Unsporting or Cheating?

In round 5 of a 100 player knockout tournament (see link below), two players in group 2 have agreed to draw their games so that they both progress to round 6. They agreed their draws after just 2 moves!

I reckon they should both be booted out of the tournament. Anyone else have a view?

http://www.chess.com/tournaments/pairings.html?id=34693&round=5

It depends on the rules about draw offers and arranged games and

determinism with respect to the universe.

I think that Grandmasters often do pretty much the same thing, though they make it less obvious. 

What could they hope to gain by conceding half games instead of playing for full win ??

+1

well that's why they are GM's.

Motivation in a tournament however is different surely ?

It's not cheating. They won enough of their other games to put themselves in a position of control.

The fact that they were dumb enough to make their collusion so obvious should be grounds enough to give them both 0.

a 100% chance of advancing to the next round of the tournament, instead of 50%.

If they were the only ones in the group with a chance of advancing anyway, I don't see what harm there is in a mutually agreed draw. This kind of thing is pretty common in real life tourneys from what I understand.

I think the system used in many sports - 3 points for win, 1 each for draw - would help to encourage more aggressive play.

I think it would encourage more wreckless ( poor ) play as well. 

It would also encourage more collusion (depending on the format).

What is aggressive to one player is reckless to a better one.

I hear what your saying, but I don't see the harm in it, eventually a winner will be deceided. There only delaying the inevitable. . . . They can't "draw" there way to a victory?

+1

Indeed. Some basic arithmetic: Two evenly-matched players play 2 games against each other, and either (1) agree to a pair of draws and get 2 points each, or (2) agree to alternate wins and get 3 points each. Clearly the 3/1/0 scoring system offers greater rewards for collusion. But, in practice, arranging to throw games might be trickier than arranging to draw.

In a knock out competition they shouldnt allow both to advance in the case of a draw imo ....  

Agree.  They should settle ties the old fashioned way:  Rochambeau.

Re: those who say this is not cheating and not unsportsmanlike:

By logical extension, it is not unsportsmanlike for the entire group to agree amongst themselves to draw every game--thereby ensuring every group member advances.