Product Reviews Archives - Chess Essentials

Swiss-Manager: Essential for Arbiters?

Rarely used in the USA

In March, I wrote that SwissSys is essential for U.S. tournament directors. I neglected to mention WinTD, which other TDs swear by, and I believe is still the tournament management software used for National Scholastics.

When it comes to FIDE-rated, title-norm events run in the United States, I believe Chief Arbiters should use Swiss-Manager (in conjunction with SwissSys, as I’ll explain in a future post). However, few do.

What is Swiss-Manager?

Swiss-Manager is tournament management software authored by Friend of FIDE Heinz Herzog (Austria). It is approved to make FIDE “Dutch” pairings (which must be used for Swiss events offering norms, unless a different pairing system is announced in advance — if FIDE officials cannot replicate your pairings, any norms earned may be invalidated!).

It can make pairings, print charts, and so on — just as SwissSys, WinTD, and other such software can do. Swiss-Manager also creates perfect norm certificates: just print and sign!

I will say SwissSys creates the most aesthetically-pleasing printouts, after some fiddling with the fonts.

However, Swiss-Manager has one massive advantage no one else can match: chess-results.com.

Chess-results is the undisputed go-to source for international tournaments: event info, registered players, pairings, results, standings, games, and sometimes even photos! It’s the standard in most major chess countries, except the USA!

International Presence

When preparing to run my first title norm event in November 2021, I decided to purchase Swiss-Manager and learn to use it.

This event consisted of three ten-player round robins, and SwissSys (which I have been using since 2003), could easily handle it. But I wanted entered players (and prospective entries) to see all the important info in a place where players around the world are accustomed to looking for it, on chess-results.

In November I will be running the 2022 New York Fall Invitationals. To find out about it, one just needs to go to chess-results.com, click on “USA” under “Federation selection,” and then click the name of the event. They will then see this:

chess-results screenshot — Players interested in the 2022 New York Fall Invitationals can find all important info here.

I’ll point out some things:

The orange banner at the top can be used to display info you want to stand out: here, I want to make clear this is a 10-player norm RR. When the field is complete, I put in the required score for GM/IM norms. Towards the end of the event, I use it to remind players of the early start time on the final day!
For some reason, the rounds say “0” until the pairings are made (in round robins, but not Swisses). I don’t know why. Of course, it should be “9.”
The list is sorted by rating, and the “No” is the order I entered the players in Swiss-Manager. Only after I tell Swiss-Manager to make pairings does it randomly assign round robin Start Numbers.
The five events (GM A, GM B, IM C, IM D, and NM E) are linked. Clicking the one you’re interested in takes you to its page. This is tricky to implement the first couple of times, but not so tough once you get the hang of it. I highly recommend doing this if your event has multiple sections.
You can customize the info displayed a great deal, including player flags (as I do), and all the federations participating across events. For standings, I also set it to include rating performance and rating change info.
Don’t forget to enter the playing schedule in Swiss-Manager (and upload it to chess-results).

Cost

Swiss-Manager is not cheap, at 150 euros. In my view, however, this one-time cost is a worthwhile investment, and you don’t have to pay for any updates/upgrades. Most importantly, the ability to upload info to chess-results.com is included.

SwissSys 10: Essential for USCF Tournament Directors

The Mark of a Professional

I’ve talked in the past about becoming a USCF Tournament Director. At first you’ll be running small club or classroom tournaments, or assisting more experienced TDs at larger events.

If you decide to get into the TD game long-term, you’ll need the tools of the professional: laptop, laser printer, and SwissSys!

What Does SwissSys Do?

SwissSys is tournament management software created by Thad Suits that, as the name suggests, helps tournament directors run Swiss-System events smoothly. Often … very large events with multiple sections and hundreds of players! The computer TDs at the World Open, for example, use SwissSys.

Not only can it make pairings, it prints them neatly for posting as well as other items like standings, wallcharts, and so on.

