Author: Chris Whittington
Date: 12:46:02 11/07/97
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On November 07, 1997 at 14:58:45, Robert Hyatt wrote: >I have two comments about the tournament: > >1. No outside communication is a stupid mistake to make. And it was >not >just this year's "problem of the week" either. There was *no* >information >flowing out of Jakarta in a timely fashion either, except there were >machines on the internet handy where I could get email information and >then >post it. > >The ICCA needs to figure out that this is not just for the participants >that >are present, but it is also an event for the participants that are not >present, and also for the folks that are simply interested in computer >chess >in general. > >It doesn't take a rocket scientist to set up a modem connection. I gave >a >demo in Paris a few years back with Cray Blitz, and my local radio shack >sold me every connector I needed. Same thing for the Levy match in 1984 >where we brought our own terminal and modem. It does require that >someone >ask rather than stumbling into the playing hall sight unseen. But it is >clearly doable. > >As I said before, if I were running a business and asked one of my >employees >to set up a communication link for something this important, and he let >it >fall apart like this did, I'd simply fire him on the spot and find >someone that >was capable of doing it right the next time. Again, this is *not* >rocket >science. > >2. A few TD decisions seemed oddball. The initial two rounds that were >accelerated made no sense, and caused a few problems later on. IE, >you'd >really like to see things decided near the end with the two leaders >slugging >it out, rather than having the two leaders play others because they had >already met earlier. The explanations on this sort of pairing have >always >been quite clear, "they are appropriate when log2(n-players) is greater >than >the number of rounds." That didn't fit this tournament at all, since 6 >rounds >was more than enough to produce a clear winner, and there were 5 left >over for >good measure. > >It didn't wreck anything, but simply seemed pointless. And from some of >the >initial seedings, it actually hurt some a little. > >Ah well, on to next year. Hopefully someone will ride herd a little >more >carefully on the internet communication next year, and get information >*out* >in a timely manner, no matter where it is held. Two consecutive years >of >little data (this year was much worse than last, but both were poor when >you >consider Aegon's live coverage on their web site) does not make for >happy >campers... I'ld be perfectly happy to take over all responsibility for communications next year. Either by being there, or by phone, or by whatever Chris Whittington
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