How to Save the World Championship from Armageddon
... or any other kind of quick-play finish.
The World Chess Championship 2018 has concluded. By not being able to win a single classical game against the challenger, Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana, reigning Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen has once again proved that while he may not be able to prove his superiority in Classical Chess over his closest rivals, he can still show them a thing or two about winning a quick-play tiebreak.
This year he happened to have a complex position against the challenger who was also in time pressure (only nine minutes to make nine moves) in the 12th and final scheduled classical game. It seemed that the champion should have at least kept the game going to see if the challenger could have solved his problems. It was not to be. The risk-averse champion felt that an interesting position where he had a clear advantage and time on his side was the perfect moment of the game to make an offer that the challenger could not refuse … Draw?!!
Carlsen: “I wasn’t in a mood to find the punch.”
Caruana: “I should be really happy with a draw ... my position had no chances to win.”
Quick play also decided the classical World Championship in 2006, 2012, 2016, and 2018. However chess already has a Rapid World Champion and a Blitz World Champion; shouldn’t the classical World Championship be decided by games at classical time controls?
This used to be the case. Historically, the champion had the advantage of draw odds. It was the equivalent of two tennis pros contesting a Wimbledon final. With the score at 2 sets each the match would be declared over at 6 games all in the fifth and final set - with the title awarded to … last year’s champion!
One can argue, “yes, that’s right, a challenger has to beat the champion.” But that can be answered by, “a champion should be able to prove that they are the current best in the sport.” It is hard to do that when playing with an advantage that was earned the previous year - or two years ago when it comes to chess.
So, what to do with a World Chess Championship that is tied after the scheduled number of classical games? Since it should be considered undesirable to settle things with either the Champion receiving drawn match odds that were earned years ago or with fast play - which could theoretically end with the title changing hands without a single victory (if the challenger drew with Black in Armageddon).
The best solution is a pre-match tiebreaker played at classical time controls. It is accomplished this way; invite - not require, the reigning World Champion to participate in the most difficult to win event in chess: the Candidates.
The winner of the Candidates, held just a few months before the World Championship - will have draw odds in the World Championship match. If the World Champion wins the Candidates then he will have draw odds in the title match. In that case the runner-up will play the World Champion for the title. If the World Champion does not win the Candidates then the actual winner of the Candidates will have draw odds in a title match against him - earned recently by finishing ahead of him in the most difficult to win event in chess.
Or the World Champion can opt to sit out the Candidates and confidently prepare for his challenger. In either case you will see a real fight at classical time controls because each draw will bring one of the players closer to defeat. As a bonus the Candidates will be elevated with the participation of the World Champion.
