Change in tournament.
What I like to see is some advice on the wording of the notifications. Will be posting this announcement within a few days. The tournament is more for the club members, than again some players from around the local area would come. If you have some ideas of the notifications, post or email me. If you have questions, please let me know so I can add or change the wording.
Doug, I know you have access to the TD/Affiliate Support area for your affiliate, why don’t you try to see if you can fit all that information into the online TLA format there?
I’m hoping to get that project ready to go live in October. I made a few changes to the data screens earlier this month, but I still need people to try to see if their events can fit into the structure I’m using.
I think the ‘display online TLA’ module is fairly complete, I need to rework the ‘Chess Life format’ one based on suggestions made at the MIS demo/orkshop in Phoenix.
The one area that I know needs further work is defining the prize funds. I’m hoping that we can do an automated first-pass review of Grand Prix points, which is why the data is divided up as it is. I may wind up changing that area completely, perhaps by asking first for the number of prizes in each category (for this purpose class prizes are considered place prizes–within their eligibility category) then providing a separate field for the dollar amount for each place prize.
I may only need to offer that data format option for Grand Prix-eligible prizes.
Two good ideas that came out of the workshop were to have the ability to print a flyer from the online TLA data (that might require some layout changes for the printed version to make it fit on the page better), and to offer an option to display an entry form to be printed, filled out and mailed. (The idea of accepting online entries came up again, too.)
Nolan:
It is not going into the TLA, it is going into the MCA (Michigan Chess Association) tournament calendar. As it is only a club event, not looking to get many players more than an hours drive from Wyoming Michigan. If it was not for the notifications, would not even place it online within the MCA tournament calendar.
My question when I posted it, if anyone had any questions about the notifications or the design of the tournament. If nobody brings up questions within a few days, will be posting the event. Still thinking of a name change for the event, other than that do not see any major change.
If nobody can point out errors in the notifications, than it will stand. If someone wants to pick it apart, let me know.
Thanks for not helping us out, Doug.
If you want me to test it out for you that is fine. Since the entry fee is free, and it is over a two hour drive to the state line of Indiana and Ohio, do not see the rational idea to spend advertisement money. There is little reason to spend advertisement money in the TLA, even if it was for any of my events. Players have come from Chicago Illinois, Ohio and Texas. Even if the TLA’s were free, players in Michigan talk about the advertisements from the Michigan Chess Association. With the current editor, the advertisements being published and out in time have made the MCA second to none in advertisement of tournaments.
Doug, you’re completely missing the point of the online TLA system.
The idea is to make online TLA’s available for FREE!!
The only cost to you will be a few minutes of time to enter the details into the form on the TD/Affiliate Support Area.
If that brings in even ONE additional player, wasn’t it worth a few minutes of your time?
You will be able to forward a TLA on to the publications department for inclusion in Chess Life, and you will be able to pay the printed TLA fee online.
My personal opinion is that once there’s a free online system for events everywhere in the country that the TLA section of the magazine might see fewer TLAs in it (at least outside of the Grand Prix section.)
However, others have told me that as long as they’ve typed in the data to display it online, why not forward it to the USCF too? Printed TLA’s aren’t THAT expensive.
If the online TLA’s are free, will send it in.
You don’t SEND IT IN, you enter ALL the information youself, using the online form available to affiliates on the TD/Affiliate Support Area.
The only way we can offer online TLAs for free is by keeping the amount of time that USCF staff has to be involved in the process to a minimum. Affiliates who don’t yet have a login ID for the TD/Affiliate Support Area should review the information on the TD/A home page and sign up for access. TD/A is at secure.uschess.org/TD_Affil
Also note that this system is not yet available for production use. There is currently NO WAY to get your TLA online by using this form and NO WAY to use this form to submt your TLA for publication in Chess Life.
I’m hoping it’ll get completed and receive approval for going live in October.
For now, I’m only working on this program occasionally, but what I REALLY need is for people to telll me if their events will fit into the structure I’ve provided. (I usually respond quickly to questions, problems and suggestions, but this is not the highest priority task on the list right now, and isn’t likely to get to the top of the list for several weeks.)
Rule 1b1 notification: There is not time delay, all blitz games are G/5.
Rule 1B1 notification: The tournament site will move to the coffee house at 10 PM.
Rule 1b1 notification: Any illegal moves in the game, is a forfeit loss. The player must make the claim before touching any piece on the board, except to capture the king.
Rule 1b1 notification: The color assignment for game one will be decided between the two players. The color assignment will change each and every time the players play against each other. If the players are not in agreement to the color assignment, the director will assign the color assignment.
Rule 1B1 notification, and rule 1B2 major variation notification. There is no set limit of rated games. Games between current USCF members will count only for the tournament, all others are skittles. As players will have different number of post-tournament number of rated games, the director will organize the post-tournament results in sections. Players can find themselves in more than one section. If a player plays 21 rated games, it will be a given the player will be in more than one section.
Re-worked the notification, if nobody objects to the wording it is final.
Mike,
You need any one to test this out? You said you planned to have this out next month. We are starting our yearly plan for our club and I would love to enter in my tournaments for the year. If I put them in the current Beta version on the TD/Affil website will they be available when your system comes online next month?
Thanks.
I’m always looking for people to test stuff.
Barring a need to redefine the data structure, anything that is entered in will remain there until YOU delete it, so you should eventually be able to submit something you enter for online display or publishing in Chess Life.
There will be a ‘submit’ button when we get to that point, because even online TLAs will need to be reviewed by the office, if only to make sure there aren’t naughty words in them.
Moreover, as we get closer to having this be real, I need TEST DATA!!