Tournament builders
Swiss Tournament Pairing Guide
Round-1 Swiss pairings and how many rounds you need for a given field.
Free · instant · no sign-upDeterministic
Result
Participants16
Suggested rounds4
≈ log₂(participants).
Matches per round8
| Board | Pairing (by seed) |
|---|---|
| Board 1 | 1 v 9 |
| Board 2 | 2 v 10 |
| Board 3 | 3 v 11 |
| Board 4 | 4 v 12 |
| Board 5 | 5 v 13 |
| Board 6 | 6 v 14 |
| Board 7 | 7 v 15 |
| Board 8 | 8 v 16 |
Round-1 pairings (top seed vs upper-half of the field). Later rounds pair players on equal scores.
The formula
Swiss system
rounds ≈ log₂N; round 1 pairs top vs upper half
Source: Swiss-system tournament rules
What it means
- Everyone plays every round; later rounds pair players on equal scores — no early elimination.
Limitations
- Only round-1 pairings can be pre-generated; later rounds depend on results.
Educational only
This is a deterministic tool: the same inputs always give the same result. It is for learning and planning, not a substitute for coaching or measurement.
Keep exploring
Follow the threads from this tool into the wider knowledge base.