English Chess Forum

I help run a chess league and have a reasonable feel for what helps a league to run OK; but I'm much less familiar with the organisation of tournaments.

There are a number of people on here who have talked about the great organisation of e2-e4 tournaments. I think it'd be useful if there was a list of "top tips to running a successful tournament". I have views as a player, but I know little from the admin side. Could anyone list the things they think help make a tournament run smoothly?

In fear of sounding like Matthew Turner, go to www.ChessScotland.com and then to the CS info page and download Guide for Tournament Organisers. This can be found on the right hand side well down the page. It gives a lot of useful advice.

The most important thing in chess organisation is to train a deputy otherwise ... one goes, it all falls apart!

When forced into giving someone a bye, always look for the person who has travelled the furthest and therefore likely to have spent the most to take part.

Alex McFarlane wrote:In fear of sounding like Matthew Turner, go to http://www.ChessScotland.com and then to the CS info page and download Guide for Tournament Organisers. This can be found on the right hand side well down the page. It gives a lot of useful advice.

That document is very good.

Andrew Camp wrote:When forced into giving someone a bye, always look for the person who has travelled the furthest and therefore likely to have spent the most to take part.

Or, if you find a group of people who have all travelled from the same place, pair them against each other as much as possible.

The first thing to do is decide why you are running an event, and who your target audience is. That will make further decisions easier to make as you can always keep these things in mind.

Sean Hewitt wrote:The first thing to do is decide why you are running an event

I fear the usual answer to this question would be that you got roped into it at the last <chessorganisation> meeting.

Alex Holowczak wrote:

Sean Hewitt wrote:The first thing to do is decide why you are running an event

I fear the usual answer to this question would be that you got roped into it at the last <chessorganisation> meeting.

Alex - I mean why is the event being run.

Sean Hewitt wrote:Alex - I mean why is the event being run.

I fear the answer to that question might be "To raise money for <chessorganisation>".

But I take your point.

thanks everyone

In fear of sonding like myself, try 'Chess Organiser's Handbook'. It doesn't matter which edition. The section on this topic has not changed.
Stewart Reuben