The Open File - Only 2700's Need Apply

Submitted by NM Zug on Sun, 08/09/2009 at 7:59am.

The Open File

by Life Master Mike Petersen (Zug)

Only 2700's Need Apply

NOTE to all those who read this article:

I started this tournament with the goal of having some really good games you can find all in one spot, along with the idea of maybe finding out who can really play against others of his/her rating on this site.

I did NOT start this tournament, nor write this article, for idiots and trolls to claim all the participants are cheaters.  The vast majority of you do not do this, but if you can't find something else to say, then please do not respond in the comments area.

So, if you've been able to put up with this note, then read on - with my thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who's the best player at chess.com?  Yes, there is a top-rated player (ouachita), but that doesn't necessarily mean he's the best player.  The ratings of all the highest players are pretty close. 

That's why I decided to host a tournament of only the very highest rated players at chess.com.  In order to keep it relatively exclusive, I made it an "invitation only" tournament, and sent invites to all the top players on the first page of the rating list.  Unfortunately, only 10 decided to play.  A couple of players politely declined via email, stating they had too many games going on at the moment, but for the most part I received no replies from the ones who decided not to play. I was disappointed, but there's one thing I know will come out of this - a lot of great games!

Here are some interesting tidbits about this tournament:

- The average rating of the participants is 2760.

- If this were a FIDE tournament, it would be a Category 21.

- The highest rated player is vovuha at 2879.

- The lowest rated player is burgerkingchess at 2690.

- In the crosstable below, the number after each player's rating is their current position on the rating list.

- The average position on the rating list of all the players is 22.6, so pick either 22 or 23, your choice.

Here is a copy of the current crosstable.  If you want to follow the games (and I highly recommend that you do), click on the tournament name.

ONLY 2700'S NEED APPLY

So, follow along, and let's see who the best really is!

Round 1 Crosstable as of 8-9-09:

Group #1
                                                            1    2    3    4    5    Score  Tie Break

1. vovuha (2879-2)           X X  _ _  _ _  _ _  _ _     0       0  

2. johndyson (2806-10)       _ _  X X  _ _  _ _  _ _     0       0

3. AlexK (2792-12)           _ _  _ _  X X  ½ _  _ _     0       0

4. NM Zug (2725-31)          _ _  _ _  ½ _  X X  _ _     0       0

5. burgerkingchess (2690-41) _ _  _ _  _ _  _ _  X X     0       0

Group #2
                              1    2    3    4    5    Score   Tie Break
1. agora (2702-37)           X X  ½ ½  ½ _  _ _  _ _     1.5     1.25

2. tmrnambissan (2779-16)    ½ ½  X X  _ _  _ _  _ _     1.0     1.50

3. gbsalvio (2734-28)        _ ½  _ _  X X  _ _  _ _     0.5     0.75

4. julianlore (2780-15)      _ _  _ _  _ _  X X  _ _     0       0

5. NM mrbill (2712-34)       _ _  _ _  _ _  _ _  X X     0       0

==========================

Click here for links to Mike's other work on Chess.com

» posted in Other
« Previous | 1 2 | Next »

Comments:

by hazeleyes - 3 months ago
atlanta georgia United States
Member Since: Jun 2008
Member Points: 207

Facinating games!If exceedingly difficult to try and follow.

 

schleichnaldo why don't you check behind the games and see if they really used these engines to play their games.I guarentee you will find that a few moves are not reccomended by the engines.

by kloech - 3 months ago
Ixelles Belgium
Member Since: Feb 2009
Member Points: 2332

I love your idea of The Tournament of Chess with only "Super Grand Masters" (following their rating here).

Think Chess.com may have organised it long ago........

Just hope there will not be too much (+ 50%) draw in the tournament.

About cheaters, I'm 100% sure that there are cheaters in the + 2 700 rated players but there are also "real Masters" and the idea that a CM, a NM, a WM, a FM or a GM use a chess software to play here is totaly stupid for me.They are strong enough to win their games by their own no ?

by NM Zug - 3 months ago
Central Florida United States
Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 761

Chessy4000 said, "no if i went on vacation for a month"

I say, "Please do, Chessy, please do."

by Chessy4000 - 3 months ago
London England
Member Since: May 2009
Member Points: 2909

no if i went on vacation for a month

by NM Zug - 3 months ago
Central Florida United States
Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 761

To Chessy4000 -

Such a brilliant point! Undecided 

However, I believe if you were in the tournament there would already be 8 wins recorded...

by Chessy4000 - 3 months ago
London England
Member Since: May 2009
Member Points: 2909

are you trying to make the point that there have been four draws and not a single game won.

by NM Zug - 3 months ago
Central Florida United States
Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 761

To chessoholicalien -

I cannot guarantee that any of the games will be annotated and published in an article.  That is up to the individual participants. 

