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.
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
Moves in the shortest/longest game
Who wins the first point
Number of en-passants
Which first move as White will produce the first win
Number of draws before move 30
Biggest time advantage
Numbers of wins with white
Number of wins with black
Numbers of game which ends with both queens on board
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.
@Gollum
We really do need a tiebreaker and this is quite plausible to rely on luck. Having two winners is not ideal.
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?
Number of games opening with e4, d4, Nf3 etc.
All or nothing: who will win the match?
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…
… torch with a chess piece and places a board under her arm
Number of games with opening variations from Negi and Avrukh series.
For a tie-breaker , something like : How many pawns/pieces exchanged by White/Black after Nth move of the Xth game
Same idea with the longest game of the match ( just to be sure N>40 is OK )
Fortunately the election will over by the beginning of the match, so that won’t happen.
@Kassy
2000…