Author: Komputer Korner
Date: 20:57:40 10/21/98
Presently there is a huge argument about alternative point scoring systems on the RGCC. The one that generated the hotly debated proposal was 3 points for a win and 1 point for a draw. I mistakenly assumed that the proposal was for 1/2 point for a draw. My original post on RGCC is copied below. However even if you substitute 1 point for the 1/2 point in the equations below, the advantage ratio of white will still be larger than under the present scoring system. For proff of that I repeat the equations below with the 1 point for a draw. White expects (3*0.31) + 1*0.50)= 1.43 points. Black expects (3*0.19) + (1*0.50)= 1.07 points. The white to black ratio becomes 1.336448 which is between the new ratio below (which mistakenly assumed 1/2 point for a draw) and the old present rules ratio. "It will only increase the advantage of playing white which is already large enough. White players enjoy a 56-44% advantage. Assuming 50% of games are draws (the advantage of playing white will be even more under your new system if you assume less draws), this means that the spread is 50% draws, 31% white wins and 19% black wins. If you give 3 points for a win and 0.5 points for a draw , white's expected score will be now (3*0.31) + (0.5*0.50) = 1.18 points every game. Black players will now expect (3*0.19) + (0.5*.50) = 0.82 points every game. This new ratio is =1.439024 in favour of white. Under the old system the expected scores are (1*0.31) + (0.5*.50) = .56 for white and (1*0.19)+ (0.5*.50) = .44 The old ratio is thus 1.272727. In a SWISS tournament, often there are an odd number (5) (7) ...etc of rounds and thus 50% of the players get 3 whites and 50% of the players get only 2 whites. and even in a tournament of even rounds some players get more blacks than whites. Thus the luck of the draw is increased under your proposal in a swiss system tournament. In a round robin tournament the cheating would be increased due to collusion. Perhaps the only advantage of your system would be to decrease GM draws but I assume that the proposal was made for considerations other than the games of GMs."
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