Sandbaggers and Ratings

I've just removed my name from the waiting list for Tournament 10438 after observing the TER of the player at the top of the list. He has a current rating of 1483 and a TER of 1498.

How does the system let such a person into an 0-1150 tournament? It's obvious: rating floors haven't been implemented and his graph is a perfect sandbagger job.

Obviously User 371024 sees some merit in trying for a "king of the kiddies" trophy, but to me it just indicates his juvenile emotional level.

Originally posted by Kewpie
I've just removed my name from the waiting list for Tournament 10438 after observing the TER of the player at the top of the list. He has a current rating of 1483 and a TER of 1498.

How does the system let such a person into an 0-1150 tournament? It's obvious: rating floors haven't been implemented and his graph is a perfect sandbagger job.

Obviously ...[text shortened]... r a "king of the kiddies" trophy, but to me it just indicates his juvenile emotional level.

I think in this guys particular case, he clearly left teh site for the better part of a year - therefore lost a lot of games (timeouts) and then came back - he killed us all in the october hardcore 0-1150 tournament, but at that stage his rating was that low...

the second thing to point out is that the tournament he is in, was put up for entries at the same time as the october hardcore - i am also in this tournament, but we are never going to start it as there are so many entrants still needed - if he was to apply now, he wouldnt be able to - i think there needs to be some thought put into how long before a tournament starts....2 months is clearly wrong...

Anyway it is sadnbagging, lets call again for a (permanent) rating floor as suggested numerous time in site ideas.

Edit: There are some more candidates on that particular tournament

Originally posted by Kewpie
I've just removed my name from the waiting list for Tournament 10438 after observing the TER of the player at the top of the list. He has a current rating of 1483 and a TER of 1498.

How does the system let such a person into an 0-1150 tournament? It's obvious: rating floors haven't been implemented and his graph is a perfect sandbagger job.

Obviously ...[text shortened]... r a "king of the kiddies" trophy, but to me it just indicates his juvenile emotional level.

Then again, we have the problem with players abandoning an account, setting up a new account and playing below the level they reached on the previous account.

How would you propose to deal with this situation?

If we had a rating floor, as has been intimated at 100 below your best rating, then your rating floor would become 1256 and you would not have been able to enter this tournament anyway.

Some people sandbag their way to easy tournaments wins, others start new accounts.

What is worse? The obvious sandbagger, or potentially a 2,000 rated player who starts a new account and wipes the floor with everyone in tournaments for genuine lower rated players?

Not every sandbagger is going to take the trouble of finishing up all their games, starting a new account, and working their way through the provisional process, just to temporarily gain the ability to enter in low-level tournaments. You're talking about a maximum of 5 or 10%. Why not use the TER to calculate whether a player may enter a tournament or not? Isn't that what it is for?

Originally posted by Kewpie
Not every sandbagger is going to take the trouble of finishing up all their games, starting a new account, and working their way through the provisional process, just to temporarily gain the ability to enter in low-level tournaments. You're talking about a maximum of 5 or 10%. Why not use the TER to calculate whether a player may enter a tournament or not? Isn't that what it is for?

It's already used for that.

It's supposed to be, but if you check some of the sandbaggers you can see that it isn't.

Originally posted by Kewpie
It's supposed to be, but if you check some of the sandbaggers you can see that it isn't.

No its always USED for the calculation of Tournament entry, just that its only based on the last 365 days, so it fails to catch the few people who have been away from the site and return after a year or more.

How many people are likely to return after being away for a year or more? Likely to be under 1%?

Originally posted by adramforall
No its always USED for the calculation of Tournament entry, just that its only based on the last 365 days, so it fails to catch the few people who have been away from the site and return after a year or more.

How many people are likely to return after being away for a year or more? Likely to be under 1%?

The point Kewpie tries to make (correct me if I am wrong) is that the tournament entry rating of a few of the entrants rose over the threshhold while being entered. So people going over the maximum rating should be automatically removed. And for the persons in question would there be a permanent rating floor they wouldn't have been eligible in the first place. And 1 per tournament is enough.

But whatever the rules try to prevent, they can surely never cope with people who find pleasure in beating up players rated 300 points or more below them. I speak of what I know. It's no pleasure when one has no choice. To choose to do it is absurd. Kewpie is right to question this guy's character

Originally posted by Kewpie
I've just removed my name from the waiting list for Tournament 10438 after observing the TER of the player at the top of the list. He has a current rating of 1483 and a TER of 1498.

How does the system let such a person into an 0-1150 tournament? It's obvious: rating floors haven't been implemented and his graph is a perfect sandbagger job.

Obviously ...[text shortened]... r a "king of the kiddies" trophy, but to me it just indicates his juvenile emotional level.

Because this tourney rating system sucks, Period!

The tournament did start featuring two people with a current ratin g of beyond 1500...

Under the chess.com banded tournament system, if your tournament rating exceeds the limit of the band (either way) before the tournament starts you are automatically removed from it.

Blimey .. i think i'm mentioned further up. Put yourself in my position. 2 years without playing..come back..no games. Your bound to enter some tournaments...need to play some games. Gotta practice a little. Then it takes nearly around 6 weeks to get started. Dosent look good. Quite happy to admit that I probably should have resigned the games. Like most of us on here...i'm quite competitive. Anyhow will resign games at the start of the second round. If i get there. Did enter a couple of other tournaments at the same time. rated around 1150. Never won then..Anyhow the result is ... im playing quite well again and once again enjoying chess. Rating up from the 938 it stood at two years ago. Love Chess.

You gotta remember my rating now is back up above 1600. A clever sand bagger will keep it low...think that's right. If i wanted to win loads and loads of tournaments. That is one way. The other way..to be the best would be a tad harder.

Good Luck with your games.

Just a gentle comment here. In your situation, banded tournaments are hardly the best place to start, because you can't play where you belong and you shouldn't play where you don't belong. There are usually plenty of open tournaments available.