ChessPairings Web Application User Manual

The dashboard serves as the central starting point for the organizer portal. It summarizes the current status of all your tournaments and provides direct links to your most frequent tasks.

The Navigation Bar

At the top of the interface, you will find:

• Home: Return to the main organizer dashboard;
• Tournaments: Access the list of individual tournaments;
• Marathon: Manage continuous marathon-style events;
• Teams: Manage team tournaments;
• My Players: Access your personal player database and club archives;
• Support: Submit bug reports, suggestions, or technical questions;
• Forum: Join community discussions and share best practices;
• The account management menu and language selector.

Initial Status Counters

The summary cards at the top of the page display the count of tournaments currently:

• In Progress;
• In the Registration phase;
• Completed.

The FIDE Archive card displays the total size of the global player database available within the system. This count updates automatically following official FIDE rating list releases.

Tournaments with Open Registrations

The Open Registrations section lists tournaments that are currently in their registration phase. Each event card highlights the system format, total rounds, time control, dates, and current entrant count.

Click Manage to open the tournament management console. You can also access any tournament by clicking its title or locating it within the full Tournaments or Teams lists.

Creating a New Tournament

Click New Tournament to start the setup wizard for an individual tournament. For team events, navigate to Teams and click New Team Tournament.

The Product Tour button launches an interactive walkthrough of the interface. This provides a helpful visual introduction, while this user manual covers specific organizational decisions and verification steps.

Platform Updates

The platform updates card may appear at the bottom of the dashboard. Review these updates prior to running a major event: it highlights recent feature additions and links directly to the full changelog.

From the main dashboard, click New Tournament. The setup wizard guides you through five configuration steps, creating the tournament only after you confirm the final screen.

1. Basic Information

Enter the tournament title and select the system format:

• Swiss System: Generates pairings dynamically based on score groups, color allocations, and standard FIDE Swiss rules;
• Round Robin: Creates an all-play-all schedule where every participant plays against every other player.

You can also specify the venue location, attach a PDF or image flyer/regulations document, choose the event type, set the total number of rounds, and select the category (Standard, Rapid, or Blitz).

Select the tournament format and total rounds carefully. Changing these parameters after a tournament has started can alter the structural integrity of the entire event.

2. Time Control

In the Time Control step, specify the initial base time and incremental time per move. The category chosen in the first step suggests appropriate default values, but the organizer remains fully responsible for verifying that the time control complies with official regulations.

3. Dates and Venue

Set the official start and end dates of the event and fill in any required organizational details. Before proceeding, ensure the date range spans all scheduled rounds.

4. Tiebreak Criteria

Tiebreak criteria are evaluated strictly in the order displayed. You can:

• Drag and drop criteria to reorder them;
• Remove any tiebreak system not included in your official regulations;
• Apply pre-configured standard presets;
• Search for and add custom tiebreak systems.

Do not select tiebreak criteria by default habit: the specified sequence must strictly match the published tournament regulations.

5. Options and Publication

Available configuration options include:

• Maximum participant limit (0 indicates no capacity limit);
• Internal club rating usage;
• Late entry permissions after tournament start;
• External publishing capabilities (if enabled);
• Entry fee management;
• Public or private visibility status;
• Organizational notes and announcements.

If entry fee tracking is enabled, specify the fee amount and currency. Note that this feature logs payment status within the tournament software; it is not an automated online payment processing gateway.

Creating and Verifying the Tournament

Click Create Tournament only after thoroughly reviewing the summary, system format, time control, dates, tiebreak order, and visibility settings. Once created, the management console opens automatically in the Registration phase.

The next step is [adding players and managing registrations](#03-giocatori-iscrizioni).

Once created, the tournament opens in the Registration phase. The Players tab displays all registered participants and offers three distinct methods for adding players.

Searching for an Individual FIDE Player

In the Add Single Player panel, search by player name or FIDE ID. Select the correct individual from the search results and click Register Player.

Always double-check name spellings, country federation, birth year, and current ratings before confirming registration.

Importing Multiple FIDE IDs

In the Batch Import panel, paste multiple FIDE IDs separated by commas, spaces, or line breaks, then click Register All. This method is ideal when you already possess a verified list of player FIDE IDs.

Following import, verify that the total registered count matches your expected roster and check for any unrecognized IDs.

Adding a Player Not Listed in the FIDE Database

Click Add Manually to open the new player creation modal.

