Hey Russ, any chance of some knockot tournaments. With the groups it is unusual that the top rated player doesn't progress. That's fair enough and lots of people enjoy that system. But a knockout tournament would much more of an 'F.A. Cup' feel. The underdog would have a chance to progress with one outstanding performance. You would have the problem of who gets white, but how about the lower rated player is white, but black progress' in the case of a draw.
Failing this how about just more 'Duel' tournaments?
Thanks for listening, keep up the good work.
I quite like the idea, but not that the higher rated player (as black)progresses after a draw. I'd sooner colour was decided at random - after all, the luck of the draw determines who plays who, so why not colour as well? - with the lower ranked player progressing after a draw.
Even then there are problems though - what happens if I start the match at say 1800 and my opponent at 1780, but when a draw is agreed I've dropped to 1785 and they have risen to 1790?
Come to that, what happens in the current Duel format when there are a pair of draws or one win each? Assuming both go through, there is almost as much possibility of abuse as in this proposed format, and I guess it hasn't often occurred (or at least been proven) else the format would not be so popular and I would be able to sign up for one before it was full :-)