Swiss Manager Unicode: Tips and Tricks for Pairing and Result Input
Swiss Manager Unicode Full Version Download
If you are looking for a reliable and easy-to-use program for managing chess tournaments, you might want to check out Swiss Manager Unicode. This program is an administration and pairing software for chess tournaments of various formats, such as round robin, team round robin, Swiss system, and team Swiss system. It is approved by FIDE and used by many chess organizers around the world. In this article, we will show you what Swiss Manager Unicode can do, how to download and install it, how to use it for your chess events, and some tips and tricks to make the most of it.
swiss manager unicode full version download
What is Swiss Manager Unicode?
Swiss Manager Unicode is a Windows-based program developed by Heinz Herzog, a software engineer and chess enthusiast from Austria. He started working on the program in 1986 and has been updating it regularly ever since. The program is designed to handle chess tournaments of various sizes and formats, from small club events to large international competitions. It supports up to 2,000 participants and 23 rounds for Swiss system tournaments, up to 150 rounds for round robin tournaments, up to 1,500 participants and 50 teams for team round robin tournaments, and up to 1,500 participants and 300 teams for team Swiss system tournaments. It also supports multiple languages, including Arabic, Armenian, Croatian, Czech, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Lithuanian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Turkish, and Vietnamese.
Swiss Manager Unicode has many features and benefits that make it a popular choice among chess organizers. Some of them are:
Features and benefits of Swiss Manager Unicode
Simple and intuitive user interface that allows easy input and modification of tournament data, player data, results, pairings, etc.
Rapid and reliable pairing algorithm that follows the FIDE rules and regulations for different tournament systems.
Convenient and flexible result input that can be done manually or automatically via XML interface from chess-results.com.
Comprehensive and customizable output of various lists and reports on screen, printer, or text-, HTML-, or Excel-file.
Simple player input with FIDE rating list and national rating list that can be updated easily from the internet.
Ability to process several tournaments simultaneously and switch between them quickly.
Ability to handle special situations such as late entries, exclusions, manual pairings, byes, etc.
Ability to publish tournaments online at the international chess-tournament-result-server: http://chess-results.com , a very fast and reliable platform free to use for all chess friends.
The program costs 150 Euro for the full version and 75 Euro for the light version (Swiss System up to 60 participants / 11 rounds). You can order it online from the official website: https://swiss-manager.at .
How to download and install Swiss Manager Unicode
If you want to try out Swiss Manager Unicode before buying it or if you have already purchased it and want to install it on your computer, you need to follow these steps:
Downloading the program and manual
You can download the latest version of Swiss Manager Unicode (16.05.2023) from this link: https://swiss-manager.at/unload/SwissManagerUnicodeSetup.exe . The file size is about 6 MB. You can also download the manual in different languages from this page: https://swiss-manager.at/download.aspx?lan=1 . The manuals are in PDF format and contain detailed instructions on how to use the program.
Updating the FIDE rating list
After downloading the program file, you need to update the FIDE rating list that is used by the program for pairing players according to their ratings. You can do this easily by selecting "Internet/Update FIDE-ratinglist" from the menu bar of the program. This will download the latest rating list from the FIDE website and save it in your computer. You can also update the national rating list of your country by selecting "Internet/Update national ratinglist" from the menu bar.
Entering the installation code
If you have bought the program online or offline (by bank transfer or cash), you will receive an installation code that allows you to activate the full version or light version of the program. You need to enter this code when you run the program for the first time. You will see a dialog box asking you to enter your name (or organization name) and your installation code. After entering them correctly, you will be able to use all the features of the program without any limitations.
How to use Swiss Manager Unicode for chess tournaments
Now that you have downloaded and installed Swiss Manager Unicode on your computer, you are ready to use it for your chess events. Here are some basic steps on how to create and manage a tournament using Swiss Manager Unicode:
Creating a new tournament
Inputting player data
After creating a new tournament, you need to input the player data for your participants. You can do this in several ways:
Manually: You can enter the player data one by one by selecting "Player/New" from the menu bar of the program. This will open a dialog box where you can enter the name, rating, title, federation, club, etc. of each player. You can also edit or delete any player data by selecting "Player/Edit" or "Player/Delete" from the menu bar.
