Tournament formats

We have on average about 18 - 22 players per tournament, with CXR ratings varying from 1000 to 2000. That's a pretty large spread, with very few players. And so it usually only takes 4 rounds to determine a winner, with a 5th round simply as an extra round. Perhaps we can consider other formats...

Let's take a poll, shall we? Please feel free to select multiple options. Explanations for each method are described below:


Single Section Swiss

This is the format we usually use. So all 20 players would play in a single section. And we'd typically play 5 rounds. But we really need only 4 rounds to determine a winner usually.

This system is the most versatile, in that if a player needs to take a BYE for a round, we can easily re-pair the remaining players.

Multi-Section Swiss

We could divide the group into 2 or 3 sections. And so players would play against other players of similar strength. For example, if we divided into 2 sections, say U1300 and OPEN, the U1300 group would have about 9 players, and the OPEN section would have 13.

But with so few players, players will play most other players, regardless of how many points they have (i.e. it's very similar to a round robin). Also, players from one section cannot be paired with players from the other section, in the event sections have an odd number of players (ie, 2 players may need to take a BYE at the same time, without the opportunity to play each other).

Multi-Section Round Robin

So if we have very few players, why not just go for the round robin format. A 5-round round robin means each section would have 6 players. And 18-22 players would yield 3-4 complete sections.

I like this approach, because players are most likely to play individuals at their level. And we can have winners for each section. But again, when someone needs to miss a round, the player cannot be re-paired with a player from another section.

Multi-Section Double Round Robin

Another interesting way to break up the groups, and to keep it challenging and competitive, is to employ a double round-robin system, where players would play each other player in the group twice. So a 6-round double round robin would have 3 players per section. I think this makes for some interesting dynamics for "pay back", if you lose a game to a rival. Each player would also have a chance to play both the black and white pieces against an opponent.

So what do you guys think? Let's take a poll, and we can review comments from members, and decide on a common approach for the next 2013-2014 season.

Thank you.