I would like your opinion about the accepted practice in USCF tournaments to re-enter the tournament if you lose! Yeah, the current practice is that if you lose any of your games from rounds 1-4 then you can simply re-enter by paying 50% of the entry fee and either play the games over at a faster time control (if that option is available) OR just take a 1/2 point for every game you lost and continue on with the tournament!
I attended a big money tournament this weekend and here's what happened to me:
I played in the 2006 MOTOR CITY OPEN. This tournament boasted a $10,000 Prize fund and entry fee was $100. But GM's get in Free and pay back the entry fee if they win!
First round I got paired up against the Ohio State Champion, John Bidwell, a strong Master and I lost.
Second round I get paired against GM Nikola Mitkov! I mean, this guy has beaten Kramnik! How can I lose the first round and be paired against a GM!?
So when I complain to the TD, he tells me that GM Nikola Mitkov lost to our local hustler, Victor Wison in round 1!
Ok, I'm grumbling about this, but it isn't over yet... it gets worse. Maybe I would be paired against Mitkov since we both lost our first round, but after losing in round 1, GM Nikola Mitkov re-entered the tournament! If you re-enter then all the games you lost are given a 1/2 point and the loss is erased!
But I didn't know he had re-entered. After I lost to Mitkov I wandered over and looked at the wall chart. He had a .5 registered for round 1.
Which meant there was a mistake made in the pairings. Bidwell came up to me while I was looking at the wall chart and lifted the paper up exposing the scoresheet from the first round. He showed me that they erroneously had me down as beating him, giving me a full 1 point - which is why the computer program paired me up against GM Mitkov, who technically then had 1/2 point!
I withdrew from the tournament and feel like I've been cheated. ðŸ˜
Originally posted by arrakisThat's just dumb and the whole rule is stupid!
I would like your opinion about the accepted practice in USCF tournaments to re-enter the tournament if you lose! Yeah, the current practice is that if you lose any of your games from rounds 1-4 then you can simply re-enter by paying 50% of the entry fee and either play the games over at a faster time control (if that option is available) OR just take a 1/2 ...[text shortened]... then had 1/2 point!
I withdrew from the tournament and feel like I've been cheated. ðŸ˜
I hope you got your full entry fee back?
I've never cared for the reentry rule; I wish they would outlaw it.
The practice of GMs not paying an entry fee unless they win is fairly standard, I think. It's strictly a marketing decision by the tournament organizer. If he can entice more GMs by offering potentially free entry, then the GM's presence will draw more lower rated entries, hence a larger total income for the organizer (he hopes). It's hard enough for GMs to make a living in the US; I don't think we should make it even harder for them.
If you entered the tournament only in hopes of winning a big prize, then yeah, the pairing mistake shafted you. I don't care for big money tournaments and the associated big entry fees. I enter tournaments only for the games and the social experience. $100 isn't cheap, but it's not outrageous either, considering the prize. If that had happened to me, I would have felt cheated, but I would have continued. But I can understand your bitterness if you were hoping to win a big prize and had to pay for travel and hotel, etc.
Hey, at least you got to play a strong master and a GM! Did you ask them to analyze your games afterwards?
Originally posted by Mad RookIt wasn't about the money; I don't care about that. I'm a person of high morals and ethics and I feel that a situation came about where I wasn't treated fairly.
I've never cared for the reentry rule; I wish they would outlaw it.
The practice of GMs not paying an entry fee unless they win is fairly standard, I think. It's strictly a marketing decision by the tournament organizer. If he can entice more GMs by offering potentially free entry, then the GM's presence will draw more lower rated entries, hence a larger got to play a strong master and a GM! Did you ask them to analyze your games afterwards?
Yeah, it's normal for two opponents to go over a game, but you have to be able to read body language to do this. In my case, as soon as I resigned, Mitkov couldn't have run away any faster. But that didn't bother me cause I knew exactly where I had lost the game.
Originally posted by Mad RookI guess the old days are gone forever. We used to pay a $10 entry fee, played in one big section (no quartered pairings), prizes were $100, $50 & $25. If you were the top class player you got your choice of a book or a cheap trophy. GM's never played in weekend Swiss tmt, unless it was one of 2 or 3 major opens; they played in international tmts.
I've never cared for the reentry rule; I wish they would outlaw it.
I don't care for big money tournaments and the associated big entry fees. I enter tournaments only for the games and the social experience.
Originally posted by masscatWelcome to Edmonton, Canada my friend 🙂
I guess the old days are gone forever. We used to pay a $10 entry fee, played in one big section (no quartered pairings), prizes were $100, $50 & $25. If you were the top class player you got your choice of a book or a cheap trophy. GM's never played in weekend Swiss tmt, unless it was one of 2 or 3 major opens; they played in international tmts.
Entry fee $20-$25.
Prizes $100.
Yups, we got room for you here dude.
Originally posted by arrakisAre you telling me you spent $100 for 2 games?
No, you can't get your entry fee back once you play.
I would be upset too but might as well get your money's worth. As a student I think $100 is very steep. Thus, I would continue playing just to learn and forget about the prize.
This is the first time i've heard of this re-entry thing. With us you enter, and keep playing and at the end the winners get something. If it's a knock out thing then once you lose, bye bye.