[A brief rant: Experienced TDs hate the term “pairing software,” as it suggests we are not responsible for the pairings the computer spits out. On the contrary, we are responsible for understanding the pairings, being able to explain them, and overriding them if we think an error has been made.]

SwissSys can also handle round robins, such as quads, and team events.

Learning Curve?

Very small. The menus are intuitive and if you tinker with SwissSys for half an hour, you’ll get the hang of it. It’s very user-friendly and non-tech-savvy friendly.

The toughest part? Learning the process for downloading and installing new rating supplements. This is important in order to quickly enter players without having to go to the USCF website to look up every player individually.

It’s also possible to import tournament entries from an excel spreadsheet or other database.

You can use SwissSys for FIDE-rated events, too (remember to turn on FIDE pairings, and you cannot alter pairings once made in norm events!).

Don’t Go Without

In the past, way before I began TDing in 2002, directors paired by hand using pairing cards and needed to handwrite pairings, standings, and so on! I can only imagine how time-consuming this would be.

Merely having a laptop, printer, and SwissSys can earn you directing gigs. Many organizers run small, almost-informal events in schools and just need someone to pair and print the charts. These tournaments aren’t always USCF-rated, either.

If you’re efficient, friendly and, most of all, reliable … you’ll keep getting invited back. Also, a good reputation spreads quickly in the TD World.

Cost

A new version of SwissSys 10 is $99.00. Best money you’ll ever spend as a TD … but don’t forget that laser printer! I care for my old HP 1020 like a newborn baby, even though it’s now well into adolescence …

You’re not a professional TD until you have your own software. So what are you waiting for?

ForwardChess: Good for Reading Chess Books?

A Huge Timesaver

If you’re comfortable reading books on a screen (web or downloadable app), ForwardChess will save you a lot of time:

No need to use a board and pieces, resetting again and again to play through variations.
No need to enter games or entire books into ChessBase.
No need to add more “stuff” to your physical chess library which, if you’re like me, could have hundreds of books in it already!

Try Before You Buy

If you walked into a real bookstore, you could peruse the books you were thinking of buying. Forward chess allows you to read samples, often including a chapter or two to see if the title is what you expect.

Better Prices

The 670+ books currently available on ForwardChess are usually cheaper than their print alternatives, and comparable to Amazon prices. And whether you get a physical book or a Kindle version, you can’t play through the moves without a board …

The ForwardChess libary include classics by Jose Capablanca, Fred Reinfeld, and Rudolf Spielmann among others, as well as a plethora of contemporary titles. There are no Chernev or Mednis books, however — please fix this, ForwardChess!

Most major publishers are represented, including Chess Stars, Everyman Chess, Quality Chess, and New in Chess. The notable exception is Gambit Publications.

Conclusion

Chessable has a lot of fans; I’ve used it some and I think it’s ok … but it doesn’t let me study the way I grew up doing with “regular” books. At least, I don’t know how to use it in this way.

ForwardChess books are intended to be read like physical books. It is a blessing for chess players. If you’re lazy, like me, and don’t want to take out a board and pieces any longer, there is no longer any excuse to not study!

Thoughts on Lichess and Others

A pleasant surprise

Lichess seems to be taking over, and deservedly so.

Nearly a year ago, I said that I still preferred to play on the paid Internet Chess Club (ICC) because of the consistent good level of professional competition. I knew that GMs, IMs, and other strong players used Lichess, but I wondered if the site was merely had some really strong players, and a bunch of weak opponents for players like me in the 2000-2200 range.

I was also concerned about opponents on free sites not always … shall we say … playing fairly.

Well, I have now regularly used Lichess for the past few months, and must admit to being converted. In fact, I rarely log into ICC any longer.

There are many features I have not felt a need to try yet, but I can recommend playing and solving puzzles on the site. I haven’t yet had the thought that my opponents are dishonest, and the puzzles are typically quite good.

