Swiss tournaments are paired by the bbpPairings engine under the rules of the FIDE Dutch system - the same system used by most official Swiss events. Round robins follow Berger tables. Neither the organiser nor the arbiter makes the pairings - the app calculates them, and every player sees their table, opponent and colour.
More on the engine - bbpPairings, on pairings - online chess tournament pairing, on round robins - Berger tables.
When points are equal, places are decided by a tie-break, and it differs between a Swiss and a round robin - this matters, and the app takes it into account:
In detail - tie-breaks in chess, FIDE tie-break regulations.
The tournament organiser has an arbiter's panel in the app. Everything an arbiter decides in the playing hall is decided right from the phone, and the app immediately reflects it in the standings, the pairings and the report:
More on the arbiter's work - arbiting a chess tournament, on withdrawals - removing a player from a tournament, on byes - a bye in a Swiss tournament.
An official report needs more than names. The Vibe Chess player profile has a section called FIDE and RCF standards (RCF is the Russian Chess Federation), and everything in it goes into the TRF:
If every player has a complete profile, the tournament runs fully automatically: the arbiter admits players by marking attendance, the app handles the pairings, rounds and standings, and at the end the arbiter gets a TRF with every field filled in - ready to submit to the federation or association. Nothing has to be retyped by hand.
TRF (the Krause format) is the standard FIDE format for exchanging tournament data, and it is usually what federations accept for rating. After the tournament the arbiter taps Export TRF report on the event card, and the file arrives as a document in their Telegram.
Alongside the TRF there are results as a PDF sheet for printing and the prize-giving. The requirements for rating itself (registering the tournament in advance, a qualified arbiter, the time control) should be checked with the federation - a Russian Chess Federation rated tournament, a FIDE-rated tournament, the TRF format.
If your federation or association would like to receive reports of tournaments run in Vibe Chess directly - without arbiters forwarding files - write to us. We can send you the TRF files of tournaments for official rating in the order and format you need. We will discuss the terms and technical details.
We build the Vibe Chess app ourselves and want it to be convenient for federations, associations and arbiters. Write to us and share your ideas - we are open to:
Yes. Swiss tournaments are paired by the bbpPairings engine under the rules of the FIDE Dutch system, and round robins follow Berger tables. The engine is not on FIDE's official list of endorsed programs, but the rules of the system are followed.
Enter the score on the players' behalf, record a forfeit by one side or a double forfeit, correct a recorded result, settle a disputed game, withdraw and reinstate a player, mark attendance and add players without a phone.
It is when neither player sits down at the board. In the app both score zero, not a draw; both are withdrawn from the tournament, and in the TRF both get a minus.
After the tournament, tap Export TRF report on the event card - the file arrives as a document in the arbiter's Telegram. It contains the tournament header, player data and the results of every round.
Players need to fill in their profile: name, sex, date of birth, FIDE ID and RCF code. Then the tournament runs fully automatically and the arbiter gets a file ready to submit.
TRF is the standard FIDE format, and it is usually what is accepted for rating. The requirements for the tournament itself (registration, arbiter, time control) should be checked with the federation in advance. If you want to receive reports directly, write to us.
The app is free. Terms of working with a federation - sending reports, turnkey tournaments, custom features - we will discuss separately.
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.
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.
Arbiting - arbiting a chess tournament, how to become a chess arbiter. Ratings - the Russian Chess Federation rating, FIDE requirements for tournaments. The governing body - what FIDE is.
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 →
