Lower level players seem to be the ones more susceptible to the allure of payment for throwing a match. In this article it appears the players are usually not even in the top 200 of the world.
Match Fixing
What can be done about it. Unless there is some better way of compensating players that earn barely enough to meet expenses to continue competition I see no way to correct it. Then there is the reality of it. Does it really matter if some low level player throws a match since it won't change the outcome of tournaments appreciably. Yes, it does put a tarnish on the concept of sportsmanship. I suppose a top player might pay someone in their way through the tournament to grease the skids and give them an easy win and for sure some top player could afford it. Has it happened. Truthfully, I never even imagined such a situation. How would you approach someone and ask them to do it except through an intermediary. It all seems doubtful.
Can you even imagine a top ten or twenty players not competing or throwing a match for money. Not likely. Usually they will throw a match if mad or tired. Some players have been known to use such tactics if they need time off. As for the rest of the players doing this I suggest looking for patterns rather than one off events. The problem is that with a lower level player why would they develop a pattern of throwing matches since it would clearly impact their ranking to send them even further down the ranks. If there is a betting market for matches at such a level I've not heard of it and so I wonder if it matters at all. The only thing throwing a match does is harm the player unless it is someone at the top. To me, this whole thing is a non-issue.
