| Format | What remains after the evening | How people attend |
|---|---|---|
| One-off tournament | played and forgotten | people come when it suits them |
| League | every stage moves the season table | missing a stage costs points |
A league is the main retention tool: a player gets a history, a place in the table and a goal for the season. More on why people leave clubs - why players stop coming back.
Do not confuse season points with game points: a game gives points in the stage table (a win 1, a draw ½), those make up a place, and the league awards season points for the place. How the rating itself works - the Elo rating explained.
| Place at a stage | Points for the place | With taking part (+2) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | 27 |
| 2 | 20 | 22 |
| 3 | 16 | 18 |
| 4 | 13 | 15 |
| 5 | 11 | 13 |
| 6-10 | 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 | 12, 11, 10, 9, 8 |
| 11 and below | 0 | 2 |
This is the app's default scheme. Points for taking part keep people in the league: even the last player at a stage gets their 2 points and stays in the table. The organiser changes their number in the league settings - more points for taking part make the table an "attendance league", fewer make it a "results league".
| When | What | Format |
|---|---|---|
| September | stages 1-2 | blitz 5+3, 7-round Swiss |
| October | stages 3-4 | one stage - rapid 10+5 |
| November | stages 5-6 | the last chance to score points |
| December | super final | a round robin of the top 8 by points |
| End of December | closing the season | prize-giving, the table goes into history |
How to build a calendar for the whole season - a season calendar of competitions.
About guests - a player without a phone at a tournament.
If any of this matters for your league - write to the developers, the link is at the bottom of the page. A league for companies with teams and an HR report is a separate story: corporate chess tournaments.
In a league every stage brings points to an overall season table, and the league has its own rating. Missing a stage costs points, so people attend more regularly.
By default 25 for first place, 20 for second, 16 for third, then 13, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 down to tenth. Plus points for taking part - 2 by default, changeable by the organiser.
Yes. A person becomes a member by signing up for a league tournament and starts from the league's starting rating.
Yes, a league tournament moves both ratings. A tournament outside the league does not change the league rating.
Swiss and round-robin tournaments. A casual meetup has no final table, so it has no places.
Nothing: any Vibe Chess user can create and run a league for free.
The Vibe Chess app opens from a link and needs no installation. Setting up a tournament takes a minute: pick the system, set the date, the venue and the time control - the app handles the rest.
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.
More about seasons: a chess ladder, a season calendar, how to start a chess club and for tournament organisers.
At the board since childhood: hazy about his rating, precise about every rook he has blundered. Counts an evening as a good one if the opponent stayed to talk afterwards instead of rushing off to check with an engine. Message →
