If you have a tournament where players can choose from several schedules of play, with schedules eventually merging, you will have to create a separate WinTD section for each schedule of each of the sections. For instance, if you have four classes, each of which with three schedules, you will need to create twelve sections. Note that once sections are merged, there is no information left that identifies on which schedule a particular game was played (except if different board numbers are used). Be very careful to create good backups of the files before you do this.

 

Because WinTD remembers the last settings when you do the Add/Edit a Section Dialog Box, it's usually not very hard to create a large number of sections. Just be careful with your settings when you do the very first section. After that, you should be able to change only the full and short titles when you create each new section. The other fields that might need some attention at the creation stage are:

 

•The FIDE Ratable? box. If you are going to submit a FIDE rating report, but some schedules are too quick for FIDE rating, you will need to turn the FIDE Ratable box off for the sections which are played at the non-ratable time control.

•The Import Tag field, if you are going to import player information from a spreadsheet.

•The Time Control field.

Note that the Rounds should be set to the total number of rounds that someone entering will play, not the number they would play just on that schedule. If it's a five round tournament, put in 5 for all sections.

Board Numbering

This can be one of the trickiest parts of running multiple schedule tournaments. Each section needs its own starting board number, and as sections merge, the physical layout of boards will need to change as well. Repeated use of the automatic board numbering system (How To: Assign Board Numbers) is the quickest way to handle this. It's usually easiest to do this when the sections which are on a common schedule are grouped together, either on a separate file, or in consecutive lines on the Section window. You can rearrange sections on the list using the up and down arrow icons.

 

Re-Entries

The handling of re-entries (if the tournament allows it) is explained in How To: Re-Enter a Player. This explains how to do a simple re-entry, where a player withdraws from one schedule and enters another. If the schedules are such that a player can compete in two sections simultaneously, he should be put in as two separate entries. After the merge, select the entry being abandoned from a Player window and do Player>Choose Active Entry. From the scrolling list, select the entry which will continue. This withdraws the one entry and links the two so a player who has played the abandoned entry will not be paired with the live one.

 

Merging

How To: Merge Sections describes the process of merging sections. Theoretically, this can be done at any time after all schedules being merged have been safely paired for their last round prior to the merge, though it's more common to wait until the results from both schedules have been input. That way, you can print and post final pre-merge standings from each schedule. Note that, after you have merged sections, one of the sections will be empty. No players. No games. Everything is moved into the target section. Again, remember to make a solid backup of the tournament before you do the merge.
 

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