Required fields include last name, first name, internal rating, federation, gender, title, and birth year. Manually created players are automatically saved to your My Players database for easy reuse in future events.

• Create & Continue: Saves the player profile to your database without registering them for the active tournament.
• Create & Register: Saves the player profile and immediately registers them in the active tournament.

Updating Player Ratings

The Update Ratings from FIDE button re-checks and updates rating data for all FIDE-registered entrants. Run this rating update close to the tournament start date before generating final initial rank lists.

Removing Registered Players

Select one or more player rows and click Remove Selected. Before removing a participant, confirm that they are not tied to recorded fee payments or active organizational records.

Enabling Online Registrations

When a tournament is set to public, the top action bar provides:

• Copy Link: Copies the main public tournament URL;
• Copy Registration Link: Copies the direct online registration form URL;
• Extra Fields: Configures custom form fields required from applicants;
• Telegram Bot: Integrates public notifications via Telegram.

Test the public registration link in an incognito/unauthenticated browser session prior to distribution. Verify interface language, required fields, participant limits, and public visibility.

Pre-Tournament Checklist

Before launching round 1, verify that:

• The participant count is accurate;
• No duplicate player entries exist;
• Ratings and federations have been audited;
• Manual entries contain complete details;
• Public tournament links and direct registration links are correctly separated;
• Tournament rules and entry fees match published announcements.

Starting the tournament and managing pairings are covered in the upcoming guide Managing rounds, pairings, and results.

Navigate to Teams from the main navigation bar and click New Team Tournament. The setup workflow follows the individual tournament wizard while adding essential team-specific configurations for matches, boards, and rosters.

Selecting the Format

You can create team events using either:

• Swiss System: Team pairings are generated each round based on match points, game points, and Swiss pairing criteria;
• Round Robin: Schedules every team to face all competing teams in a complete round-robin grid.

Define the total number of rounds, the number of boards per match, and the time control. The specified board count must strictly align with official tournament regulations and minimum roster sizes.

Team-Specific Settings

The setup wizard includes options for FIDE rating selection (Standard/Rapid/Blitz), initial board color allocation, regulation text attachments, and online registration settings.

You can configure:

• Online Team Registration: Generates a dedicated portal link for team captains;
• Maximum Team Capacity: Sets a cap on total competing teams (0 for unlimited);
• Unassigned Player Registrations: Allows individual player entries to be assigned to teams later by organizers or captains (if permitted by regulations).

Regulations entered in the description field are displayed prominently on the public tournament rules tab.

Tiebreak Criteria

Preset tiebreak systems vary according to format. Round Robin team tiebreaks require separate configuration from Swiss team tiebreaks. Verify the tiebreak evaluation order prior to finalizing setup.

Managing Teams and Rosters

Once created, the Teams management tab lists all registered teams alongside their board allocations.

From this screen, organizers can:

• Copy public tournament and registration links;
• Add new teams manually;
• Expand or collapse team roster views;
• Filter entries by team or player name;
• Print official roster sheets;
• Update FIDE ratings across all rosters;
• Manage unassigned player pools.

Before round 1, confirm that every team meets minimum roster requirements and that no player is listed on multiple incompatible rosters.

Team Tournament Directory

The My Team Tournaments page lists all active events with dates, format, team counts, and registration status. Clicking a tournament title opens its management console. Action menus also provide options to duplicate or delete events.

Use the delete action with caution and verify event details beforehand. Data recovery procedures for deleted tournaments will be detailed in dedicated technical documentation.

The public tournament page allows players, spectators, and media to follow pairing updates, standings, and tournament information without needing organizer access.

Making a Tournament Public

In the tournament options menu, set visibility to Public – Shareable Link. In the management header, confirm that the status toggle displays Public.

Public visibility does not automatically open online registration: a tournament page can remain publicly viewable even after player registration is closed.

Selecting the Right Link

• Copy Link: Copies the URL to the main public tournament page;
• Copy Registration Link: Copies the direct link to the online registration form for players or team captains.

Do not confuse these two links. Prior to public release, test both URLs in an unauthenticated incognito browser window to verify accurate display and language settings.

What Visitors See

The header section displays event title, venue, dates, system format, time control, participant count, and registration status. When registration is active, an Enter Tournament button appears.