I also recommend it as a platform for (virtual) classroom tournaments. In my opinion it is far superior to ChessKid.

Conclusion

Official tournaments: a new lease on life for ICC?

I’m ready to proclaim something I never thought I would: after all these years, I don’t think I will renew my Internet Chess Club membership when it next runs out, and I’ll stick to Lichess.

One thing ICC does still have going for it: official online tournaments. They do them very well! There’s a reason the recent NYS Girls was held on iCC, the City Champs will be held there, and the Continental Chess Association has been holding online events there for several months.

ChessKid is a wonderful concept, but needs a lot of improvement before it reaches the level of ICC, Lichess, or even its parent chess.com. Their issues for me are mainly about ease of use for children in getting a game, and flexibility for coaches in setting up and adjusting tournaments.

I hope its developers continues to work, because it has promise. The more good chess sites, the better for the long-term growth and health of chess.

American Chess Equipment

I’m pleased to announce a new collaboration with American Chess Equipment of Gardena, CA.

I have purchasing chess equipment from them for several years, and have known owner Shelby Lohrman for nearly 15 years.

Shelby told me about some new products he has, and others in development. He plans to send me some items to test and I’ll review the results on the blog.

To support Chess Essentials, consider purchasing your chess equipment from ACE using the link on the right sidebar!

Tournament Chess Board Options

Choosing the right tournament chess board is a topic I’ve thought about over the years, trivial as it might seem. After last Friday’s post, I decided to share my thoughts and get your opinions as well. Let’s go through different options — what is your ideal tournament surface?

I’m also assuming we’re playing in tournaments where we have to bring our own equipment. I won’t discuss square size because there aren’t a range of options here. FIDE regulations state that the side of a square should measure 5 to 6 cm (roughly 2.0 to 2.4 in).

Here we go:

Fold-Up, Roll-Up, or Neither

By “neither,” I mean a hard, one-piece tournament chess board like the one I discussed last week. These tend to be the most aesthetically-pleasing boards, but they’re obviously not the most convenient. Choose this route only if you’re driving to a tournament, and a nice playing surface is an important part of your enjoyment of the game.

Personally, I would consider this option if I drove to a tournament and stayed in a hotel for a few days or longer. However, I rarely see players use these kinds of boards in competition.

Another seldom-chosen option is the fold-up board. I imagine the “crease” in the middle of the board is distracting, even though these boards can be very attractive otherwise.

By far the most popular choice is the roll-up board, and with good reason: these boards are cheap, compact, and easier to clean than other types.

Color

Apparently black-and-white is not good for the eyes over a long period of time. Most players opt for a green-and-white surface, but other choices are popular as well. Next time, I might choose brown-and-white — just to be different. I’m tired of green and I’ve never been a fan of blue or burgundy.

Of course, roll-up boards are so cheap you can buy more than one and choose a color that fits your mood…

Material

Assuming you go with a roll-up board, you still have to consider the material of your playing surface.

vinyl chess boards — Vinyl boards are available in a variety of colors.

When I first began playing chess in the late 1990s, most tournament chess boards were made of vinyl. I suspect it is still the most popular material of choice.

These boards are easy to clean, easy to roll or fold, and provide a decently-thick playing surface. I’ve considered other options, but I keep going back to ol’ reliable.

mousepad chess boards — Mousepad boards: gaining in popularity.

Recently, rubberized surfaces akin to a computer mousepad have become an option. They lay very flat, don’t move easily during play, and don’t develop creases like vinyl boards sometimes do.

The main issue with mousepad boards is they stain easily and can’t be wiped off as easily as other boards. I primarily don’t like them because of their texture.

silicone chess boards — The lightest option, and the easiest to store and clean…but also the thinnest.

Another alternative is silicone boards. They can be twisted or mashed into any shape, and wipe off easily, like vinyl. It seems to me that silicone boards grip the playing surface they’re laying on better than vinyl boards do, but not as well as mousepad material.

