Will Carlsen accept early draw offers from Anand?

Because that was the length of the previous title match (2012), and the one before that (2010), and the one before that (2008), and the one before that (2006). Nowadays it's hard to find players that want it to be longer than that. When FIDE introduced four game Candidates matches in 2011 Kramnik and Aronian said that four games was long enough for Candidates matches. The players just don't like long matches, even if those mentioned probably were less happy about four games matches after having been eliminated in them.

In a match, it doesn't make any difference whatsoever whether wins are awarded 3x as many points as a draw, 5x, or 20x.

Do the math, it won't change anything in a match!

Yes, it's been that length just the last few, boring years. Four years out of the 127 history of he official World Championship. I suppose it's an outgrowth of having a tiebreak system and having a yearly championship cycle.  My preference would be for a 2 year cycle and more games if draws are to count against the game total.  

I sometimes wonder if people who complain about draws watch the games or the scores.

It may be worthwhile to bear in mind that some folks think the result here remains in very much doubt:

Your proposition just does not make any change for a match. Just do the math.

Let's say the match happens to be Carlsen 3 - Anand 3 at some point with your scoring system (3-1-0, need 9 points to win). Let's say some player can either take a draw, or play out a position he has a X% chance to lose and (100-X)% chance to win.

Then he should just play on if and only if X<50. This is the same than with a standard scoring system.

Assuming X=60,  it's true that he wins 1 point if he takes the draw and an average of 40%*3 = 1.2 if he plays on, which is more than 1, but this has absolutely no relevance because his opponent also wins more if the game is played on.

Now you will argue that if the match happens to be Carlsen 8 - Anand 7 at some point then Anand will not take any draw, so that your system encourages fighting and blah blah blah, but this is exactly the same with a 1-0.5-0 scoring when the score is 5.5-5 (6 points to win).

SmyslovFan wrote:

The shortest draw in the Anand-Gelfand match was 22 moves long. The shortest game was a win by Anand! 

Are we really arguing that the best players in the world don't know if a position should be played out?

Exactly. The rule is artificial,yes.

What, its for the fans? What fans?

Carlsen played Aronian in a tournament and it was the last game and if he drew his game against Aronian he would be guaranteed first place and a $70,000 first place prize.  At one point in their match Aronian offered Carlsen a draw.  Carlsen thought for several seconds and declined the draw offer.  Carlsen is a fighter.

Well, first game goes to Anand. They may not agree to a draw before move 30, but if they repeat the position 3 times by move 16....

By the way, both sides are happy today. Carlsen got through the first game without a blunder (see Spassky-Fischer, 1972), and Anand got an easy draw as Black.

It makes a difference if wins are awarded 1x as many points  as draws. Do the math!

wait wut

I am sure he won't any more, at least I am fairly sure. Well, we will find out in a few months' time, I guess.

Probably, anyway.

He just did accept an early draw. He willingly went in for that 3-fold. Not all draw offers are given (and accepted) verbally.

Carlsen didn't mind a draw in game one. We'll see plenty of fighting chess, but this is his very first long match on any sort, and it's a world championship match. He doesn't want to do what Fischer did in 1972.

That's an interesting interpretation, and will undoubtedly be seen as the correct one should Carlsen lose. On the other hand, if Carlsen wins, it will be seen as an inspired decision to unbalance Anand and steer the game quickly towards Carlsen's strengths.

Then why did Anand take the dra ? I wouldn't question a 2700+ player decision to not play on the position without serious analysis.

wow what exciting chess!  draw in 16 moves!  can't wait to see the next one.  I hope it is a Petrov Qe2 variation with a draw on move 10

these guys are winning  1 million? how much??   and they start the match  with a draw in 16,   is this a joke?? this kind of game   hurts to the chess.

This is not chess, this reminds me to 1/0 bullet games. 

Scottrf wrote:

" Not a chance. Carlsen presses until it's completely dead. If he did, he would be giving away his advantage. He doesn't get big advantages out of the opening very often."

Yes, the first game was dead after a few moves and he got nothing from the opening.

Anand took the draw because it was game 1 and he had Black.  Carlsen completely botched the opening and he knew it.  

I cannot find this stipulation in the official rules. Is it there? Can you provide a specific reference?