Fishbein is avoided by 1 Elo point.

[IM Jack Rudd]

Having flown back from Sweden yesterday, I get a first-round game against a Swede.

[Harry Duff]

I was hoping to watch the games live online but it doesn't seem to be working on the Caplin Hastings site. Does anybody have a link that works? Thanks.

[Alex McFarlane]

That link is being worked on.

Meantime https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2019-hastings-masters

[Harry Duff]

Panic over - now working!

Just seen your post Alex. Thanks.

[Roger de Coverly]

.
Meantime https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2019-hastings-masters

The link from the Hastings site has all the games, chessbomb just have the top half
https://www.englishchess.org.uk/hastings2019/

[Harry Duff]

True, although chessbomb shows engine analysis as well - just watched the end of Danny Gormally's game, full of tactics that I couldn't have followed without the analysis.

[Matt Bridgeman]

Now is John Merriman also causing an upset?
Answer. Yes he is! Lol