Re: The "swap rule" in chess...

In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
 [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Edward D. Collins) wrote:

> NoSpam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message 
> news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> 
> > Agree that on-line and OTB tourneys should 
> > find you players appropriate to your playing 
> > level.  In fact, "Swiss" style tourneys are 
> > set up such that if you win, you'll get a 
> > higher rated opponenet & if you lose, a 
> > lower rated.  The idea is that you'll eventually 
> > be paired against someone about your playing level.
> 
> 
> You have the right idea but as a tournament chess player I must point out 
> this
> is not at all accurate.
> 
> In a swiss system you're paired up against players with (or near) the same
> SCORE as you -- your opponent's rating is irrelevant.  If you win a game, 
> your
> next opponent may actually have a LOWER rating than both you or your last
> opponent.  Subsequently, if you lose a game your next opponent may be HIGHER
> rated than both you or your last opponent.
> 
> Players are paired up against other with similar SCORES, not ratings.  Lots 
> of
> times I've lost games and then found myself paired up with someone with even 
> a
> HIGHER rating in the next round!
> 
> Your last sentence would be more accurate if it said something like "the idea
> is that each round you'll be paired against someone doing about as well as 
> you
> are... in that tournament."


Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought in the first round they sorted 
players by rating and then, say if there were 16 players, matched 1 with 
9, 2 with 10, and so on. This would likely NOT give you a player near 
your rating in the first round.


--Harold Buck


"I used to rock and roll all night,
 and party every day.
 Then it was every other day. . . ."
      -Homer J. Simpson