Guest Without Telegram: how to include everyone

The most common objection to a bot-run tournament: "but if someone has no Telegram, you can't sign them up." In fact that's no problem. The Vibe Chess bot has a standard guest mode, so absolutely everyone can take part - schoolkids without phones, older people and workers on the shop floor. Let's see how it works.

How guest mode works

The organizer adds such a participant by name - right in the bot, manually. From then on the guest plays fully: the bot pairs them by the Swiss system like everyone else, awards points, computes their Buchholz coefficient and shows them in the common table.

The only difference from a regular player is that the organizer, not the participant, enters the guest's results. The guest simply plays at the board and, after the game, tells the result to whoever is running the tournament.

One phone is enough

The key point: the whole tournament needs one smartphone with the bot - the organizer's. Even if only they have Telegram, the tournament still runs: the organizer enters everyone as guests and reports the results. That makes the bot workable where not everyone has a smartphone - at a school, a kids' camp, a factory, among the older generation in the neighborhood.

A mixed field is normal

Most often a tournament is mixed: some sign up themselves via Telegram, some the organizer adds as guests. To the bot there's no difference - they're all in one draw and one table. So you don't have to make everyone install a messenger: those who want to sign up and report results themselves, the rest the organizer runs. How it looks in practice is in the organizer guide.

Run a tournament where everyone plays

Create a tournament in the bot and add those without Telegram as guests. One phone of yours is enough for everyone to play.

Open the bot in Telegram Browser version

Frequently asked questions

Can you play in a tournament without Telegram?

Yes. The organizer adds such a player as a guest by name, and they play in the common draw like everyone else. The only difference is that the organizer, not the player, enters their results.

How many smartphones does a tournament need?

Just one - the organizer's. Even if nobody else has Telegram, the tournament runs: the organizer enters everyone as guests and reports results from their own phone.

Does a guest play equally with the rest?

Fully. The bot pairs them by the Swiss system, awards points, computes Buchholz and shows them in the common table. The only difference is that the organizer enters their results.

Can I mix players with and without Telegram?

Yes, that's the usual case. Some sign up themselves via Telegram and report results, some the organizer adds as guests. To the bot they're all in one draw and one table.

Where is this especially needed?

Where not everyone has a smartphone: at school and a kids' camp (kids have no phones), at a factory (not all workers have phones), among the older generation in the neighborhood. Guest mode makes the tournament open to everyone.

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

At school - tournament at school. At a factory - tournament at a factory. At a camp - tournament over a camp session. Full mechanics - organizer guide.