I haven’t converted to silicone because I don’t like the thinness of the surface, and I’m not a fan of the texture. Still, I do think they will only grow in popularity in the coming years.

A tournament chess board is a very personal thing! You’re going to be spending a lot of hours with it, and I think it’s important to use a product you like. What do you like to play on during a tournament game? Is there anything I have left out? Please comment!

Maple and Mahogany Wooden Tournament Chess Board

In 2017 I purchased a wooden tournament chess board from USCF Sales. I wanted a hard, flat, regulation-sized surface to study chess while in bed, and a vinyl roll-up board just wouldn’t do.

At the same time, I knew I wasn’t going to use it much, and I’m not a wealthy guy, so I had to choose carefully.

I think I made a good choice.

Maple and Mahogany Wooden Tournament Chess Board. Options: 2.25″ squares, with coordinates, and without a logo. Photo: USCF Sales

In my humble opinion, this is a really nice board for only $39.50 (on clearance; regular price $79.00)! You can also choose between two different bags for the board, but at an additional cost of $39.95 or $59.95, I decided to pass.

When I got it in person, it was just what I expected and I am very happy with it. The only problem is that I don’t use it nearly enough…

Warning: It’s not a DGT board, so don’t buy it expecting to use it for game broadcasts.

It will fit any standard chess set. A test to determine if a chess board and pieces are appropriately-sized for each other: four pawns should fit within one square.

If you’ve got a small chess club or run invitational tournaments, I would highly recommend this wooden tournament chess board. From a price-to-value perspective, this is one of the best chess purchases I have made in at least several years.

The DGT 3000 Chess Clock

What about other options?

Let’s discuss what I see as the two main competitors to the DGT 3000:

When I reviewed the Chronos, I noted that a big factor in its favor early on was its large display in comparison to other digital timers. Not only can other chess clocks now claim this as well, new Chronos clocks are more compact and therefore have a smaller display. I wouldn’t buy one for 110 USD today, but that’s just me.

The DGT 3000 costs roughly 80 USD. Earlier, I reviewed the DGT North American, which can be had for about half this amount.

Who needs to buy the DGT 3000? Anyone who uses DGT electronic boards and broadcasts games online! I was a DGT board operator at the Greater New York Scholastics this past February and became more familiar with this clock.

Features and Benefits of the DGT 3000

The display is huge and easy to see from a distance; much larger than the Chronos or DGT North American.
The plungers are large, easy to press, and not noisy.
The DGT 3000 seems sturdier than the DGT NA, and I would expect it to last longer.
Easier-than-expected to set. The big display provides more scope for the clock to make clear what a player or arbiter is setting. It is very easy to make a mistake setting the DGT NA, and trying to set a Chronos is downright confusing if you’ve never done it before.
It can accommodate U.S. time delay rules which its predecessor, the DGT 2010, cannot.
FIDE approved. This is important for official FIDE competitions such as World and Continental Championships.

This is all great, but is it worth twice as much as the DGT NA? As DGT itself says:

The fact that the DGT NA, in its display, does not add the delay time to the main time is the only reason why the DGT NA is not FIDE approved. According to FIDE rules and regulations the total time available to a player should be shown on the display at all times.Digital Game Technologies

This is a subtlety I missed in my review of the DGT NA. My bad!

Verdict

A player only competing in USCF tournaments where delay timing is prevalent can stick with the DGT North American — it is the best clock for the money. However, I believe the additional one-time investment for the DGT 3000 is justified.

If I were buying a chess clock today, I would choose the DGT 3000.

Olimpbase.org: The Encyclopaedia of Team Chess

Get pleasantly lost for hours on Olimpbase!

I don’t remember how I found Olimpbase.org for the first time, but I’m so glad I did. It seems the site has not been updated for a couple of years, but I still want to bring attention to it for those who are unfamiliar with it. I’ve put it under “Product Reviews” even though it is free.

