Bye regulations

The very latest International round up of English news.
Richard Bates
Posts: 3338
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2008 8:27 pm

Bye regulations

Post by Richard Bates » Sat Dec 15, 2018 6:18 am

From London Classic regulations...
“If a tournament permits two Half Point Byes, then a player will score 0 if the second Half Point Bye request is in the last round, or if both the Half Point Byes are requested in the last two rounds.”
Can anyone make any sense of this, coz I can’t!

The schedule for the last 4 rounds of the FIDE Open is 4.30pm, 10am, 4.30pm, 10am...

Alex Holowczak
Posts: 9085
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 5:18 pm
Location: Oldbury, Worcestershire

Re: Bye regulations

Post by Alex Holowczak » Sat Dec 15, 2018 7:32 am

Richard Bates wrote:
Sat Dec 15, 2018 6:18 am
From London Classic regulations...
“If a tournament permits two Half Point Byes, then a player will score 0 if the second Half Point Bye request is in the last round, or if both the Half Point Byes are requested in the last two rounds.”
Can anyone make any sense of this, coz I can’t!

The schedule for the last 4 rounds of the FIDE Open is 4.30pm, 10am, 4.30pm, 10am...
Have you thought to email/ask the Organiser when you see him later? After all, he wrote them so maybe he'll know?

Richard Bates
Posts: 3338
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2008 8:27 pm

Re: Bye regulations

Post by Richard Bates » Sat Dec 15, 2018 7:55 am

Alex Holowczak wrote:
Sat Dec 15, 2018 7:32 am
Richard Bates wrote:
Sat Dec 15, 2018 6:18 am
From London Classic regulations...
“If a tournament permits two Half Point Byes, then a player will score 0 if the second Half Point Bye request is in the last round, or if both the Half Point Byes are requested in the last two rounds.”
Can anyone make any sense of this, coz I can’t!

The schedule for the last 4 rounds of the FIDE Open is 4.30pm, 10am, 4.30pm, 10am...
Have you thought to email/ask the Organiser when you see him later? After all, he wrote them so maybe he'll know?
I think that would give me an unfair advantage. I would prefer the explanation to be instantly and equally available to all.

On a basic point, the second specified scenario is a subset of the first so is redundant. Unless requesting half point byes in both the last 2 rounds results in zero in both (which doesn’t make sense as byes can be requested directly before the previous round is completed).

It also implies that a half point bye can be received in the last round, if it is the first one. Which would be, unusual. But if that's what's intended, fair enough.

Of course there maybe something elsewhere in the regulations that i’m overlooking.

I'm convinced that all posts on this forum instantly register in "the organisers" inbox anyway ;)

Or it could be considered part of a long running series trying to highlight the importance of clear drafting of regulations. If this regulation is clear to all except myself, then i apologise profusely!

Alex Holowczak
Posts: 9085
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 5:18 pm
Location: Oldbury, Worcestershire

Re: Bye regulations

Post by Alex Holowczak » Sat Dec 15, 2018 11:22 am

If you request a HPB in Rounds 3 (e.g.) and 9, then you score 0.5 for the Round 3 bye and 0 for the Round 9 bye.

If you request a HPB in Rounds 8 and 9, both score 0. (I.e. you're considered to be withdrawn.)

Any Round 9 bye request scores 0, whether it is the first bye or the second bye.

Ian Thompson
Posts: 3551
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2008 4:31 pm
Location: Awbridge, Hampshire

Re: Bye regulations

Post by Ian Thompson » Sat Dec 15, 2018 12:40 pm

Alex Holowczak wrote:
Sat Dec 15, 2018 11:22 am
Any Round 9 bye request scores 0, whether it is the first bye or the second bye.
Not according to the published tournament rules - a half point bye is allowed in the last round if it is the only bye requested in the tournament.

Tim Harding
Posts: 2318
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2010 8:46 pm
Location: Dublin, Ireland

Re: Bye regulations

Post by Tim Harding » Sat Dec 15, 2018 12:49 pm

Alex Holowczak wrote:
Sat Dec 15, 2018 11:22 am
If you request a HPB in Rounds 3 (e.g.) and 9, then you score 0.5 for the Round 3 bye and 0 for the Round 9 bye.

If you request a HPB in Rounds 8 and 9, both score 0. (I.e. you're considered to be withdrawn.)

Any Round 9 bye request scores 0, whether it is the first bye or the second bye.
A "half point bye" that scores zero is an oxymoron (a figure of speech containing contradictory terms).

So clearly the rule needs to be rewritten using some such phrase as "elective bye".
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com

Alex Holowczak
Posts: 9085
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 5:18 pm
Location: Oldbury, Worcestershire

Re: Bye regulations

Post by Alex Holowczak » Sat Dec 15, 2018 12:50 pm

Ian Thompson wrote:
Sat Dec 15, 2018 12:40 pm
Alex Holowczak wrote:
Sat Dec 15, 2018 11:22 am
Any Round 9 bye request scores 0, whether it is the first bye or the second bye.
Not according to the published tournament rules - a half point bye is allowed in the last round if it is the only bye requested in the tournament.
Well, we can always decline the request if all else fails.