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An ethical question


MickinMD

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The question is, it is ok to offer and agree to an early draw (tie) and not play a game all the way out?

There are three groups left Round 3 of the current Team USA: Southeast Team Championship tournament, 1 move per two days max, that began last year.

The top 2 players from each group, 6 players, will play against each other in the 4th and Final Round, the top three winning trophies.

Below are the current standings for my group.  I'm tied for 2nd with MENTAC (next to rightmost column) but since he tied JKCScholar, who won every other game, he'd got the tiebreaker over me (rightmost column).

MENTAC is way behind in material almost sure to lose his last game, which is against JKCScholar.

So, to advance to the finals I need to win or draw in my last game against, Hogan9600, who has played above his rating, which is now 1630, and I'm now 1878.

I beat Hogan in our other game, he has no chance to advance, and because of my higher rating he would gain rating points if we draw.

So, our game has had 17 moves each and he might be tempted to accept if I offered him a draw, even though the game is in a very unclear and roughly equal position.

That draw would put me in the finals - where I'd love 2 more shots at JKCScholar.

So should I offer a draw or should I be like Ted Williams, the last man to hit .400 in major league baseball?  In his season's last at bat, he was over .400 but would go under .400 if he made an out or got on base by error. His manager offered to send a pinch hitter in for him.  Williams refused.  Williams got a hit and ended the season at .406.

On the other hand, NFL teams that clinch playoff spots often sit their best players the last week of the season instead of trying to win. That's why most fantasy football leagues play their championship game the week before the NFL regular season ends.  When Bobby Fischer pulled ahead of Boris Spassky in the 1972 World Chess Championship, he played for draws rather than take risks to win in the last 8 games, drawing 7 and winning the last when Spassky blundered.  But all of those 8 games were played out to the point where the draws were clearly all that was going to happen.

1205810119_LateRound3Ineedwinordraw.JPG.7765299831d51b677c2552f9e8d6aaa8.JPG

 

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Chess is fun.  I wonder how many moves it would take you to check mate me.  

My husband and I play.  I check mated him last night.  I love when I know that he has no escape, and I can say those two words.  Check mate. Most of them time, I just say "I think I got ya."  He wins a lot more than I do.

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29 minutes ago, Dirtyhip said:

Chess is fun.  I wonder how many moves it would take you to check mate me.  

My husband and I play.  I check mated him last night.  I love when I know that he has no escape, and I can say those two words.  Check mate. Most of them time, I just say "I think I got ya."  He wins a lot more than I do.

I never really liked it. But I did like those magnetic travel chess boards. 

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8 minutes ago, RalphWaldoMooseworth said:

I never really liked it. But I did like those magnetic travel chess boards. 

It is great for my brain.  Highly strategic, lots going on.  All the pieces moving in different directions and patterns.  If I am really tired after work, my brain can't handle it. 

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1 hour ago, Road Runner said:

I play against my computer.  I control his intelligence and I can make him (my computer is a he) as dumb as needed.   :nodhead:

I do that for Gridblock on my "phone".  I've settled for medium - easy was SO boring, and difficult is frustrating.  Medium is the Goldilocks setting. :)

 

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53 minutes ago, RalphWaldoMooseworth said:

I do that for Gridblock on my "phone".  I've settled for medium - easy was SO boring, and difficult is frustrating.  Medium is the Goldilocks setting. :)

 

I have a 1-10 setting on my computer chess game.  I keep him at 4.  He keeps kicking my ass at 5.  :(

I can't imagine how bad he would beat me at 8-10.  :huh:

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