However, thanks for the kind words!

Regards, Zug

by chessoholicalien - 3 months ago
Missouri United States
Member Since: Dec 2008
Member Points: 795

Zug, this is an excellent idea. Should be both instructive and entertaining. I especially like the idea of having some of the best games annotated, so us patzers can follow the ideas behind them.

Please ignore the trolls!

by Helipacter - 3 months ago
Santiago de Compostela Spain
Member Since: Oct 2008
Member Points: 118

Zug - Thanks for the tip, can't believe I didn't think of it before!!!

by Prathikshena - 3 months ago
Johor Bharu Malaysia
Member Since: Mar 2009
Member Points: 144

No prob Zug.

To add, im very happy that you launched this tournament. It gives us chance to witness some great games right here on chess.com...! Thanks. And i hope more tournaments like this will be launched. Its sad players like ouachita and cuendillar couldnt join. Some of the games they play are very innovative. But anyway what the hack, atleast something than nothing rite. Cheers...!

by Prathikshena - 3 months ago
Johor Bharu Malaysia
Member Since: Mar 2009
Member Points: 144
[COMMENT DELETED]
by EndingRepertoire - 3 months ago
Bellevue, Washington United States
Member Since: Aug 2009
Member Points: 22

i am in favor of what you say in this article. when i play people otb, of course we never complain that the other is cheating. people just have to realize that there are people who devote their lives to the game of chess, and not everyone above 2000 or so is a dirty cheat.

by davutuysal - 3 months ago
International
Member Since: Dec 2008
Member Points: 660

idiots and trolls ?! funny! thats a kind of aggression of guilty psyhcology!

by NM Zug - 3 months ago
Central Florida United States
Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 761

To everyone who reads this article:

I started this tournament with the goal of having some really good games you can find all in one spot, along with the idea of maybe finding out who can really play against others of his/her rating on this site.

I did NOT start this tournament, nor write this article, for idiots and trolls to claim all the participants are cheaters.  If you can't find something else to say, then please do not respond in the comments area.

by NM Zug - 3 months ago
Central Florida United States
Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 761

I think davutuysal "sounds like" he doesn't have a clue.

Look, fella, I am a USCF Life Master.  My highest ever over-the-board rating was 2377.  By most estimations here (to which you clearly do not pay attention) is that someone who concentrates on their games online by using databases for the opening (which is allowed) and really analyzes their moves before making them, will usually have a rating about 400 or so points higher than their o-t-b rating.  I've been playing tournament chess since 1970, and am now too old to play in these insane weekend tournaments with more than one game a day.  Now, when you want to go around accusing people of cheating, maybe you should look into it first.  In the meantime, do us all a favor and shutup.

by davutuysal - 3 months ago
International
Member Since: Dec 2008
Member Points: 660

It just sounds weird to me that anyone who is 2700+ (in other words a GM) plays chess in Chess.com in his free times. Are all these people really as good as any GM?

I think if you have got 2700+ rating here, then you should also have the same OTB rating as well, maybe 100-200 rating below is OK too. If you dont have any OTB rating and but if your Chess.com says you are 2700+, that sounds some kind of cheating to me.

by CarlMI - 3 months ago
White Post, VA United States
Member Since: Mar 2008
Member Points: 703

AYE!

 

BTW I'm not surprised at a low participation rate.  At the top level players play fewer serious games and often plan out what events they want far in advance.  As an example see the problems ICCF is having with the current World Championship cycle.

by NM Zug - 3 months ago
Central Florida United States
Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 761

Finally we have a sane person in the form of Prathikshena.  Thank you for doing some investigation before commenting.

Regards, Zug

by Prathikshena - 3 months ago
Johor Bharu Malaysia
Member Since: Mar 2009
Member Points: 144

I just happen to go through some of the games played. Well computer sofwares dont make decisions like that. Thats my personal opinion anyway. I use Rybca and many other top softwares to practice. 

by NM Zug - 3 months ago
Central Florida United States
Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 761

About davutuysal and schleichnaldo and others like them:

They are trolls of the worst kind.  They make accusations with no proof, just because of jealousy and envy.  How sad.

To the chess.com staff - is there no way you can edit these clowns out of the comment area of this article?

- Zug

« Previous | 1 2 | Next »

Add your comment:

Join Chess.com for free to add your comment! Already a member? Then login now to comment.