3-Cushion
Sung Won Choi is out, we'll have a new world champion. We have a new guy every year, it's been that way since 1991/1992. Blomdahl won the overall BWA title in consecutive years, and since then, no player has been able to retain their crown. Is this the explanation: "Ceulemans dominated, then Blomdahl dominated a little less, now nobody can dominate anymore"? Or is it this: "the format has changed so drastically and matches are so much shorter that luck plays a bigger role than ever".
You guessed it, it's a bit of both.
Three things contributed massively to the Ceulemans honor roll. First: they played longer matches. In his early career, it was 60 points, later 50. The longer the match, the more often the better player will indeed win. Second: knowledge didn't spread as rapidly as it does these days. For the players who had to compete against the Legend, it was tough to study all his secrets: no video, no internet. Third (and by far the most important): the format. There were no knock-out rounds, there was just round robin. One loss did not mean you were out. If Raymond had a loss, the others usually had two or three. If he tied on win/loss with somebody, he always won on average.
And then of course, Ceulemans in 1969 had three competitors he could lose to on a bad day, Jaspers in 2015 has about thirty.
Now that we play K.O. from the last 16 on, form of the day and luck DO play a very big, sometimes deciding role in the world championship. Players like Rudolph, Philipoom, Umeda, Kasidokostas and Sung Won Choi (believe me, I have tons of admiration for their ability) were world champion once, but they were never the best player in the world. They won a tournament, and were the best player that week.
Sometimes the best player in the world (that year) also wins the world title. Without checking the list, I can think of several: Blomdahl in 1997, Sanchez in 2005, Caudron in 2013. But in our current format, you can be in the world's top 3 and not make it to the quarterfinals of the WC.
Finding out who the best player in the world is: that is not what we do here in Bordeaux. We need surprises, we need fast action, so we've settled for 40 point matches and an answer to the question: who is the best player this week. I must admit I enjoy the uncertainty and the electricity in the air it causes. But - not making a serious proposal here, just fantasizing - I would also love to see a 3-cushion championship "snooker-style". A two week event, semifinals and final lasting two days. Sets to 40, best of 17. THAT would decide who the best player in the world is. How many runs over 15 could Tayfun make in that format, what do you think?