Announcing the 2021 (Third) Online World 4 Player Chess SOLO Championship! (DISCUSSION)

Yes, the overall level is sincerely poor for most participants, so win those who are brilliant enough to adopt to ALL situations and levels of opposite players and side players. I am not good enough for that yet. Could only win 1 game in the 1st round...

(I see that many excellent players could not win more than 1-2 games, and the reason is that they are good when they play with other good players, and they know what to expect from them, and when they're again with 1600-1900 players, it's another game).

Its not even that they are good vs good players. Weaker players will throw the game, and you cant prepare or plan for that. And some have no notion of balance or what not.

Not "some" but most. And contrary to 2p chess, where a player with a rating let's say 200 pts above is 99% likely to win (he could still blunder or whatever, but it's not that probable...), here it's quite different because of the complex 4p chess interactions. Here you may be 2400 with 3 1800 noobs and finish 4th or 3rd. Easily. You're much more vulnerable in fact (even in anon. games) because the outcome depends far too much on your opp's level plus on the cumulated level of your sides; if the sides are even middle-rated players, you're almost sure to lose if they play just correctly (with no brilliant moves) and your opp is playing nonsense (attacks you, weakens you, eats your promoted Q, etc.). Some players go bananas when the opp doesn't cooperate, but my side I don't see it as a crime, who cares, provided he at least doesn't attack you.

That's why I believe that 1600 threshold is far too low. It should've been 1800 at least. I've just seen so many weak games, where the winner won by luck (it's happened to me once... not really fair) and not really thanks to his skills; and many games where high-rated players lost and couldn't do a lot (as Schiller said, "Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens"!).

Statistically though of course all that equalises and the winner wins totally fairly. But I believe in future championships we should rather take for example the 5 first players in each Arena (giving them for instance 20, 15, 12, 10, 7 pts, just an example), that would generate much more accurate list of the 8 (or any other numbers) semi-finalists. NOW we can pretty well imagine a situation when a Top 5 player doesn't manage to qualify just because he's finished 2nd 5 times out of 8 Arenas. Not normal.

so just call everyone below 2000 trash huh

I am currently below 2000

But YES, players under 2000 (me included) are clearly pretty bad comparatively to the elite.

Well obviously we are not as good as 2000+ players (the rating proves it) but at the same time, I've managed to pull a lot of fancy stuff that has even surprised some pros. I wouldn't say we are bad, we just aren't insane geniuses. 

Just a few examples. Current Solo (Rapid/Blitz) world 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 16th, 17th players couldn't qualify, and some even finished lower than me whereas of course they play much better. Why? Simply because they are not prepared to play low-level games, lose material because of their opps who don't see things and ruin games, etc.

I mean, a championship has to be a pleasant event, but I'm sure that they found that rather frustrating because they are used to much more interesting games thanks to the rating limits that they usually have.

I agree that the tournaments should only be for good players. I just don't think that everyone below 2000 is trash

by "good" I mean 2000+

Yeah I agree 1800+ would have been a lot better, then you at least get decent players.

1900+, I’m almost 1800 and that’s because I farmed 1/10|5D, beat some nubs in the Warmup, and won one single game in the first qualifier. (Not that hard when there’s only 1800s and one 2100 and I have 3 queens).
Also, the minimum rating for the bullet championship should be 2000+.

I sincerely hope that Luke and C° read that from time to time as some points raised are from my point of view quite important. (time zones; minimal rating; qualifiers groups composition...). Otherwise same things will happen next year and that would be pity. 

really?

This arenas are big trash! How can you win when 20-30 players plays different game then SOLO!?! They came and randomly moves pieces, play poker or what, and you must beat someone like him! What is the point of this? One who had normal opponents can play normally and one who don't have that luck lose! 

Is this right way to qualify to Championship? 

Don't think so! This is pure luck. So...good luck to next World Champion! 

p.s.  My opinion of these arenas is not like this because I did not qualify. If anyone had read what I had written before, they would have seen that I had been skeptical about this before. It is simply impossible to play two or three games without running into a complete fool. And then, if you have luck  - you win, if don't - ...

100%. As said above, the access rating is far too low (1600). Should've been at least 1800. I've seen many games where people have ni idea of the balance. Typically, a side is eliminated; my opp leads by 25-30 pts, and then the other side instead of cooperating continuously attacks me. What one can do if victories are given away like that?! (And the clock is ticking, etc.). Yesterday in Round 2 at least I could manage to win 3 times (once by luck, twice thx to some skills). And today: no one. Yes I certainly played badly, but in at least 4 games players were playing total nonsense and I just could do nothing. Somewhat frustrating.

Yeah I agree that way too much of this arena is down to luck, from opponents to even how long the games you are in (since a 40 min game is basically game over for your chances, even though those are high quality games). The player quality is definitely also too low, the 1600s dont have any idea how to play solo.

(Well, as we know, the 16 will be chosen as described above by Luke, so one can't decently say it will be by luck, it's not true Neo... But as for the 8 Arenas winners, it is clearly true that some will have won partly by luck, and I see that many excellent players couldn't qualify so far, simply because they struggle to adapt to this nonsense ).

Well that isnt to say the players that will qualify wont be excellent, they will be strong players (and have been), but the system is definitely frustrating for most participating (and especially looking to win it)

The arenas are big trash! I have 4 queens and everybody comes and mates me in 5 moves!

(exaggeration of what actually happened)

It's just impossible to maintain a lead if all 4 players are still on the board, maybe it's just me and my trash ratings and skill, but like I said... not for me I'm looking forward to the next bullet championship.