Wojciech Bartelski has compiled the definitive reference on team chess. As the name hints, it contains extensive info about Chess Olympiads played through 2016. it has not been updated for 2018, and the 2020 event has been moved to 2021.

For each Olympiad (Open and Women), Bartelski includes a summary of the event and the results. These include the standings of the teams, player results, and medal winners. Also, most of the games can be viewed in a popup window, or downloaded as a zip file!

More than Olympiads

In addition to the chess Olympiads, Olimpbase.org has compiled information about all kinds of team chess events, including:

World Team Championships
Continental Team Championships (African, Asian, European, Pan-American)
European Club Cup and various National Leauges
Student and Youth Team Championships
USSR Team Championships
Others: USSR vs. World, Mitropa Cup, Asian Cities Championship, Pan Arab Games, etc.

More than team events, too!

Olimpbase now includes many individual events as well. Examples:

The World Championship cycles (from 1886-2000)
The World Junior Championships (Open and Girls)
Continental Championships and Continental Junior Championships
National Championships of the Soviet Union and Poland

Olimpbase has another important resource…

The site contains all FIDE rating lists since the first list in January 1971 up to October 2001! You can find everything since 2001 on the FIDE website. Ratings are a big part of our game, and full rating lists provide historical context. Some interesting tidbits:

Only Fischer (1971), Karpov (1974), Tal (1980), and Kasparov (1984) achieved FIDE ratings of 2700 or above before Boris Gelfand joined them in January 1991.
As late as July 1987, Artur Yusupov and Andrei Sokolov were ranked =3rd/4th in the world at just 2635! A player rated 2635 today wouldn’t make the Top 100!
Judit Polgar was rated 2555 and =55th in the world in January 1989…as a 12-year-old!
16-year-old Gata Kamsky was ranked #8 in July 1990 with a rating of 2650…as a FIDE Master!
Only 16 players reached 2700 before the year 2000.
Did you know: Michal Krasenkow (July 2000) and Loek Van Wely (January 2001) were not only 2700 players, both were ranked #10 in the World?

Conclusion

Olimpbase.org contains a treasure trove of historical chess information. If you love chess history, the Olimpbase is not to be missed!

The Chronos Chess Clock: America’s Favorite

The Chronos chess clock is the most popular timer in U.S. tournaments, and has been for years. I say that as a longtime tournament director who has walked through countless playing halls. These clocks can accomodate time delay and increment, so they can be used in USCF and FIDE-rated events.

The Chronos is extremely durable and reliable. I’ve owned mine since January 1998, only having to replace the batteries a few times. The $120 I paid is worth $191.18 in 2020 dollars. You probably won’t pay $120 for a Chronos even today!

The Chronos Chess Clock has options galore

In the 1990s, the Chronos only came in one style: long with buttons (as pictured above), in an off-white color. You can activate the lights signalling the player to move, and turn its beep on or off. You can even change the pitch of the beep!

Later, Chronos introduced a “touch” version, with silver disk-like buttons in place of the push-buttons. Many players preferred this as it was “cooler” and the push buttons can come off accidentally.

Nowadays, it’s hard to find “long” Chronoses. The newer versions are about 3/4 the size of the originals: easier to fit into chess bags, but less available digits on the LED. In addition, you can now buy the Chronos in a variety of colors.

Years ago, the downside of the Chronos was learning to set it. In an age where games are almost exclusively timed with digital clocks, they all have their quirks with settings. On the plus side, adjusting the times (for example, in case of an illegal move) is easier and more intuitive with the Chronos than other timers.

I said in a previous review that I now prefer DGT clocks aesthetically, but the Chronos chess clock is still the go-to for a lot of players, and I don’t blame them! The Chronos has unmatched sturdiness; I wouldn’t expect my DGT North American to last 20+ years.