[hcsyxzpj] In search of the flawless game

A chess match structured that only the loser of the previous game may deviate. It's a theoretical discussion, possibly with plenty of time between games for analysis. It is also "in search of the perfect game".

We describe a state transition system to explain how the result of the previous games affects play in the next.

We refer to a certain previous game as the Deviation Base (DB). The DB may or may not be the immediately previous game. In the first game, the DB is a phantom zeroth game where draw was agreed before the first move.

A game proceeds along the DB until the player with the right to deviate exercises that right; until that point, the other player's moves are forced to be the same as the DB. (Or more practically, the starting position is the point where deviation happens.)

We operate under the dogma that white should win; that is, if a game ends in a draw, white will have the privilege of deviating in the following game. We will also use the shorthand "Black wins" to mean "Black wins or it is a draw".

If the DB result was Black won, and in the current game Black wins, then the DB remains unchanged.

If the DB result was Black won, and in the current game White wins, then the current game becomes the new DB.

If the DB result was White won, and in the current game Black wins, then the current game becomes the new DB.

If the DB result was White won, and in the current game White wins, then the DB remains unchanged.

When the DB remains unchanged, one can imagine it was a failed experiment to improve on the DB in the quest for the perfect game. Since the experiment failed, the game is "discarded", not affecting the DB.

The player with the right to deviate is solely a function of the DB. If the DB result was White won, then Black has the right to deviate in the current game. If the DB result was Black won, then White has the right to deviate.

The same player plays the same color through the whole match. However, in order to make the conditions fair, one can bid for the right to play White. Or one can actually play two parallel matches of this form, with each player playing one color for one match and the other color for the other match. For the purposes of scoring, draws are half a point and are not counted as Black wins, giving Black incentive to play for the win. The parallel match games are alternating interspersed: this additionally gives the back office team more time to analyze.

Team is important. Kind of like NASCAR, the team which does preparation and analysis of the DB is critically important, but so is the "driver" or player who takes over after the preparation is exhausted. This may be a good format for chess team competition.

This might also be a good format for a human (team) versus computer chess match.