Below are the instructions that will be used to play the official NSSCA Online Chess Tournaments. There is also a tutorial video showing this process in action!
Tournament Instructions
Step 1: Open Documents
- Open the Google Spreadsheet, which will contain round pairings and results.
It’s a good idea to keep the Google Spreadsheet open at all times, being minimized on the taskbar for quick and easy access. It will update automatically with new information even if it remains open.
2020 Season Kick-off Hub Spreadsheet - The YouTube Live channel is also available for announcements and information. The link is in the Google Spreadsheet.
Accessing this channel is not necessary to participate in the tournament; however, it is a good idea to access this channel prior to the tournament starting (to hear the opening announcements) and, then as needed between rounds. The winners will also be announced on this channel as each section finishes.
Step 2: Login to Lichess.org
- Go to www.lichess.org
- Click “SIGN IN” on the top right
- Enter username/email and password
- Click “SIGN IN” on the bottom
Step 3: Find Your Opponent
- Using the Google Spreadsheet, click on the tab along the bottom that corresponds to the current round (“Round 1” for the first round, “Round 2” for the second round, etc.)
- Find your name in the pairings list. Note which color you are playing and the username of your opponent.
- COPY the username of your opponent to the clipboard (CTRL+C)
Step 4: Start the Game: Challenge or Accept the Challenge from Opponent
Player Playing White Pieces Sends the Challenge:
- Begin on the main play area of lichess.org or click “PLAY” from the top menu
- Click “PLAY WITH A FRIEND” on the right
- Ensure “Standard” is selected from the drop-down list beside “Variant”
- Ensure “Real time” is selected from the drop-down list beside “Time control”
- Set “Minutes per side:” to 20 using the slider
- Set “Increment in seconds:” to 5 using the slider
- Click the button of the white king
- Type the lichess user name of your opponent (or PASTE from the clipboard using CTRL+V) in the “Or invite a lichess user:” box, found on the bottom right of the “Challenge to a game” box
- Click the appropriate user name from the drop-down list that appears
Player Playing Black Pieces Accepts the Challenge:
- Begin on the main play area of lichess.org or click “PLAY” from the top menu
- Wait for the notification window with a challenge request from your opponent to appear in the top right of the lichess.org website
- Hover the mouse over the challenge request
- ENSURE that this is the correct opponent
- ENSURE that the game is set to the correct time control of “20+5”
- Press the green checkmark to accept the challenge if everything is correct or the red “X” to decline the challenge if something is incorrect
If you decline because the information was incorrect, you can then send a challenge to your opponent with the correct information (see steps above for Player Playing White Pieces Sends the Challenge, but remember to click the black king button for part 7)
Step 5: Report the Game
- When the game is complete, BOTH players must report the game
- Using the Google Spreadsheet, click on the tab along the bottom that corresponds to the current round
- Click the link to “REPORT THE GAME RESULT” at the top
- Select the appropriate round number from the drop-down beside “Round”
- Type in your name or lichess.org username in the “Name” field
- Select the appropriate game result from the down-down beside “Result”
- Click “Submit” on the bottom
Step 6: Prepare for Next Round
- Using the Google Spreadsheet, click on the tab along the bottom that corresponds to the next round (“Round 2” for the second round, “Round 3” for the third round, etc.)
- Wait for the pairings to show up for your group
- Repeat Steps 3 through 6 until the end of the tournament
Need Help?
NSSCA support personnel are here to help! Find a link to a Google Meet support chatroom on the “information” tab in the Google Spreadsheet. Note that you need to have a Google account to use the support chatroom.
You can also find the list of lichess.org usernames you can contact for help on the “Information” tab in the Google Spreadsheet and send a message.
- Click the magnifying glass on the top right of the lichess.org website
- Type in the lichess.org username in the search field and hit ENTER
- On the top right of the profile page click the “Compose message” chat bubble
- Type your question in the chat window and hit ENTER
Common Concerns that May arise:
- If a challenge is not sent within 5 minutes of the round start time (noted on the google spreadsheet), then the person with the black pieces can send the challenge to their opponent.
- If a challenge is not accepted within 7 minutes, double check that you are using the correct username and/or contact NSSCA support personnel to help troubleshoot. If 10 minutes have passed since the start of the round (noted on the google spreadsheet), then contact NSSCA support personnel for help.