Specialised All play All Tournaments, which can be anything up to 15 player All-play-Alls. In these you have two games with each other player, one with White and one with Black. For example, in a 4-player All-play-All you would be playing a total of 6 games.
Knockout Tournaments. In these, the winner goes through to the next round. You may be playing with either White or Black. The colour is decided either by the relative ratings of the players, or, if the Tournament Organiser has specified, the pairing, and hence playing colour, will be made at random. In the event that the game ends in a draw, the player with the Black pieces goes through.
Team Tournaments. In these you are paired with players from other teams who are on the same board number as you within that particular team league. Typically there would be eight games in total; two games each against four opponents who are in different teams.
Pyramid Tournaments. In these, you compete with other players who are on a similar Level to yourself. As you win games you move up to another level in the Pyramid. Equally, if you lose you may drop down a Level. By entering a Pyramid Tournament you are committing yourself to two games, one with White and one with Black, but these will not all be with the same player. You may, if you wish, challenge another player, but you must accept any challenge made by another player. As each game finishes the challenge process continues, as there is no finite end to the Tournament. The object of competing is to try to reach the highest possible Level, and, as such, no Norms are awarded. The Full Members Pyramid games are all rated and each game is on a 5-day limit. In the Guest Members Pyramid, games are unrated, although the 5-day limit still applies.
For full details and information on making progress to higher Levels of the Pyramid, visit the Play ... Latest Pyramid link.
Q. How can I create a Tournament?
To create a Tournament visit the Opponents ... Create New Tournaments page. There are a number of options available, and you are free to chose which of those apply to your particular intentions. You should, however, always try to enter suitable and informative text in the Tournament Nickname and Idea(s) behind the tournament boxes as these are usually the first point of contact for intending players.
Take care to select an appropriate Tournament type.
If you are creating an All-play-All Tournament be aware that, as the number of players increase, so does the related game load increase for the players. For example, in a 4 player Tournament there would be a total of 6 games for each player and in a 15 player Tournament there would be 28 games per player.
If you are creating a Knock Out Tournament you should be aware that, by default, random pairing is not enabled. If you wish to use random pairing in your Tournament ensure that you have checked the Random Pairing (if knockout) box before you press Submit .
If you wish to create a private Tournament make sure that you have clicked the appropriate checkbox, otherwise the Tournament will be open to any eligible Member who wishes to join. You may also, if you wish, invite a selected group of friends to join the Tournament, whether or not is it open to all Members.
You may configure the other options to suit your preferences, but you should take care when specifying the particular time limit that you wish to use. The full range is available for All-play-All Tournaments, but for Knock Out Tournaments there is a fixed limit of 5 days per move.
When you have carefully checked all of the entries that you have made, click the Submit button. After a short delay you will see a further page confirming that the Tournament has been successfully created.
Q. What else should consider before I create a Tournament?
As the Tournament creator you should consider the probable ability of the players.
You can set the Playing strength for the Tournament using a combination of the options available to you, depending upon your Playing strength as noted on your homepage.
Open to all - any Member may enrol, subject to the Min rating and Max rating settings.
Advanced - players classified as Advanced and who also satisfy the Min rating and Max rating settings may enrol.
Intermediate - players classified as Intermediate and who are rated below 2400 may enter.
Beginner - players classified as Beginner and who are rated below 1600 may enter.
In the latter two cases the minimum and maximum ratings are automatically set by the system and will over-ride any limits that you may choose to set independently.
In the interests of all Members, and as a safeguard against potential abuse, ChessWorld makes various checks before a Member can enrol to ensure that their recent rating history is compatible with the Tournament specification. The precise checks are confidential but, if a Member has a recent rating history significantly in excess of the Tournament specification they will be unable to enter even if their current rating is within the Tournament specification. No checks are made when the Ratings range is set at the default values of 0 - 3500.
