For most chess players and fans, it is close to certainty that you’ve come across the Chess-Results website. It’s one of the best websites for chess players and is helpful in following tournament standings, pairings, and player and tournament statistics.
So, whether you’re a competitive player, a coach, or just a casual fan following chess tournaments, Chess-Results provides everything you need to track the action.
The big question is how well the site works. Is it user-friendly? What are the areas where the website could improve? This article takes an in-depth dive into Chess-Results.com, covering its history, features, and what makes it both functional and sometimes falls short of expectations.
Website Background
Chess-Results.com is a website maintained by Heinz Herzog to complement Swiss Manager software. It was designed to automate and streamline the tournament management process and make it easier for organizers to display results online.
Over the years, it has since become the gold standard for chess federations worldwide, primarily because of its integration with Swiss-Manager Software, the official pairing software for many chess federations.
In recent times, if an average chess player is looking to get updated on ongoing, upcoming, and past local club tournaments or even elite international competitions like the Chess Olympiad, Chess-Results is where you’ll find the information.
What does Chess-Results do?
The purpose of Chess-Results is simple: provide accurate and up-to-date tournament information in one place.
The website aims to:
- Make tournament pairings and results easily accessible.
- Help players track their historical performance.
- Support chess federations with event organization.
- Offer fair and transparent tournament management.
While the website does all these things effectively and well, there are still some gaps—particularly in usability and design for modern times.
Key Features of Chess-Results
Tournament Listings & Search
Chess-Results has an impressively massive database of tournaments—more than 850,000, according to the website. On the site, one can search for events by country, federation, date, or even specific player names. Whether it’s a local weekend tournament or the Candidates Tournament, the details are usually on the website.
Live Standings & Pairings
One of its most important features is the ability to follow tournaments in real-time. You can see round-by-round pairings, results, and tie-break standings as they update.
Player Profiles & Performance Tracking
Every player who has played in a FIDE-rated tournament has a profile on Chess-Results. It includes:
- FIDE rating and federation.
- Tournament history.
- Win/loss record.
Opponent strength and overall performance.
This Chess-Results feature makes it a valuable tool for players and coaches to check their performance and prepare for their opponents.
Federation Events & Statistics
Federations can also use Chess-Results to maintain tournament schedules and player information. The site allows them to:
- Publish national Events and Calendar.
- Track youth and elite players.
- Maintain historical performance records.
Register for Tournament
The Chess-Results website allows players to register for eligible tournaments seamlessly. This feature is also helpful for organizers who are hosting their events.
Downloadable PGN Files
Some tournaments upload PGN (Portable Game Notation) files, which allow users to download and analyze games. However, this feature isn’t consistent across all events, as organizers seldom use it.
Integration with Swiss-Manager
Swiss-Manager, a popular tournament pairing software, is directly linked to Chess-Results. The website allows for seamless updates on pairings and standings, ensuring accuracy.
Multi-Language Support
The website is available in multiple languages, making it accessible to the worldwide chess community.
What It Costs & Accessibility
- Free for players & fans – Anyone can access tournament data without paying.
- Paid for organizers—To publish tournaments on Chess-Results, organizers must purchase a Swiss-Manager license.
Notable Pros
Chess-Results has many excellent features with the most notable being;
- Unmatched Database: Almost every chess tournament is recorded on Chess-results.com.
- Real-Time Updates: Standings and pairings update immediately.
- Reliable & Trusted: Used by FIDE and federations worldwide.
- Swiss-Manager Integration: Ensures fair and accurate pairings.
Notable Cons
The major downside is that Chess-Results doesn’t have a dedicated mobile app. While you can access it through a browser, the user interface is not optimized for smartphones, making it clunky to navigate on the go.
- Outdated Design: It looks like a website from the early 2000s.
- No Mobile App: It makes it frustrating for players to check results on the go.
- Limited Game Analysis: No built-in tools for reviewing games.
- Hard to Navigate: New users might struggle to find what they need.
- Swiss-Manager Dependency: Only tournaments using this software get published.
Conclusion
Chess-Results.com is essential for tournament players, chess fans, and organizers. It is the most reliable source for standings, pairings, and player data.
However, compared to newer sites like Take Take Take, the site feels outdated and challenging for casual fans to navigate. If you want to watch live games or follow top tournaments, you might find platforms like Chess.com or Lichess more user-friendly.
That said, Chess-Results.com plays a vital role in online chess. If it got a UI upgrade and a proper mobile app, it could go from being a functional database to being one of the best apps for following chess.
FAQs
Who owns Chess-Results?
It was created and maintained by Heinz Herzog, an Austrian software developer and tournament organizer.
Is Chess-Results free?
Yes, it’s free for players and fans to use. However, tournament organizers must purchase a Swiss-Manager license to publish results.
Does Chess-Results have a mobile app?
No, there is no official mobile app. You have to use a browser to access the site.
Can I analyze games on Chess-Results?
No. While some tournaments do upload PGN files, the site doesn’t have built-in features for game analysis like Chess.com or Lichess.