How Swiss pairing works
Swiss avoids a full round robin. Players are paired against opponents with similar records each round, so the field is sorted by results instead of by a fixed bracket. With 8 players, 3 rounds give a clear leader; with 16 players, 4 rounds.
Pairing rules used here
- Players are sorted by wins, then Buchholz (sum of opponents' wins), then fewest losses, then seed.
- The tool pairs players with similar records and tries to avoid rematches; if no rematch-free pairing is found, it uses the closest available pairing.
- With an odd number of players, the lowest-ranked player without a previous bye receives the bye. A bye counts as a win.
- If no rematch-free pairing exists, the closest available pairing is used.
This is a practical Swiss pairing, not a claim of full FIDE tiebreak rules. The standings show W, L, Buchholz, and byes so organizers can apply their own event rules.
Why rounds are generated one at a time
Round 2 cannot be paired until Round 1 is complete; the pairings depend on the results. Enter every result, then press Generate Round 2. Changing a result in an earlier round clears the later rounds because their pairings are no longer valid.
Worked example: 8 players
Round 1 pairs the field. After Round 1, four players are 1–0 and four are 0–1. Round 2 pairs within those groups. After Round 3, the best record leads; ties are broken by Buchholz. No player is eliminated — Swiss is a ranking format, not a knockout.