A control method for a wire saw (10) in which a wire group (20) is formed by a wire on a plurality of grooved rolls (18A, 188, 18C, 18D) runs, and the wire (14) is moved, wherein a workpiece to the wire group (20) is delivered, and the workpiece against the wire group (20) is pressed, while at the same time a processing liquid is applied to the wire group (20) to thereby cut the workpiece in a number of wafers (semiconductor wafers), the method comprising the steps of: Measuring a displacement of the wire group (20) forming wire (14) during the cutting machining of the workpiece; Determining a cutting load with respect to the wire group (20) according to the measured displacement and an initial tension of the wire (14); and Comparing the detected cutting load with a predetermined reference value and cutting off a slice of the workpiece under control of a Werkstuckzustellgeschwindigkeit accordance with the comparison results.