SwissSys preferences

Running Chess Tournaments
1

Hello,

I’ve skimmed thru various posts about SwissSys and many say the settings on SwissSys may affect the pairings. My question is how do you setup your SwissSys preferences? What do you use and what do you not use?

2

Hmmm…check out video two or four at my site: http://the80-20td.com/swiss/swissbasic.html

3

I’ve never had any reason to change the pairing-rules defaults. The “pairing restrictions” may be useful depending on the type of tournament. The one I use most often is the “ZIP code” restriction, which a) avoids pairing players unless it would mean breaking a scoregroup and b) doesn’t have to be a ZIP code (any matching number ion the ZIP code field will do).

4

Tim,

those videos are very helpful. Thanks for the link!

5

Thanks!

6

I’ve just checked World Open pairings for U/1800 : 3 day section and note that ir shows both rating and post rating for the first 3 rounds. Do not know what pairing software they use, or that post ratings could be calculated and what formula they use. Anyone Know?
Here’s an example:
Current Standings, 3-day Schedule (merges with 7-day schedule in rnd 6)

Name Rtng Post St Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 Rd 4 Tot

1 Jarrod Mi Tavares 1757 1800 NY W50 W42 W22 ~3 3
2 Cornelius Jones 1752 1800 TX W31 W41 W23 ~4 3

7

I believe Bill uses SwissSys. The program will calculate estimated ratings for all players once a round is over. It’s under “Reports.” Reliability depends on how accurate the wallchart ratings are, of course.

8

Thanks. What formula does it use? I would guess the old one where K=32 for everyone is used and no bonus points. Can the formula or K be changed?

9

The default option is labeled “New USCF.” Other options include “Old USCF,” “FIDE,” “Canada,” “Mexico,” and a few others. I’ve never been terribly interested in the exact formula used, since, as I pointed out above, it’s just an estimate. (GIGO.)

10

Players love to see the “post” ratings, whether on the charts or on the final crosstable but, as noted above, they are only estimates. The organizer has no way of knowing how many rated games each player may have logged since the last “published” rating, so the software is estimating “post” ratings assuming NO other games are out there to be rated.

In a few years, of course, all the FIDE and USCF ratings will be updated “live” on the internet, similar to the World Chess Live ratings Hans Runde maintains now.

Ah, technology marches on . . .

:sunglasses:

11

One default setting that might reasonably be changed, in a small tournament or section, is the 80-point transposition limit for color alternation. Change it to zero so you won’t get the “small tournament camp effect”. Leave the 200-point limit for equalization as is. It’s better to have bad colors in odd-numbered rounds than even-.

Bill Smythe