(Karl Thoroddsen) wrote in message . com...
Has the proposal of awarding points only for wins in tournaments even
been discussed? It would certainly lower the number of grandmaster
draws in tournaments and even if you draw in a hard fought game you
still get zero points as a point would only be given if you *defeat*
your opponent.

Comments?

The nature of the game just doesn't allow for it. Like it or not,
chess is a drawish game, at least at the GM level. In shogi title
matches (5 or 7 games), draws don't count in scoring and are replayed
(with the exception, I think, of the Meijin match, where draws count
for 1/2 point. Not sure why that match is an exception. Just ancient
tradition maybe). Draws are so rare that they're isn't a problem of
interminable matches. I'm not sure how draws are counted in the
qualifying tournaments, but I suspect they're just replayed as well.

In chess, as history has shown, this just isn't practical. The only
solution to the high percentage of draws at the top level is, in my
opinion, shorter time controls. To hell with the "quality" of the
games. To hell with who would have won at a slower time control.
Give me results!