To provide a more competitive environment you may wish to check that potential entrants have demonstrated some commitment to the site. You can do this by making the appropriate selection in the Competitor commitment category, which checks that a potential entrant has played your specified number of games of over 10 moves. Open to all sets no preconditions for games played, or, alternatively you may specify a minimum of 2 or 5 games played.
By default, it is always assumed that you wish to play in the Tournament yourself. However, if that is not your intention you should uncheck the appropriate box, which is checked by default.
If you wish to specify that your Tournament is classed as a Guest Welcoming Tournament, check the appropriate box, which is unchecked by default.
Q. I have created a Tournament and now wish to cancel it. What should I do?
If, after you have created a Tournament, you wish to cancel, or remove it, this can be achieved via My Stuff ... My Tournaments where you can identify the specific Tournament.
Click on the link Track invite progress in detail and then, on the resulting page, click on the link You can cancel this tournament if you wish.
You may cancel the Tournament at any time until all games have been allocated and play has begun. If some players have already enrolled it would be courteous to inform them of your decision! Remember, once the Tournament has started it cannot be cancelled!
Q. How can I leave a Tournament?
You can leave any Tournament that you have joined until the Tournament has actually started. Once a Tournament has started any withdrawal would affect other players and unduly distort the result.
If play has not started visit the My Stuff ... My Tournaments page and locate the particular Tournament. Click on View knockout pairings table or View tournament crosstable as appropriate and then click on the ... leave this tournament if you are currently joined link.
Q. What are Tournament Norms and when are they calculated?
Norms are prizes for achieving a high position in an All-play-All Tournament or winning a Knock Out. Norm winners get an icon, to indicate their Norms, displayed next to their name on the game page, and on their homepage. Accumulating a number of Norms will earn a title, such as 'Tournament Master'. See Q. What is a Tournament Title? below for further details.
Norm calculations are run at approximately weekly intervals so that you may have to wait several days after you have won a Tournament in order to receive your Tournament Norms and icon.
If you already have a Tournament icon for that particular type of Tournament, you will only get more Norms added, and a new Tournament title as appropriate. This will be highlighted on your homepage.
Q. How many Norms will I get if I win a Tournament?
The winner of an All-play-All Tournament is always awarded at least one Norm. However, where the Tournament has involved a large number of players the number of Norms awarded for winning, or achieving a high placing, is increased to reflect the greater number of games that have been played.
The full details can be seen on the Tournament Norm awards page. Alternatively, you can see the same page via What's going on ... Top 100 Norm Holders and then clicking on the How Norms are awarded link.
The winner of a Knock Out Tournament is awarded a single Norm in the usual way. This is considered to be fair, on the grounds that, even in the largest Knock Out Tournaments it is unlikely that winner would play more than 7 games.
Q. Can I check how I achieved my
Norms?
On the game board, simply roll the mouse over any Norm icons that appear there. Alternatively, visit your Homepage and you will see your current Norm Icon totals with the detailed information alongside. If you click on the embedded links in the information details you will be taken to a further page that will show you a detailed list of all of your separate Norm winning achievements.
Q. What is a Tournament Title?
Tournament Titles are based upon the number of Norms gained from All-Play-All, Knock Out and Team Tournaments. The various Titles range from the lowest, Tournament Winner, (TW), through a number of levels up to Senior Elite Tournament Grandmaster, (SETGM). The full range of Titles, in rising order of seniority, and the number of qualifying Norms, is shown below. The highest grades are awarded progressively after 51 or more Norms have been achieved.
When a Tournament Title is awarded, or a higher level is achieved, the details are displayed on your Home page where potential opponents may check your current status.
Q. In an All-play-All Tournament, what happens when two players finish on the same points?
In All-play-All Tournaments, when two players finish on the same points, they both receive Tournament Norms for finishing 1st= or 2nd= or the prize position at stake.
