A one-off tournament for one evening does not usually need any formal registration of the agreement: in most countries that is only required for long-term leases of premises.
| Model | How it works | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly hire | a fixed sum for the hours in the room | clubs, coworking spaces, halls; tournaments with an entry fee |
| Deposit | a sum paid in advance and spent on guests' food and drinks | cafés and restaurants; an evening in a private room |
| Minimum spend | each guest orders at least a set amount | cafés on quiet days; free-entry tournaments |
| Free | the venue earns from guests' orders | coffee shops and bars on weekdays; regular meetups |
| Share of entry fees | the venue gets part of the players' fees | rare; when the venue helps with promotion |
For a coffee shop or bar a chess evening means guests on a quiet day. So many venues are happy to give the room for free or for a minimum spend: footfall pays them, not hire. How to talk to a venue - a chess tournament in a bar and a chess tournament in a restaurant.
Everything worth writing down, even if the agreement is a message in a messenger:
| Clause | What to write | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Room and capacity | address, which room, how many people fit | so you do not end up in the main room with strangers |
| Date and time | including an hour to set up and half an hour to clear | a tournament never starts on time if the room opens at the start |
| Tables and chairs | how many tables, what size, who sets them out | each table holds a board and a phone with the clock; tiny tables will not do |
| Sockets and light | how many sockets, whether extension leads are allowed, whether there is enough light | the clock and camera on phones run all evening |
| Internet | guest Wi-Fi, the password, rough speed | pairings and scores go over the internet, a broadcast even more so |
| Music and noise | turn the music down or off during games | in a loud room nobody can think or hear announcements |
| Price and payment | the model, the amount, the prepayment deadline | an argument about money after the tournament is the worst end to an evening |
| Cancellation and rescheduling | how many days in advance you can cancel, what happens to the prepayment | tournaments are rescheduled more often than you think |
| Food and drink | the menu, whether you may bring your own, alcohol | at a junior tournament - no alcohol in the room |
| Property | who is responsible for the organiser's sets, clocks, projector and the venue's furniture | pieces get lost and tables get scratched |
| Promotion and photos | mentioning the venue in the announcement, whether you may photograph the room and the sign | the venue needs promotion, the organiser needs photos |
| Regular events | if meetups are weekly - one agreement for the season and a booking per date | no paperwork every week |
How to choose a room and work out the floor space - a chess tournament venue.
A good agreement benefits both sides. Arguments worth putting to the venue:
If a company commissions the tournament rather than you, that is a different agreement, with the client: a proposal and a contract for running a tournament.
In the Vibe Chess app the organiser has a My venues section. A venue is added once - with a photo, address, map link and description - and every event there picks up this data by itself:
What to write on the venue card and in the organiser rules is covered in a separate guide.
For an evening without much money involved, a message thread with all the terms is enough: time, room, tables, payment, cancellation. For a tournament with hire, entry fees and prizes a written agreement is better.
By hourly hire, a deposit for food and drinks, a minimum spend per guest, or for free - in exchange for guests on a quiet day.
Usually not. Formal registration is generally required only for long-term leases of premises; check the rules in your country.
Set-up time before the start, the music, sockets, Wi-Fi at the far tables and the cancellation terms.
One agreement for the season with common terms and a short booking for each date.
Add it in My venues with a photo, address and description. Every event at this venue will pick them up automatically.
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.
for a large field: opponents are matched by score, you choose the number of rounds
for a small circle: everyone plays everyone, the round count follows from the field
no rounds, no pairings: players sign up and pick opponents at the table
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 organising: a chess tournament venue, a tournament proposal and contract and the tournament organiser's checklist.
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 →
