A: How do I score a 2-evening event with 12 pairs, where all pairs should meet each other, and I cannot score the event in barometer style, and 22 or 33 boards is not accepted?
Q: Not easy, but can be done.
Note! The instructions below are based on a solid knowledge in multiple advanced Magic Contest features. This is not a pedagogical step-by-step guide, but instead filled with if:s and but:s and information to why things are done, not specifically how.
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Movement
The normal solution is Mitchell + Interwoven Howell. However, the orange book Movements only supports that solution from 7 tables and up.
Instead, a Complete Scrambled Mitchell or a Relay Mitchell (same, but no scrambling) takes care of session 1. This means 6 rounds of 5 board = 30 boards.
The second session is solved through two parallel 3-tables Howells, merged into a single-section movement. This means 5 rounds of 5 boards = 25 boards.
The problem with session 2 is that the orange book’s Howell has board sharing between all tables in the last round. If you do that for 6 tables, you will run into board sharing problems. Instead, a tailor-made movement is needed, where tables 1-3 is identical to the 3-table Howell in the orange book, and 4-6 has the same pair movement, but where the board placements are adjusted by one round. There will still be board sharing between tables, but much less than using the normal 2×3 Howell.
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Use special movement file
Do the following to close preparations using the special 2×3 Howell movement:
- Download special 2×3 Howell file
- Unpack the file into Magic Contest Documents\Movement
- Start the contest but choose not to close any preparations
- Go to the main window
- Click Movement (button to the right), and select Close preparations
- Select the unpacked file
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Accumulated score
The accumulated score is achieved in one of two ways:
- Multi-session
- Two single-session and point league
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Multi-session
Run the event as multi-session. Open Contest Explorer. Click Special and select Multi-session > New pair contest. Follow separate instructions in the documentation on how to run a multi-session event.
Run the first evening as a Mitchell. Run the second using the special 2×3 Howell. When you change from session 1 to session 2 you need to manually Undo Close preparations and then follow the instructions above on how to select the special movement.
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Two single-session events and point league
Run the event as two separate single-session events. It does not matter in which session you use the Mitchell and in which you use the special 2×3 Howell. The pair numbers in 2×3 Howell are 1-6 and 11-16 which corresponds to N-S and E-W in the Mitchell movement. This is also what you must ensure that the built-in Mitchell gives you. The pair numbers must stay the same in both sessions.
Accumulate the two scores through Contest menu > Settings > Point league. Create the point league in session 1. Select the point league in session 2. Select Contest menu > Report contest > Point league to report the score.
When you create the point league you need to base it on Total score so that the matchpoints from each session are summed up since different number of boards are played in the two sessions.
Magic Contest 