Q. How will I know when a Knock Out Tournament starts?
All Knock Out Tournaments start automatically as soon as the appropriate number of players have been enrolled. At that time each player receives an Email with details of their Opponent and the clock starts.
Tournaments created by Members, for 8 or 16 players, usually start within a few days, so that it is easy to remember your playing commitment.
However, when you enrol in a large Tournament, organised by ChessWorld, involving 32, 64 or 128 players it is important that you remain aware of your commitment to play, as the time for enrolment is often significantly extended, sometimes over several months.
ChessWorld does not Email Members advising them of the progress of the enrolment process, but if you are concerned you can always check by visiting My Stuff ... My Tournaments and selecting the relevant Tournament number.
If you choose not to accept Email notifications it is essential that you make regular checks when you login otherwise you may lose a Tournament game by default!
Q. What happens when a Knock Out Tournament game ends in a Draw?
When a Knock Out game ends in a Draw, each player gains a half point, as normal. However, the game is awarded to Black. If the game is the final round, the Tournament is awarded to Black. This is considered to be fair to all players on the widely accepted basis that the player with the Black pieces starts the game with a slight disadvantage.
Q. In a Tournament, what happens when you do not claim a win on time?
In Tournaments it is important that all games reach completion, so that the
final Tournament winner can be announced, and Tournament Norms awarded.
After (2 x the time limit of the tournament) + 1 day, (and a minimum of five
days after the player to move has returned from holiday), your game becomes at
risk from being automatically cancelled with the indicator of 'T-T', when the
weekly Tournament Norm calculations script is run. (This means there is between 5 and
12 days typically to claim a win on time against an opponent who has returned
from holiday). This does not mean that you lose rating points, but it does mean
that the opportunity to have claimed a win and gain a Tournament point has
gone.
Example: If the Tournament time limit is 10 days a move, you should try and
claim a win before 21 days
(10 x 2) + 1 = 21 days. If you do not claim a win within 21 days of your
opponents last move, the game may be marked as T-T when the next Tournament
Norm calculations are run.
Another example:, if the Tournament time limit is 5 days a move, you should
try and claim a win before 11 days.
(5 x 2) + 1 = 11 days. If you do not claim a win within 11 days of the
opponents last move, the game may be marked as T-T when the next Tournament
Norm calculations are run.
Q. Why does the My Tournaments page show old Tournaments?
The My Tournaments page maintains a record of all Tournaments that you have played in, regardless of the current status of those Tournaments. You can reduce the number of Tournaments shown by checking the
Any Tournament Status box and selecting one of the drop down menu options:
In Progress, Enrolment stage, or Completed Tournaments.
You may also select from a wide range of options provided in the Any Tournament Type box.
Q Why didn't I get an Email to advise me that a Tournament had started?
ChessWorld does not normally send automatic Emails to advise when a Tournament has actually started. We assume that Members who have enrolled in one of the many different Tournament formats that are available will check their Current Game page regularly. The notification that games are awaiting moves is always shown on that page, and you may configure that in any way that you feel is appropriate to help you keep a track of your current commitments.
In the special case of Guest Welcoming Tournaments ChessWorld does send out an advisory Email as a courtesy to new Members who may not be fully conversant with our procedures.
Q. What is a Thematic Tournament?
As the name implies this Tournament format is based upon a chosen Theme, typically one of the more interesting Openings. When you attempt to set up a Thematic Tournament you will be invited to choose the particular Theme that interests you from a list of pre-approved games in our Openings Library.
When opponents accept your invitation and start to play they will all see, as their first board, the position set up as defined in the particular Theme: any pieces that may have been 'taken' in the game prior to the position shown will not be displayed on the game page. From that point play can continue normally, although, in many cases the intention of the creator would be that play continues along the lines of the chosen Theme and then to explore interesting variations.
Q. What is the TPR?
Please refer to Q. What does Tournament Performance Rating, TPR, mean? which appears in the Ratings FAQ's.
