I have never run an extra rated games section in a tournament. Is this all there is to it? You just make an extra rated games section and have 3 rounds because the related accompanying tournament has 3 rounds? Then file the complete tournament together as one complete unit including the extra rated games section?
There’s no reason for the extra games section to have the same number of rounds as any of the main sections, many extra games sections are just one round. The only time you would likely need more than one round is if any of the players in the extra games section have more than one extra game.
Mike. . .
I have to have 3 rounds if the extra rated games section is using a constant house player, don’t I? Is that what your last sentence was referring to?
That would meet the condition in my second sentence, wouldn’t it?
Mike. . .Other than having a house player, is an extra rated games section treated just as a normal section of the tournament when the tournament is submitted, or do TDs have to call attention to the extra section?
Here’s a question for you, Ken. Let’s say you run a 4 round event with a single designated house player who plays in every round.
What differences in ratings and norms might arise if you put the house player in the main section versus having the house player in an extra games section?
This is not just an abstract question, it’s one that as a TD you might have to answer at an event you’re directing.
The extra rated games section allows someone in the main tournament to keep his bye that might be 350 points or more below the house player. If I end up having 11 players, I am aware of this. Putting the house player in the main tournament might be unfair in that case. So, the 11th player would have the best of both worlds if he or she chose to play the extra rated game.
Do you think the parent of one of the players would accept that explanation?
Mike. . .thanks for bringing that up. All of the players are adults.
Some of the nastiest confrontations I’ve had as a TD came from adult players. There was one who accused me of making biased pairings against him, requested an appeals committee, and refused to accept the appeals committee’s decision and withdrew from the event, threatening to appeal to the national office, saying in a fairly loud voice that he was going to have my TD certification revoked. (I did offer to call one of the special referees.)
Mike. . .Was it a Swiss Tournament?
Yup, 5 rounds over 2 days. He was complaining about round 3, paired by SwissSys, too.
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