Chess tournament forms: the full set

The list of players with their starting numbers - the foundation of the whole event. The number determines the first-round pairing and the order in the table.

The order of numbers: by descending rating, alphabetically where ratings are equal. With no ratings at all, alphabetical order or order of entry will do - but say which out loud, or somebody will decide the numbers were handed out by favouritism - about starting numbers.

A sheet with one round's pairings: who plays whom, at which table, with which colour, and space for the result. It is the arbiter's working document during the round.

Results are written as 1:0, 0:1 or ½:½. A no-show is marked «+» for the winner and «-» for the absent player: those games count in the table but not for rating.

Print the protocol twice: one copy for the arbiter, one pinned up in the hall so players can find their pairing without asking.

An individual sheet per player: who they played each round, with which colour, the result and the running score. The final table and the tie-breaks are assembled from the cards.

Cards are for official competitions: they are what a disputed calculation is checked against. At an amateur event the table in the software replaces them - there is no sense in writing the same data twice.

A small sheet on each table where both players record the outcome and sign. It solves the main problem of collecting results: «we drew, but a win was recorded».

The alternative to paper is confirmation by both players in an app: one records it, the other sees the entry and can contest it, and with no objection it is accepted automatically. Contested cases go to the organizer.

The main document of the event: every player, the round-by-round results, the total, the tie-breaks and the places. Published and sent to the players.

A round cell holds the opponent's number and the result: «12w1» means «played number 12 with White and won» - reading the table, and how the coefficients are computed - the Buchholz score.

The record of prizes handed out: who, for what, and what they received. For a company it also serves as the basis for writing the gifts off, so it is less of a formality than it looks.

From experience: leave blank lines for the special categories even before you know the winners. «Best newcomer», «youngest player» and «best game» get decided on the night, and a sheet with empty lines stops you forgetting to award them - the prize-giving.

For official competitions the chief arbiter prepares a report: the details of the event, the arbiting team, the number of players, the final table and an account of any disputes and the decisions taken. It is signed and passed to the organizing body.

The rating report is prepared separately, as a TRF file. It carries both the tournament parameters (name, city, federation, dates, number of players, system, arbiter, time control, rounds) and each player's data: sex, title, rating, federation, FIDE ID, date of birth, points, place and the full round history with colours and results.

In the Vibe Chess app that file is assembled automatically from the tournament and the player profiles - a finished event exports in one press. The same caveat as always: the Dutch rules are followed, but the service has no endorsement from the FIDE pairing-programs commission, so for a rated event agree the software with your federation in advance - the TRF format.

The minimum for an office or bar event: a list of players, a screen or sheet with the pairings, and a final table. Everything else belongs to competitions with a status. How to run one with no paper at all - a paperless tournament.