All the reasons share one thing: between signing up and the tournament the person gets no prompt to remember it. All the measures below are such prompts.
| Measure | How much it helps | In the Vibe Chess app |
|---|---|---|
| A reminder on the day | strong | sent automatically in the app |
| Confirmation the evening before | strong | by hand: a message in the tournament chat |
| Prepayment or an entry fee | very strong | outside the app: a transfer to the organiser |
| A cap on places | medium | built in: sign-up closes when places run out |
| Attendance check-in before round one | does not reduce no-shows but saves the pairing | built in: only those present are paired |
| Visible no-shows | medium, over time | built in: a "registered but did not come" block on the event card |
| Easy cancellation | indirect: frees up places | built in: a player leaves the list themselves |
| A convenient time | strong | the organiser's decision |
A reminder on the day of the tournament is the cheapest measure. It should contain everything needed to come without opening anything else: time, address, "arrive 10-15 minutes early", what to bring.
Confirmation the evening before is the next step: "Please confirm by 8 pm, or we will give your place away". Those who do not confirm are likely no-shows, and their places can go to people on the waiting list. How to run one - a tournament waiting list.
Even with good reminders someone will not come. The main thing is that it does not break the tournament. For that, the first round is paired not from the list of sign-ups but from the list of those present: before the start the organiser marks who is in the room, and only they are paired.
If someone fails to appear after the pairing, their opponent gets a forfeit win rather than waiting until the end of the round. How to handle it - late arrival and forfeit.
In the Vibe Chess app the organiser sees a player's whole path - from sign-up to the last round:
Signing up for free is easy, and between signing up and the tournament there is no prompt to remember it. A reminder on the day and confirmation the evening before noticeably raise attendance.
An entry fee or prepayment. If they do not suit the format - a reminder on the day and confirmation the evening before.
Pair from those present, not from those who signed up: check attendance before the start and only then make the pairings.
Yes. On the morning of the event a reminder with the name, address and start time goes to everyone who signed up in advance.
Yes. After the event such players are shown on its card as a separate "registered but did not come" block.
There are no club or arbiter roles in the app: the create button is available to everyone. You can announce a tournament today and run it this weekend.
when there are more than ten players and nobody should be knocked out
when the field is small and fairness matters most
when you simply want to get together and play
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 players: a tournament waiting list, tournament announcement templates, tournament registration and a double forfeit.
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 →
