Rapid means games with 10 to 60 minutes per player. Popular options: 10+5 (10 minutes plus 5 seconds per move) and 15+10- the gold standard of amateur rapid. Unlike blitz, there's time to think about a plan, so skill wins over pure hand speed.
The flip side is longer games, so a day has fewer rounds than a blitz evening. But each game is richer.
A rapid 15+10 game can run 40-50 minutes, so budget about an hour a round with seating. So for a weekend day:
Clocks are a must for rapid - free phone clocks work, one per table. A chess clock with increment has 15+10 and 10+5 ready as buttons, so nothing needs setting up between rounds.
A scenario: a club or family rapid, 16-20 players, 15+10 control, 5 rounds with a lunch break. Create the tournament in the bot Vibe Chess Bot with /create_tournament (pick rapid and rounds with buttons), then /start_tournament and /next_roundbetween rounds. Since the games are long, there's no rush - the bot waits for all results and deals the next round. More in the organizer guide.
Rapid gives 10 to 60 minutes per player per game (popular 10+5 and 15+10); blitz gives 3-5 minutes. Rapid lets you play thoughtfully with less randomness, but games are longer and a day has fewer rounds.
On rapid 15+10 budget about an hour a round, so a full day with lunch fits 5-6 rounds. Rapid 10+5 is faster - a round compresses to 35-40 minutes.
15 minutes for the whole game per player plus 10 seconds added after each move. The increment keeps a game from ending on the flag in a winning position.
Yes, they're mandatory - the time control is part of the format. Free phone clocks work, one per table.
Rapid - when you have a whole day and want richer games with less randomness. Blitz - when you have only an evening and want a fast, exciting tournament.
Everything people usually keep in a spreadsheet is already in the app: pairings, points, tie-breaks, round order. Free, with no subscriptions and no cap on the number of players.
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.
Faster - blitz in an evening. About the round count - how many rounds in the Swiss. A big tournament - 30+ player tournament. Gear - online chess clock.
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 →
