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Phil's Comment on Playing to Win

Posted By: Tom Keith
Date: Monday, 22 April 2013, at 1:58 p.m.

I think it is generally accepted that when you enter a tournament you are agreeing to take the tournament seriously and make an honest effort to win each of your matches. But how far does this go? Here is what Phil Simborg says in another thread:

If playing to win means letting your opponent be punished for his own stupid mistakes ... then you should not let him correct a mistaken play that is in your favor.

Before I comment on this, let me distinguish between two types of game-play rules.

  • Type I rules -- Rules of play.  These rules define the fundamental nature of the game. They include things such as: how to set up the board, object of the game, order of play, and what constitutes a legal move.

  • Type II rules -- Irregularities.  What to do if one of the players inadvertantly fails to follow the rules of play above. There may be two aspects to a Type II rule: remedial (restoring the game as close as possible to the way it would have been had no irregularity occurred), and deterrent (a penalty or disincentive not to repeat the irregularity).

Phil's comment above brings up an interesting question. How far are you obligated to go when it comes to "playing to win"? The example discussed in the other thread is the Illegal Moves rule.

4.8 ILLEGAL MOVES. A player may condone his opponent's illegal play by rolling his dice or turning the cube. Otherwise, he must require the opponent to replay the entire roll legally.

First of all, is an illegal play an "irregularity"? Yes. Illegal plays are not part of the main game. In particular, you should never intentionally make an illegal play -- that would be cheating.

Now is Rule 4.8 a Type I rule (main rule) or a Type II rule? You could argue, because there is skill involved in deciding whether to allow an illegal play to stand, that Rule 4.8 should be considered at Type I rule. I don't buy it. An illegal play is an irregularity, so I think the remedy provided for in Rule 4.8 is a Type II rule (not part of the main rules of the game).

So I don't agree with Phil's statement above. I think you should be free under Rule 4.8 to choose whichever option best fits your sense of fair play. I don't think your obligation to "play to win" extends to Type II rules.

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