A ChessWorld Simul allows Members to Host a Tournament for a number of players, Challengers, at the same time, in a similar manner to a real-life demonstration Simul.
The advantage to the Host is that they can add a fixed number of games to their game-load whilst, for the Challenger, they only add a single game to their game load.
This is the only difference to the conventional ChessWorld Tournament. In a Tournament each player plays each separate Opponent with both White and Black, which could be viewed as playing in two Simuls running side by side. In the case of a Simul, the Host plays with the color of their choice against a range of Opponents, Challengers, who, as they only play a single game cannot choose their color.
Q. What is the difference between a Host and a Challenger?
It is convenient to think of the players in a ChessWorld Simul as being either the Host or the Challenger.
The Host is the Member who actually specifies and creates the actual Simul, who could properly be described as the 'Simul creator'.
The Challenger refers to any of the other players who take part, who could properly be described as the 'participants'.
Why do we use these names? Purely for convenience and to reflect reality.
Q. How can I create a ChessWorld Simul?
<span class="small">Guest Members cannot create ChessWorld Simuls.
Creating a ChessWorld Simul is just as easy as creating a normal Tournament. Visit Opponents ... Create New Simul and complete the appropriate details.
The first stage is to decide on a suitable Simul Name together with a brief outline of the Simul Objectives. Choose the content for these boxes carefully because these are the first pieces of information that the intending Challenger will see. If, later, you feel that you could improve this information, simply use the Edit link that is available to the Simul creator on the Simul home page. Be aware that long descriptors may be truncated when shown on the Join Simuls page, so try to ensure that the first few words are sufficiently eye catching and informative.
If, inadvertently, you fail to complete the Simul Name details the default name will be set as [username]'s Simul. You can edit this later if you wish.
The default settings have been chosen carefully, and in most cases you will find them quite suitable. However, there are some choices which only you, the creator, can make.
When you choose the Number of Current Games be aware that, as ChessWorld Simuls run continuously you will be choosing a fixed number of games to add to your current gameload.
You choose the color with which you prefer to play. In conventional Simuls it is common practice for the Host to play White, but you may choose either White or Black or opt for a mixture of White and Black. In the latter case, board colours are allocated alternately as further Challengers join the Simul.
The Time Limit defaults to 5 days per move which is convenient for the Host, bearing in mind that, potentially, a large number of games have to be played, but it is important to be aware that your Opponents, the Challengers, are each only playing one board against you and they may well be quite comfortable with faster responses from you.
As with conventional Tournaments you can choose to create Rated or Unrated games and you can, in the former case, also set your preferred Opponent's Rating range. We suggest that you carefully review these settings before you finish the creation process, otherwise you may find that you are playing Members with a wider range ability than you may perhaps prefer.
By default, ChessWorld Simuls are open to all Members, but you may wish to restrict your Challengers to Members who currently appear on your Friends list. For further information on this option, please refer to Q. How can my Friends join my Simul? below.
The final choice to be made is whether or not you wish to allow Guest Members to challenge you. If so, leave the default setting for Guest Members Allowed but be aware that this does not prevent Full Members from joining. If you wish to restrict your challengers to Full Members only, check the appropriate box.
Q. Why are ChessWorld Simuls run continuously?
As it is possible for the Host to control their potential gameload, rather than allowing the Simul to slowly decline, as successive games are completed the Simul remains open for further Challengers who may join at any time that there is a vacant board. When they complete the joining process a new board number is automatically generated and they will play with the appropriate color. Once a Challenger has completed their game, rather than looking for another Simul to join, they may, if they wish, re-challenge their current Host.
So that the Host can control their game loads over a period of time it is possible for the Host to temporarily stop any further enrollments. To do this it is necessary to click the Prevent Enrollments button, which will then change to show Allow Enrollments . You, as the Host, can stop and start the Simul enrollment process as often as you wish. If you want to allow the Simul to close naturally as each game is concluded, simply leave the Simul in the STOPPED state.
