Low-quality content on Lichess TV

I agree with MrPushwood's new blog post:
lichess.org/@/MrPushwood/blog/overcompetitiveness-in-chess/GkVotJKU
In my opinion, Lichess TV contributes to flagging. As far as I understand it (do I?), it shows the highest-rated running game. That said, with bullet ratings much higher than blitz ratings (94 players rated 3000 or higher contrary to 1 player rated 3000 or higher at the current leaderboards), it strongly prioritizes bullet. Given that it often does not show the games from the very beginning, we often see a plethora of random (pre)moves made in order to win on time. Which might be attractive, but definitely not to everyone's taste. Too random for some spectators, too quick for others. It might also inspire many others to go for flagging at the cost of making completely random premoves. (Which is of course allowed, but why should it be promoted through the TV?)
Do not worry, I am not hoping to forbid bullet. In my opinion, the LichessTV should show more blitz, which is quick enough to be attractive and at the same time slow enough not to be completely random. If there is a difference around 200 points between top bullet ratings and top blitz ratings, the Lichess TV could compensate this difference in its algorithm, thus showing less of random flagging. Bullet would still often be displayed there, but we would see more of blitz.

If you prefer watching blitz, you can click "blitz" in the left column so that only blitz games will be shown.

@mkubecek said in #2:
> If you prefer watching blitz, you can click "blitz" in the left column so that only blitz games will be shown.
Yes, I know, but I suspect that a majority of spectators usually do not use that option.
My suggestion would promote blitz compared to other time controls, so perhaps deducing 200 points from the bullet average rating in the algorithm would work better in my opinion. (With the TOP 200 bullet ratings being approximately 200 higher than the TOP 200 blitz ratings, this could be adequate.) True, if it shows 100 blitz games and 100 bullet games within some period, blitz will be displayed for a vast majority of time, so the whole issue is more complex than I had assumed. That said, the current content too often resembles a computer game focused primarily on speed, although chess is much richer (in ideas, traditions, educational potential,...) than that.

@RealDavidNavara said in #3:
> Yes, I know, but I suspect that a majority of spectators usually do not use that option.
That's likely, I'm afraid. Perhaps mixing different time control options on purpose would help - but as you mentioned, balancing the number of games and the total time lead to completely different results (and either way, someone is going to be unhappy). Personally, I dont' really care much what is shown by default because even blitz is too fast for me to be able to follow and have at least some idea what is going on - and I'm aware that majority has little interest to watch rapid or even classical.

@RealDavidNavara said in #3:
> Yes, I know, but I suspect that a majority of spectators usually do not use that option.
> My suggestion would promote blitz compared to other time controls, so perhaps deducing 200 points from the bullet average rating in the algorithm would work better in my opinion. (With the TOP 200 bullet ratings being approximately 200 higher than the TOP 200 blitz ratings, this could be adequate.) True, if it shows 100 blitz games and 100 bullet games within some period, blitz will be displayed for a vast majority of time, so the whole issue is more complex than I had assumed. That said, the current content too often resembles a computer game focused primarily on speed, although chess is much richer (in ideas, traditions, educational potential,...) than that.

how is blitz better than bullet? apparently its slowness would make it better than the diabolical bullet. However, do many people on Lichess TV want to watch 5+3 or 5+0? the most popular control time is 3+0 and 3+2, this blitz would be crazy in OTB, not online. the real OTB blitz cannot prevail online because people are online precisely to see other things. it's a gladiator show, people like these shows, bullet is violence on the chessboard, there are rarely draws, a lot of emotion for the spectator and less anxiety. in blitz, spectators wonder what their favorite will play, worry about time, each move... in bullet you watch monsters. so if an "angelic" generation doesn't want to see that, don't watch and don't judge a good part (majority) of the community that likes bullet. When you watch a horror film, it's to be scared, not to relax or educate yourself like you will watching a documentary. bullet is not chess but ONLINE chess, the audience of streamers and celebrities don't want to spend their whole lives in front of the TV, so bullet is a useful alternative. As for the positions that Pushwood is talking about, I tell you from my own experience that it is because there is no more confidence when you play bullet, you do not have to trust your opponent, how dare you so risky to leave an opportunity for victory by flagging? some like me don't care about the rating but want this kind of emotion. who will have time to press the draw button? It's not a child's fight, but an event where this kind of low blow is allowed, it's like wrestling. find out about the lefong and the traps, it's even worse

So i disagree when you say "low content", but since you just want to see more Blitz... I'm not against.

I personally feel that this is an unnecessary rant, If you dislike bullet and don't call it chess that's fine (Carlsen .. Hikaru and top grandmasters don't have a problem with it anyways). Showing the "top rated games" on lichess which usually happens to be bullet is in no way influencing the play of people. It's bullet flagging will always exist, I don't know if you've watched the Armageddon series (yes Kramnik was in it). Bottom line is if you think that flagging is unethical because you praise some "purist chess" principle then don't play sudden death time controls.
For the lichess TV issue, lichess has made it easy ... you can choose what you want to see... bullet.. blitz.. rapid... chess960.. ultra bullet.. whatever it is.. even the blitz you're suggesting it's still just 3+0 we'll end up seeing and like you said with the bullet a good number of them will still end in time scrambles..
Nothing lichess can do about that.

I totally agree with Grandmaster Navara. After all chess is a thinking game not a game of whoever moves around the mouse faster wins.

@Hagredion said in #8:
> I totally agree with Grandmaster Navara. After all chess is a thinking game not a game of whoever moves around the mouse faster wins.

in this case we can discuss the other extreme, the correspondence game, what is the use of a game that lasts several months? Doesn't it lead to unnecessary mental fatigue to play chess while thinking for days about the next moves? you can find criticism for everything, but there are topics that receive more criticism than others, if this bullet doesn't make you want to play it again, don't play it. but online chess is not offline chess, it is an alternative, with an e-sport side, it is only good or bad depending on your use and your dogma

I totally agree! I think at least it should be possible to set the default for lichess TV to be blitz. I've even seen ultra bullet games on lichess TV before so I'd clicked away- it would be nice if there were a way to exclude certain types of games from one's personal TV, so that I do not have to see bullet games being played. Then for all the bullet fans we can otherwise keep it as it is and they'll remain happy as well :)