Why are there competitions? What is their meaning? The answer is simple - the desire to show your potential, the desire to receive approval and respect from others, the desire to win. That's what tournaments are for. But how are they satisfied? In this article, read about the round robin competition system.
Competitions
Competitions appeared in ancient times. People have long wanted to show what they are capable of. But even earlier, when humanity was only at the stages of searching for its potential, there were "competitions for survival". Or you, or you. So the law of that merciless time stated in which our distant ancestors lived.
It turns out, the desire to win in our blood? To some extent, yes ... Man is a social being. But for him, it is important not only communication, but also the approval of others. Our generation is highly dependent on the opinions of other people: family, friends, rivals, teachers, coaches, etc. This is normal! This explains the desire to show oneself in the best light, and, perhaps, the best in the whole world.
Competitions, tournaments, championships - a way to achieve the above stated goal. "If you win, if you become the first, they will see what I really am!" - So, not realizing the fact, the athlete thinks. Man sets himself goals and ... achieves them.
Types of competition systems
As we have already noted, competition is an integral part of our world. And we are talking not only about the world around us, but also about the inner one. The psychology of our thoughts always strives for something higher! We can’t fly - so build a plane! We cannot reach the stars - no problem! Let's build a rocket!
Humanity is looking for development. Man is also looking for development.
Self-improvement allows us to achieve our goals. But how to check it, if it is something abstract, for example, skill, strength, intelligence, etc. For this, tournaments and Olympiads have been created.
Depending on the particular characteristics of the discipline in which the competition is held, people have come up with different competition systems. Take at least the Olympic system: a huge number of qualifying stages in order to reach the finals only the most worthy and strongest. For intellectual sports (such as chess, go, shogi, checkers, etc.), because of the huge number of participants (the largest tournaments reach up to 600 players), the Swiss system is used. Its feature is the dependence of the draw on the number of points scored in past rounds. In tournaments with a small number of people, a circular competition system is used. Read about it below.
Round robin competitions
The round robin system is one of the most common tournament systems.
A distinctive feature - during the competition, everyone will play with all participants (except himself, of course). The winner is the player (or team) who scored or scored the maximum number of victories.
To draw lots use special programs or tables.
The table below is used for volleyball competitions in the round robin system. But that's not all. It can also be used for, say, chess competitions, if you do not take into account the column “Goal difference, etc.”. The number of teams can also be changed.
Competitions held in a circular system can be held on the principle of "two circles". That is, each participant (team) competes with each participant (team) twice. This is done in order to increase the fairness of the outcome of the tournament. How are conditions changing? For example, team A played with team B in a basketball game; they change fields; player X played with player Z a game of chess, changing colors, etc.
Advantages of the round-robin competition system
The main principles of holding a tournament in a round-robin system were indicated above. It is worth noting its positive and negative sides. This will be done by the example of a chess competition, but this does not mean that points will not be suitable for other sports!
- Justice. This is probably the most significant item from the list. What could be more convincing than playing with each player, putting all your strength into matches and gaining the appropriate number of points?
- Unexpected turns. Because of the possibility of playing a strong player with a weak, there are often unrest. "Oh, this newcomer won against the favorite of the tournament! How can this be ?!" etc.
- Experience. Every chess player knows that any championship is an experience, an opportunity to test their skills and rehearse new openings. And thanks to the legal law described in paragraph number two, there is a chance to play with a player much stronger than you. Isn't it nice to fight the fittest?
Cons of the system
The circular system of conducting competitions in chess (as in other sports) has its negative sides.
- The number of tours. "What is the problem?" - you ask. There is nothing complicated if the number of people in the tournament is 10 (it will be 9 rounds). And if there are 15? This causes great difficulties for both the organizers and participants (there is a lot of pressure on the stamina of the chess player).
- Time. With the increase in the number of rounds, the amount of time spent on the tournament increases. And time is the most precious thing a person has.
- If, after a certain number of rounds, a clear leader appears, most likely the rest of the tournament will be a foregone conclusion.
- Negotiable draws. The totality of the “rule from the third paragraph of our list” and the reluctance to lose, but the fear of fighting an opponent of equal strength gives such a phenomenon as contractual draws.
Instead of an afterword
To summarize the main result of the article: the circular system is the fairest system for identifying the winner in the discipline in which the competition is held.
Develop and improve. Good luck in the competition!