Q. How can I play in a ChessWorld Simul?
Visit Opponents ... Join Simuls and select from one of the Simuls currently displayed. You are eligible to join the Simul of your choice. Simuls where your Membership status or current Rating would disqualify you are not shown.
Before you make your selection you may wish to check the basic details, such as the name of the Host, (Simul creator), Min Rating, Max Rating, and Time Limit. You can also check the current number of active boards as well as the number of boards in total, shown in the Capacity column.
The multi-colored bar at the right side of the screen shows you the current number of wins, draws and losses recorded by the Host which you may find helpful in judging the strength of the chosen Simul.
Q. How can I finish my ChessWorld Simul?
As a Challenger you can end your game at any time by pressing the Resign button on the game page.
As a Host, you cannot close the Simul permanently. However, when you visit the Simul homepage, you can click the Prevent Enrollments button. From that point on, until and unless you click the Allow Enrollments button, the Simul is effectively finished as soon as any outstanding games have been completed.
If you wish to reduce your current gameload but continue playing in the Simul, you can use these buttons at any time so that you can control the number of new Challengers.
Q. What happens if a Simul is set for Friends Only?
This feature is restricted to your Reciprocated Friends, as shown on the My Stuff ... My Friends page.
Once the Host has created the Simul their Reciprocated Friends will see the message Join their Simul against the Host's name in their Friends list. Clicking on that link opens the relevant Simul page; if there are still boards available the Join this Simul button will be visible, otherwise an informative message is shown.
Challengers will not be able to join a Simul which excludes their current ChessWorld rating.
Q. What do the Icons mean on the ChessWorld Simul page.
The ChessWorld Simuls homepage provides you with clickable links to the game board, which opens in a new window, and to the Analyse board, which opens in a small pop-up window.
The mini-board is always shown from your own perspective, as on the main play page, and, as a reminder to you, a small white or black pawn icon indicates the colour that you are playing. As a further aid, either the White to move or Black to move icon, as appropriate, is also shown.
Full Members may be identified by the 'star' icon shown before their rating.
To help inform your fellow players both Host and Challenger names are shown as hyperlinks, which, when clicked, open up the relevant Homepage in a new window. Host and Challenger rating details are updated whenever necessary to ensure that this page always shows current information. To conserve space and to provide an attractive layout longer Challenger names are truncated; rolling the mouse over the name will show a small box displaying the full name.
When a game has exceeded the specified Time Limit the Host will see a small 'clock' icon next to the board. Clicking on this will initiate the Claim Win sequence, unless the Challenger is currently on holiday, without the need to open the relevant play page. However, the Claim Win and Abort options will still be available as appropriate whenever the play page is visited and may be used in the normal manner to finish a game.
Q. Is there an easy way to manage timed out games?
When visiting the Simul homepage the Host will see the 'clock' icon against any game that has exceeded the time limit. Clicking on this will initiate the Claim Win sequence unless the Challenger is currently on holiday.
This feature allows the Host to manage their gameload more efficiently without the need to visit individual game boards to claim any wins as the Simul homepage remains the principal focus on screen.
As completed games are removed from the display, the remaining games are rearranged as necessary.
Q. How can I check my ChessWorld Simul performance?
All ChessWorld rated games can have an effect on your current rating, and playing in Simuls is no different.
If you are a Challenger then your only performance measure is your result, and your current rating.
However, if you are the Host, the pie-chart at the top of the Simul homepage shows your current result statistics, for games within that Simul only. If you are the Host for several Simuls, each will show a pie-chart based upon the results for the specific individual Simul; results from several Simuls cannot be combined.
Q. Can my rating be affecting by playing in a ChessWorld Simul?
Yes. ChessWorld Simuls are like any other game and your rating may change according to the result of the game. When winning, or losing, games against players with a much lower rating than your own the changes are limited, as in all ChessWorld games, so as to discourage players picking up 'easy' wins by playing very weak players.
