Chess Tournament Organizer Checklist
A few days before the tournament
- Format chosen: Swiss system (or round-robin for a group up to 8-10).
- Number of rounds set by the field size (8-16 - 5 rounds, 17-32 - 6).
- Time control chosen: blitz for an evening, rapid for a day.
- Date, time and venue set and announced to participants.
- For a formal tournament, one-page regulations ready (format, rounds, tie-break, prizes).
The day before
- Enough boards for the number of pairs (players / 2) plus a spare set.
- Clocks ready - or free phone chess clocks, one per table.
- Tournament created in the bot, registration open, link shared.
- Participants without Telegram entered as guests by name.
- A prize for the winner planned - even a symbolic one.
Right before the start
- Registration closed, the field locked.
- Rules announced: how late players may be, the dispute procedure, phones away.
- Tables numbered the same way as in the bot.
- A helper assigned to enter guests' results (if there are many players).
- Round one started - pairings sent, ready to play.
How to run the checklist with the bot
The bot covers half the list itself: registration, pairing, sending pairings, counting points and Buchholz. You're left with the logistics - venue, boards, prizes and announcing the rules. The step-by-step launch is in the organizer guide, and the overall prep in the how to organize a tournament guide. Any questions left - see the tournament FAQ.
Checklist done - launch the tournament
Frequently asked questions
What is absolutely required for a chess tournament?
The minimum: participants, boards by the number of pairs, a venue, a phone with the bot for pairing and the table, and an hour and a half for 5 rounds of blitz. Clocks and regulations are desirable but optional for a friendly tournament.
Do I need regulations for a small tournament?
For a neighborhood or home one - no, a verbal agreement is enough. For a school, corporate or open tournament, one-page regulations are desirable: they settle disputes about format, tie-break and prizes.
How many boards should I prepare?
By the number of pairs - half the players, plus a spare set. For 16 people - 8 boards and one spare.
What should I announce before the start?
The rules: how many minutes players may be late, what to do in a dispute (stop the clock and call the organizer), how to handle phones. That heads off most conflicts in advance.
What does the bot take on from the checklist?
Registration, Swiss pairing, sending pairings to tables, collecting results and counting the Buchholz table. The organizer is left with the venue, gear, prizes and announcing the rules.
Missing a feature? Message the developers
The bot is constantly improved based on real tournaments. If you need a feature that isn't there yet, message the developers right inside the bot with the /support command. Many features appeared exactly because organizers asked for them, and useful ideas get added quickly.
What to read next
Step-by-step launch - organizer guide. General prep - how to organize a tournament. All the questions - tournament FAQ. About the round count - how many rounds in the Swiss.