The public page can showcase:

• Complete player entry lists;
• Tournament regulations and downloadable PDF flyers;
• Live pairings, results, and standings as they are published;
• Social share buttons and generated QR codes;
• Direct links to the tournament Telegram channel or notification bot.

Presentation Mode and Hall Display

The management console offers specialized public display views:

• Presentation Mode: Designed for full-screen hall displays or digital projectors;
• Notice Board Printout: Formats printable pairings and standings for physical bulletin boards.

Always preview digital display outputs after updating rosters, pairings, or result scores.

Language Verification

When hosting multi-lingual events, test public links with language query parameters to ensure seamless language retention through the registration workflow and back to the main tournament page.

Data Security and Privacy

Public links and registration forms are designed exclusively for public visitors. Never share administrative management URLs, secret access tokens, account settings screenshots, or organizer-only action links.

The My Players directory stores manually created player profiles, allowing organizers to instantly reuse them across multiple tournaments. This feature is particularly valuable for club members, unrated players, or participants without FIDE IDs.

Searching the Database

Filter stored profiles by last name, first name, or internal rating ranges. The table displays internal rating, recorded games count, last active tournament, category, federation, FIDE title, and gender.

Adding Players

Click Add Players to create new profiles. The batch import tool can also be used when adding an existing list of members directly to your club database.

Players created manually during tournament registration are automatically stored in this central database.

Player Categories

Click Categories to organize your player list according to club needs (e.g., Juniors, Seniors, Club Members). Categories simplify internal sorting and reporting, but do not override official FIDE titles, federations, or ratings.

Individual Player Actions

Row action icons allow you to edit player details, inspect tournament history, or delete profiles. Before deleting a profile, ensure the player record is not required for historical reporting or active events.

Internal Ratings vs. FIDE Ratings

Internal ratings are maintained exclusively within your club database. They must not be presented as official FIDE ratings and should only be used when authorized by official tournament regulations.

Click Marathon in the primary navigation bar to access all marathon-style continuous events associated with your account.

Reading the Event List

Each listed marathon displays the event name, date schedule, time control, participant count, and current status. If no events exist yet, click New Marathon to begin.

The quick reference guide at the top of the page can be expanded to review basic marathon operational mechanics.

Creating a Marathon Event

Click New Marathon and complete the setup form. Before submitting, verify:

• Event title and description;
• Scheduled dates and calendar timelines;
• Time control settings;
• Registration access parameters;
• Public visibility status;
• Player capacity limits.

Chapter Status and Roadmap

During testing, the creation form was opened without submitting a live event to prevent unnecessary test data creation. Detailed field instructions and session management steps will be released following dedicated staging tests.

The account menu houses personal preferences, security settings, and organizer-only utilities. Screenshot sources for these screens contain sensitive personal account data and must be anonymized before public distribution.

Profile Information

The Information tab displays account status and details, allowing you to update your display name and full name.

Within this menu, you can also customize keyboard shortcuts for rapid game result entry:

• White win (1-0);
• Draw (½-½);
• Black win (0-1).

Additionally, you can configure a default national federation for newly created manual players.

Privacy and Public Profile Settings

The Privacy & Public Profile tab controls what personal or organizational details are visible publicly. Review each setting carefully before enabling public disclosure.

Passwords, Notifications, and API Access

• Change Password: Updates your account credentials securely;
• Notifications: Configures email and system alert preferences;
• API: Provides access tokens and integration documentation for developer tools.

Keep API keys, security tokens, and private URLs strictly confidential. Never include them in public guides, screenshots, or forum discussions.

Submitting a Support Ticket

Click Support to submit technical inquiries. The support form categorizes tickets by:

• Bug or error report;
• Feature suggestion;
• General question;
• Other inquiry.

Provide a concise summary and clear issue description. When reporting a bug, detail the specific page URL, actions performed, observed result, and expected behavior. Exclude passwords, private tokens, player personal data, or confidential management links.

Note: Submitting the support form dispatches a live ticket directly to customer support.

Community Forum

The community forum is public and designed for general discussion, organizer collaboration, and sharing best practices. For issues involving private account data or sensitive information, use confidential support tickets instead of public forum threads.

Deleted Tournaments Archive

The account menu includes a dedicated trash archive for deleted tournaments. Before permanently purging or restoring an event, carefully verify the tournament name, date, and format. Full recovery workflows will be documented in upcoming operational testing guides.