Q. Can I earn any Norms for winning games in my ChessWorld Simul?
No. In a Simul the Challenger plays only a single game and, as such, would not be eligible. Hosts can measure their success by checking the pie-chart which appears at the top of every Simul homepage. After completing a number of games you may feel that a useful measure of success, in that Simul, is when your wins exceed 50% of the games played.
Q. Can I create more than one ChessWorld Simul at the time?
Yes. You may create as many Simuls as you wish and you may choose different criteria for each Simul that you create; always make sure that you provide clear objectives for each Simul.
Be aware that your Simul performance, as measured by the pie-chart that appears on every Simul homepage, is based upon each individual Simul that you create; results from several Simuls cannot be combined.
Q. Can I still Host my ChessWorld Simul if my subscription expires?
Yes. In common with other ChessWorld features we allow former Full Members to continue with their present gameload, but our normal Guest Member restrictions apply. The change of Membership status means that some site features become unavailable.
In the case of a ChessWorld Simul, you remain free to continue Hosting any existing games. However, the Simul will no longer be visible to other Members, apart from those who are currently participating. In effect this means that the Simul is closed until such time as you renew your Membership subscription. Once your renewal is confirmed your Simul will become visible once again, unless you have chosen to use the Prevent Enrollments option.
Q. How can I manage my Holiday bookings when I am Hosting a ChessWorld Simul?
Exactly in the same manner as when you are playing conventional ChessWorld games. If, when you are on holiday, the time limit is exceeded, the 'clock' icon will automatically appear against the boards on the Simul homepage but, as in all ChessWorld games, the Claim Win process is disabled until the holiday period has expired.
Q. Why does my Simul icon sometimes disappear?
The Simul icon appears, with any other ChessWorld icons, next to the player name on the play page. If the icon is visible it is an indication that that player is currently hosting a Simul which is open, subject to boards being available, for new players. If, at any time, the Host applies the Prevent Enrollments button the icon will no longer appear until such time as the Allow Enrollments button is pressed. If the Host has more than one Simul in progress the icon will remain on display until all of their Simuls have been suspended.
First you should decide which Pyramid you wish to join. ChessWorld provides a range of different Pyramids available to Full Members. Guest Members are restricted to the Guest Pyramid only.
To play a game on a Pyramid you must first join the Pyramid by clicking the Join the Team link.
Once you have done that you will, playing as White, then be able to challenge any available player, who will be clearly identified, on the Challenge list. As soon as you join the Pyramid, your name will appear on the Challenge list, and any other Player may challenge you to a game where you will be playing with Black.
Any challenges, once made, are not optional and the ChessWorld server sets up the relevant game(s) immediately.
Q. How can I make a Pyramid challenge?
You can make a challenge when you first join the Pyramid. After finishing a game when playing White you are free to challenge another player, provided that one is available on your Level. Any available players will be clearly shown and identified on the Challenge list.
After finishing a game when playing Black you then become available to be challenged. Once such a challenge is made the ChessWorld server accepts it and you are notified that the game has begun. You cannot reject a challenge other than by forfeiting the game and accepting any relevant penalties and probable demotion to a lower Level.
Q. How can I leave a Pyramid Tournament?
You should resign any current games and then go to the Pyramid homepage and click on the Team Homepage link. On the resulting display look for, and then click on, the link I wish to leave this team.
You will then be removed from the Pyramid.
Q. How can I check on my Pyramid games?
You can check your current status in the Pyramid(s) that you are playing in by visiting My Stuff ... My Pyramids. The display page will show all game numbers that you are playing and will also show you clearly where you may offer a further challenge.
Q. What are the Rules when playing Pyramid games?
The normal Rules of Chess apply. There are special Rules regarding promotion and demotion between Levels. These are explained in detail on any Pyramid homepage.
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