Looking ahead – a World Championship Quiz

We are going to have a quiz for the World Championship with entries starting in a few weeks time and ending an hour before the first move is played. It would be great if you would help us with your possible questions for the quiz, making it possible for us to focus on books.

16 thoughts on “Looking ahead – a World Championship Quiz”

  1. Winner, of course
    Margin of victory
    Number of decisive games
    First decisive game
    Number of times a pawn is promoted
    Most frequent ECO letter code (just A-E)
    Number of times the most frequent opening (by full ECO code) is played
    Number of official appeals filed
    Longest amount of time spent on one move

  2. I generally like the questions above, but I would advise against making a number of moves question. The aim of the questions is to make a difference between the contestants, if everybody gets it right (like who is going to be the winner, Carlsen, of course) or everybody gets it wrong (number of moves of the longest game, it is quite difficult to get it right), it makes no difference, so may as well not be asked.

    Instead, I would offer ranges, for example: longest game:
    a) between 0 and 60 moves
    b) 61-70 moves
    c) 81-90 moves
    d) 91 – 100 moves
    e) 101 or more moves.

  3. Number of complaints filed by each player during the match
    Maximum number of knight-moves during a game
    Number of exchange sacrifices
    Number of rook endgames
    Number of declined draw offers
    Number of orange juices consumed by the players during the match
    Will Carlsen wear a tie in any of the games?
    Will Giri comment on their clothes?
    Number of draws where Stockfish has an advantage of above 0.5 in the end position
    Will there be any games with 3 times the same position?
    Number of time forfeits
    Any queen sacrifices?
    Any stalemates?
    Any mates?
    Any blunders going from at least +1 to a lost position?

  4. I’ve already listed my serious questions below on a different page
    1. how many times will magnus appear to fall asleep at the board
    2. how many times magnus’ water bottle blocks the web camera’s view of the board at crucial time trouble moments
    3. number of times the guest celebrity makes an inane cermonial first move
    4. number of times peter svidler sniffles in the live commentary
    5. number of times match visitor nigel short appears in the nude so he doesn’t need to get security checked

    I’ve now reconsidered and thought of some extra World Championship themed ones
    1. Which coded yoghurt flavour will be most popular?
    2. Number of games Agon’s website actually works as it should?
    3. First player to grow a beard in anticipation of winning to have a suitable Steinitz hipster facial hair look
    4. First date ‘……gate’ is used to describe any minor controversy (toiletgate etc)
    5. first player to be overcome by Fulton fish market venue fumes
    6. date Kanye West arrives and storms the stage claiming Beyonce is better at chess than either contenders
    7. first street chess hustler to beat either player when they visit Central Park on a rest day
    8. price of most ridiculously expensive official agon memorabilia
    9. first presidential candidate to show up and in desperation proclaim a love for chess while photographed playing a game either moving the pieces incorrectly or the board set up the wrong way.
    10. name of prankster who replaces the Statue of Liberty’s…

  5. For a tie-breaker , something like : How many pawns/pieces exchanged by White/Black after Nth move of the Xth game

  6. Johnnyboy :
    I’ve already listed my serious questions below on a different page

    9. first presidential candidate to show up and in desperation proclaim a love for chess while photographed playing a game either moving the pieces incorrectly or the board set up the wrong way.

    Fortunately the election will over by the beginning of the match, so that won’t happen.

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