Tournament Strategy and Selection criteria.

Ref: Here.

Where is the criteria MCF?

Recently we saw a perfect 9 score in the Selangor Open from a foreign IM. The ultimate Champion. A Champion's run is different from other runs. Why do I say that?

A Champion's run is based on an assessment of the field and the conviction that his/her weaponry is superior in all aspects. And that means accurate competitor analysis.

Let me also say that a selection tournament to represent the Country is also not an ordinary tournament. It is a tournament to assess if the weaponry that you have is sufficient for you to be the best in the Country. And that is not the same as the Asean level, the Asian level or World level. But it is a start. It allows us to assess at the Country level.

Let us see what a normal run is like before we too can make Champion runs.

So lets use the last SEA games as an example. If the criteria is top 10 or top 8, you will need to assess yourself against the possible field. If it is open to all including beginners then you will probably need slightly different weaponry. You will probably need more win/lose weaponry or you may drop below the points needed to make the cut. Top 10 is different and top 8 is again different, depending on the field.

Example. Caveat. I think Li Tian can make top 8 in NC even with the weaponry I have seen recently but it won't be so straight forward. So I hope he will bring new ones to NC2012. Best of luck Li Tian.

If the tournament is rated at say 1900 and above plus National Juniors or past National Juniors, again your weaponry will need to be different for you to make the cut.

Now I haven't gone deeply into competitor analysis yet but allow me to say that generally in a very big and open field you need to rely more on your strengths.

But say you do make the cut and now get into the round robin. The fight for the top 4 or top 6. Then you will need to rely more on taking the fight to their weaknesses. 

Are you still following?

Now also understand that this is the same thinking process of competitor analysis for global competition in business. This is the lesson for our fighters when they go out into the world and the same thinking process when/if they want to do a GM run.

And to do that well we need to practice this process over and over again to develop the necessary judgement. And also to inculcate the discipline of training before tournaments.

So selection criteria must come out early. If possible the players list also out early. Then we are developing a thinking sport. A mind sport. If we can do this we will have our own Champions too in the nearer future.

So is MCF failing us in this regard? Are we expected to go to NC2012 and then just hope to win? Against what benchmark, against what field? What strategy do we need? Top 8, top 10? Is there a rating limit?

Or is everyone fighting for just one place in clean competition and for the rest we do side deals? If so then tell us what the deal is? What are the conditions? How do we get into the deal too? Join your chess school/academy/university? Have a vote at AGM? Spell out your conditions. Go to your special Fide fattening tournaments? What?

And isn't this our Olympiad selection? Isn't this the most prestigious tournament that Malaysia regularly send players to? Are we developing the next tier of players or are we waiting for the current seniors to fall asleep on the tournament table from old age?

What are you doing MCF? Are we going to the Olympiad and hope to have the success of 1986 or have you given up?

Or is there another agenda instead of doing your best for the Country?

Or is only a select few given the criteria early and the rest surprised on the day or the day before?