Chess Tournament Organizer Guide

Running a Swiss-system tournament used to mean drawing a table on paper, pairing players by hand, tracking who had already played whom, and computing tie-breaks on a calculator. The Vibe Chess Telegram bot does all of that for you: it pairs players, sends each person their opponent, collects results and keeps the standings with Buchholz. Below is the full guide - from creating a tournament to the final table.

What the bot handles for you

Swiss pairing: never repeats opponents, alternates colors, and gives a BYE automatically when the count is odd.
Sending pairings: each player gets their opponent and table number in a private message - no need to announce anything.
Collecting results: players tap a button; disputed cases go to the organizer.
Standings: points and the Buchholz coefficient are recalculated automatically after every round.
Everyone plays: people without Telegram are added by name by the organizer and play alongside the rest.

Creating a tournament: /create_tournament

The whole setup is a six-step chat. After the /create_tournament command the bot asks one question at a time - you reply with a message or tap a button:

Name - clear for participants: 'Friday Blitz', 'Team Cup'. It appears in your city's list of open tournaments.
Venue - the place and address so people know where to come. The bot already knows your city from your profile.
Date and time - in the format 25.05.2026 18:00.
Time control - the pace of play - minutes plus increment. 5+3 means 5 minutes plus 3 seconds per move. Blitz for a quick evening, rapid for a weekend.
Number of rounds - picked with a button - estimate it from the field size (8-16 players - 5 rounds, 17-32 - 6).
Limit, fee, description - max players, entry fee (0 or skip = free) and rules. Any field can be skipped. The fee is informational: the bot does not process payments.

A half-finished tournament is saved as a draft - you can pause and come back to it.

Running it: the control commands

/open_registrationThe tournament appears in the city list. Players find it via /open_tournaments and sign up in one tap.

/close_registrationWhen everyone has gathered, lock the field. The bot is ready to pair round one.

/start_tournamentThe bot pairs the first round and sends each player their opponent and table number. Nothing to draw by hand.

/next_roundOnce the round's results are in, this pairs the next round - never repeating opponents, alternating colors.

/finish_tournamentLocks the results: the final table with places, points and the Buchholz coefficient.

What to do in tricky situations

Players reported different results. The bot flags the game as disputed and sends it to you. You set the correct outcome with a button - white wins, black wins or draw.

An opponent did not show up. The result buttons include 'opponent no-show' - the bot scores it by the rules, and the round does not stall.

Odd number of players. One player gets a BYE (a bye with a point) each round. The bot picks who and avoids giving it to the same person twice while others remain.

Someone has no smartphone. Add them as a guest by name - they play in the common draw, and you enter their results. That makes the tournament open to absolutely everyone.

Create your first tournament

Open the bot, set your city and send /create_tournament - a tournament is ready for registration in a minute. Free, no installs, no paper tables.

Open the bot in Telegram Browser version

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an account or an app to start?

Nothing but Telegram. Open the bot at t.me/vibechessbot, set your city in the profile and send /create_tournament. No installs, no sign-ups, no payment - the bot is free.

How do players learn who they play?

The bot sends each player their opponent and table number privately. The /my_pairing command shows the current pairing at any time. No need to announce pairings out loud.

Who enters the results?

Players do, with a button (win, loss, draw, opponent no-show). If only one of the pair reports, the other gets a confirmation request; on silence the bot accepts it automatically. If they disagree, the dispute goes to you.

What if the number of players is odd?

Nothing - the bot gives one player a BYE (a bye with a point), as in the Swiss system. Next round someone else gets it. No manual tracking needed.

Someone has no Telegram - can they still join?

Yes. The organizer adds them as a guest by name - they play in the common draw just like everyone else, and you enter their results. Handy at schools, camps and factories.

How is the final placing decided when points are equal?

By the Buchholz coefficient - the sum of your opponents' scores: the player who faced stronger opponents ranks higher. The bot computes it automatically after every round.

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

The general prep guide - how to organize a chess tournament. The player's side - how to join a tournament. Whole tournament in a messenger - run a tournament in Telegram. Timing games - online chess clock.