From FIDE rating list: You can import the player data from the FIDE rating list by selecting "Player/Import FIDE-ratinglist" from the menu bar of the program. This will open a dialog box where you can search for any player by name, ID number, or federation. You can select multiple players at once and add them to your tournament.
From national rating list: You can import the player data from the national rating list of your country by selecting "Player/Import national ratinglist" from the menu bar of the program. This will open a dialog box where you can search for any player by name, ID number, or club. You can select multiple players at once and add them to your tournament.
From Excel file: You can import the player data from an Excel file by selecting "Player/Import Excel-file" from the menu bar of the program. This will open a dialog box where you can browse for any Excel file that contains the player data in a specific format. The format should be as follows: Column A: Name; Column B: Rating; Column C: Title; Column D: Federation; Column E: Club; Column F: ID number; Column G: Birthday; Column H: Sex; Column I: Category. You can download a sample Excel file from this link: https://swiss-manager.at/unload/NationalRatings.xls .
After inputting all the player data, you can sort them by rating, name, federation, club, etc. by selecting "Player/Sort" from the menu bar of the program. You can also assign numbers to each player by selecting "Player/Numbering" from the menu bar of the program.
Pairing and entering results
Once you have inputted all the player data, you are ready to start pairing and entering results for each round of your tournament. You can do this by following these steps:
Select "Round/Pairing" from the menu bar of the program. This will pair all the players according to their ratings and the tournament system you have chosen. You can also modify any pairing manually by selecting "Round/Set pairings manually" from the menu bar.
Select "Round/Result input" from the menu bar of the program. This will open a dialog box where you can enter the results for each game (1-0, 0-1, 1/2-1/2) or set a bye for any player who is absent or has no opponent. You can also enter results automatically via XML interface from chess-results.com by selecting "Round/XML result input" from the menu bar.
Select "Round/Close round" from the menu bar of the program. This will finalize the results and standings for that round and prepare for the next round.
Repeat steps 1-3 for each round until your tournament is finished.
Printing and exporting lists
the menu bar of the program. You will see a list of different categories such as "Pairings", "Results", "Standings", "Cross tables", etc. You can select any category and then choose a specific list to print or export. For example, if you want to print the pairings of round 3, you can select "List/Pairings/Round 3" from the menu bar. You will see a preview of the list on your screen. You can then select "File/Print" from the menu bar to print the list on your printer. Alternatively, you can select "File/Export" from the menu bar to export the list as a text-, HTML-, or Excel-file. You can also customize the appearance and content of any list by selecting "List/Options" from the menu bar. You can change the font size, color, alignment, etc. of any element of the list. You can also add or remove any column or row of the list. Publishing tournaments online
One of the most useful features of Swiss Manager Unicode is that it allows you to publish your tournaments online at the international chess-tournament-result-server: http://chess-results.com . This is a very fast and reliable platform that is free to use for all chess friends. It displays all the information about your tournament such as pairings, results, standings, cross tables, etc. It also allows your participants and spectators to follow your tournament live and check their ratings and norms. To publish your tournaments online using Swiss Manager Unicode, you need to follow these steps:
Select "Internet/Publish tournament at chess-results.com" from the menu bar of the program. This will open a dialog box where you need to enter your username and password for chess-results.com. If you don't have an account yet, you can create one for free by clicking on "Create new account".
After logging in, you will see a list of your tournaments that are already published on chess-results.com. You can select any tournament and click on "Update" to update its information online. You can also click on "New" to publish a new tournament online.
If you click on "New", you will see another dialog box where you need to enter some basic information about your tournament such as name, date, place, organizer, arbiter, system, number of rounds, time control, etc. You can also choose some options such as whether you want to show player photos or not (e.g., "Yes"), whether you want to show rating changes or not (e.g., "Yes"), whether you want to show norms or not (e.g., "Yes"), etc.
After entering all these information correctly, click on "OK". Your tournament will be published online and you will see its URL on your screen. You can copy and share this URL with anyone who wants to follow your tournament online.
