Most amateur tournaments use the Swiss system. Its key feature: opponents are matched by points. Lose in round one - in round two you play someone who also lost. After two or three rounds you will be among opponents of your own level, and the games become even.
| Rule | In short | In detail |
|---|---|---|
| Touch-move | touched your own piece - move it; you may adjust only by saying "I adjust" first | touch-move |
| Clock | made your move - press the clock with the same hand | a chess clock on your phone |
| Illegal move | the first - the opponent gets extra time, the second - a loss | an illegal move |
| Flag fall | your time ran out - a loss, if the opponent has material to mate | a fallen flag |
| Draw | offered after your own move, before pressing the clock | offering a draw |
| Phone | at Vibe Chess meetups - only with the app open, as the clock | phones in the tournament hall |
Before round one the organiser usually announces the evening's rules: the control, what happens after an illegal move, how to enter the result. Listen carefully - those are the rules in force at this tournament.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Two weeks before | play 10-20 games online at the same time control as the tournament |
| A week before | pick one opening with White and one reply with Black - and play only those |
| Three days before | solve tactics puzzles for 15 minutes a day: forks, pins, mate in two |
| The day before | do not play late, go to bed on time, check the address and time, charge your phone |
| On the day | eat, arrive 15 minutes early, check in, find your table |
The main thing in preparation is getting used to the clock. At a first tournament more games are lost on time than through bad moves. Tactics for beginners - chess tactics for beginners, first openings - chess openings for beginners.
A list of things to take - what to bring to a chess tournament.
Yes. At amateur Swiss tournaments opponents are matched by points, and after two or three rounds you will be playing people at your level.
Touch-move, pressing the clock with the same hand, what happens after an illegal move and a flag fall, how to offer a draw and what about the phone.
Play 10-20 online games at the same control, pick one opening with White and one reply with Black, and solve short tactics puzzles.
Nothing special: nobody is knocked out, and the pairing will find your next opponent among those who also have zero.
Open a tournament in your city in the app and tap Sign up. On the morning of the tournament a reminder arrives, and each round's pairings come to your phone.
No arbiter skills required. The app takes over the part that usually stops people from running tournaments at all: who plays whom in each round and who finishes first.
works for ten players and for fifty
for a small group that wants to play everyone
for those who do not need a bracket at all
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.
For players: what to bring to a chess tournament, touch-move, a fallen flag and learning chess as an adult.
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 →
