Tournament systems
The tournament system determines opponents, the number of matches and how the winner is decided. Bar Chess Manager supports Swiss, round robin, playoffs and a mixed system combining qualification with playoffs.
Choose the system when creating a tournament. It affects pairing settings, standings and match order.
Choosing a system
| If you need to… | Choose |
|---|---|
| Run a few rounds with many players | Swiss |
| Let everyone play every opponent | Round robin |
| Decide a winner quickly through elimination matches | Playoffs |
| Rank players in qualification, then run elimination matches | Mixed system |
Swiss system
Swiss
Swiss suits large fields when there is no time for everyone to play everyone. The organizer sets the number of rounds. Before each round, the service pairs participants using current results, aiming to match similar scores.
Instead of a full round robin, each participant plays the specified number of games, one per round. Results update points, tiebreaks and places. This is useful for a large tournament in one evening.
An odd number of rounds, usually 5–11, is commonly chosen to reduce tied scores and give pairings more opportunities to separate participants by results.
Choose Swiss for many participants and a limited number of rounds.
See Swiss system for rounds, tiebreaks and pairings.
Round robin
Round robin
Every participant plays every opponent. Final standings therefore use the complete set of head-to-head encounters.
The service determines rounds from participant count and cycle count. One cycle means each pair meets once; two means twice. Round robin suits a small, stable group with time for all scheduled matches.
Consider group size: each extra participant increases rounds and games substantially. Round robin is typically used for 8–10 participants; above 12, the schedule may be too long.
Choose round robin for a complete competition with a small field. Match counts rise quickly as the field grows.
See Round robin for cycles, rounds and colors.
Playoffs
Playoffs
Playoffs use an elimination bracket. Participants play series: the winner advances and the loser leaves that bracket. This determines semifinalists, finalists and the winner.
Playoffs can be standalone or follow Swiss or round robin. Each bracket must start with a power-of-two field: 2, 4, 8, 16 and so on. Configure one bracket or two independent upper and lower brackets.
Choose playoffs for a dynamic event with a clear path to the final, or as a final stage after qualification.
See Playoffs for seeding, brackets, series and winner rules.
Mixed system
Mixed
A mixed system combines two stages: Swiss or round-robin qualification followed by playoffs for the leading participants.
Qualification determines places and seeding. In playoff settings, the organizer chooses how many advance and the bracket structure. Pairings and standings for qualification and playoffs can be viewed separately.
Choose a mixed system for full qualification followed by elimination matches. For example, run several Swiss rounds, select the top eight, then play quarterfinals, semifinals and a final.
See Mixed system for settings and moving between stages.
Tip
Estimate participant count and available time first. For a small group where everyone should meet, choose round robin. For many participants, choose Swiss. For a decisive final stage, add playoffs or select a mixed system.