To update your tournament online after each round, you need to select "Internet/Publish tournament at chess-results.com" from the menu bar of the program again and click on "Update". This will upload all the new information about your tournament such as pairings, results, standings, cross tables, etc.
Tips and tricks for Swiss Manager Unicode
Swiss Manager Unicode is a very powerful and versatile program that can handle almost any situation that may arise during a chess tournament. However, there are some tips and tricks that can help you use it more efficiently and effectively. Here are some of them:
Handling special situations
Sometimes, you may encounter some special situations during your tournament that require some manual intervention or adjustment. For example, you may need to enter a player after the first round, continue a player after exclusion, set pairings by hand, set a bye by hand, etc. Swiss Manager Unicode allows you to handle these situations easily by selecting "Round/Special situations" from the menu bar of the program. This will open a dialog box where you can choose among different options such as:
"Enter player after first round": This option allows you to enter a new player after the first round has been paired and played. You need to enter the player data as usual and then assign him/her a bye for the first round.
"Continue player after exclusion": This option allows you to continue a player who has been excluded from the tournament due to absence or withdrawal. You need to select the player from the list and then assign him/her a result for the round he/she was excluded.
"Set pairings by hand": This option allows you to modify any pairing manually by dragging and dropping players on the pairing table.
"Set bye by hand": This option allows you to assign a bye manually to any player who has no opponent or is absent.
Customizing the program settings
the menu bar of the program. This will open a dialog box where you can change various settings such as:
"General": This tab allows you to change some general settings such as the language of the program, the default folder for saving files, the default font size and color, etc.
"Pairing": This tab allows you to change some pairing settings such as the pairing method, the pairing criteria, the accelerated system, the color distribution, etc.
"List": This tab allows you to change some list settings such as the list format, the list content, the list layout, etc.
"Internet": This tab allows you to change some internet settings such as the username and password for chess-results.com, the proxy server, the email server, etc.
"Other": This tab allows you to change some other settings such as the backup frequency, the sound effects, the automatic update, etc.
You can also restore the default settings by clicking on "Restore default values" at the bottom of the dialog box.
Conclusion
Swiss Manager Unicode is a great program for managing chess tournaments of any size and format. It is easy to use, reliable, and versatile. It can help you create and run your chess events smoothly and efficiently. It can also help you publish your tournaments online and share them with your participants and spectators. If you are a chess organizer or arbiter, you should definitely give Swiss Manager Unicode a try. You will not regret it!
FAQs
Q: How can I get an installation code for Swiss Manager Unicode?A: You can order an installation code online from the official website: https://swiss-manager.at . The price is 150 Euro for the full version and 75 Euro for the light version.
Q: How can I update Swiss Manager Unicode to the latest version?A: You can download the latest version of Swiss Manager Unicode from this link: https://swiss-manager.at/unload/SwissManagerUnicodeSetup.exe . You don't need to uninstall the previous version. Just run the downloaded file and follow the installation process.
Q: How can I get help or support for Swiss Manager Unicode?A: You can contact the developer Heinz Herzog by email: heinz.herzog@swiss-manager.at . You can also check the manual in different languages from this page: https://swiss-manager.at/download.aspx?lan=1 . You can also watch some videos on YouTube by Aleksandr Shiriaev: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6X8U0l9xq4a7mY2Zf0xV1g .
Q: How can I create a Scheveningen tournament using Swiss Manager Unicode?A: You can create a Scheveningen tournament using Swiss Manager Unicode by selecting "File/New tournament" and choosing "Round-Robin for teams" as the system. Then you need to enter two teams with equal number of players and assign them different colors. Then you need to select "Round/Set pairings manually" and pair each player of one team with each player of the other team. Then you need to enter results and close rounds as usual.
Q: How can I create a simultaneous exhibition using Swiss Manager Unicode?A: You can create a simultaneous exhibition using Swiss Manager Unicode by selecting "File/New tournament" and choosing "Swiss System (Individual)" as the system. Then you need to enter one player as the simul giver and assign him/her a high rating (e.g., 3000). Then you need to enter all other players as simul takers and assign them lower ratings (e.g., 1500). Then you need to select "Round/Pairing" and choose "All play all" as the pairing method. Then you need to enter results and close rounds as usual.