Free tournament management · FIDE 2026 ready. Open the app →
Round-Robin Tournaments and Berger Tables in Chess
Guide · Chapter 03 Structure of all-play-all tournaments, round schedules using Berger tables, managing byes, FIDE tie-breaks, and restricted draws.
In a round-robin chess tournament (also known as an all-play-all format), every participant plays directly against every other player in the field. This format eliminates pairing randomness and is used in the World Championship Candidates Tournament, national championship finals, and closed invitational events with a limited number of players.
Round-robin tournament structure
In a single round-robin with N players, each contestant plays exactly N−1 games. The final standings reflect the outcome of all direct head-to-head encounters across the group.
Organizational demands and tournament duration grow as the number of participants increases: a 10-player tournament requires 9 rounds, while a 14-player event requires 13 rounds. In open tournaments with dozens or hundreds of entries, running a complete round-robin is impractical; in such contexts, the Swiss system is used instead.
| Players (N) | Rounds (single) | Rounds (double) | Total games (single) | Total games (double) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| 6 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 30 |
| 8 | 7 | 14 | 28 | 56 |
| 10 | 9 | 18 | 45 | 90 |
| 12 | 11 | 22 | 66 | 132 |
| 14 | 13 | 26 | 91 | 182 |
Round-robin formats are ideal for club championships, qualification finals, invitational tournaments, and any competition where the number of participants allows all scheduled rounds to be played.
FIDE regulations for round-robin tournaments and their corresponding pairing tables are set out in FIDE Handbook C.05 — General Regulations for Competitions and in C.05 Annex 1 — Berger Tables.
→ Consult FIDE C.05 Annex 1
→ Consult FIDE C.05 Annex 1
Single vs double round-robin
In a single round-robin, each pair of players meets once. Color allocations (White or Black) for every round are fixed by the Berger table and cannot be altered.
In a double round-robin, each pair faces each other twice, with reversed colors in the second cycle. This second cycle neutralizes the statistical first-move advantage of White on the overall final standings.
Planning guidelines
2–3 day tournaments with 6–8 players: single round-robin (2–3 rounds per day).
Weekly tournaments with 6 players: double round-robin over 10 rounds.
When participant numbers are high relative to available time: consider choosing the Swiss system.
Handling odd player counts and byes
Berger tables are structured for an even number of pairing slots. When an odd number of participants enters (such as 5, 7, or 9), a dummy player (labeled as BYE or rest round) is inserted to bring the table to the next higher even number (N+1).
In the round where a contestant is paired against the dummy entry number, that player takes their rest round. In a 5-player tournament, a 6-slot table is used: position #6 represents the BYE, and each participant rests for exactly one round across the 5 total rounds.
FIDE Rating evaluation: rest rounds resulting from an odd number of players do not count as played games and produce no FIDE Elo rating changes for the participants.
Standings points and rest round management: in an odd-numbered round-robin, being paired with the dummy entry represents an unplayed round. Every player rests for the exact same number of rounds during the tournament, ensuring equality of games actually played. It is not an automatic victory point awarded by default (unless specifically provided by the tournament’s specific regulations) nor a half-point requested bye, which is a feature unique to Swiss system tournaments.
Practical example — 5 players
In a tournament with 5 registered players, the 6-slot Berger table is used. Position #6 is assigned to the BYE.
In each round, the player paired with position #6 rests. At the end of 5 rounds, every participant will have played 4 actual games and taken 1 rest round.
How Berger tables work
Pairing tables owe their name to Johann Berger (1845–1933), an Austrian master and theorist who defined their mathematical structure. The Berger table establishes two essential elements for every round: player pairings and color assignments.
The algorithm keeps the highest slot number fixed (the fixed pivot player N) while cyclically rotating the positions of the remaining N−1 players in each round. This mechanism ensures that color allocation between White and Black is balanced within the mathematical limits of the total number of rounds.
Berger tables for 4 and 6 players
Berger table for 4 players — 3 rounds
| Round | Board 1 | Board 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | 1 W – 4 B | 2 W – 3 B |
| Round 2 | 4 W – 3 B | 1 W – 2 B |
| Round 3 | 2 W – 4 B | 3 W – 1 B |
Color balance: over 3 odd rounds, players play 2 games with White and 1 with Black (or vice versa).
Berger table for 6 players — 5 rounds
| Round | Board 1 | Board 2 | Board 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | 1 W–6 B | 2 W–5 B | 3 W–4 B |
| Round 2 | 6 W–4 B | 5 W–3 B | 1 W–2 B |
| Round 3 | 2 W–6 B | 3 W–1 B | 4 W–5 B |
| Round 4 | 6 W–5 B | 1 W–4 B | 2 W–3 B |
| Round 5 | 3 W–6 B | 5 W–1 B | 4 W–2 B |
Color balance: each contestant plays 3 games with one color and 2 with the other. Position #6 acts as the fixed pivot.
Berger table for 8 players
The 8-player table schedules a tournament over 7 rounds (N−1 = 7), with 4 boards in each round. Positions 1 through 8 are allocated to players by drawing lots before the start of the event.
Berger table for 8 players — 7 rounds
| Round | Board 1 | Board 2 | Board 3 | Board 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | 1 W–8 B | 2 W–7 B | 3 W–6 B | 4 W–5 B |
| Round 2 | 8 W–5 B | 6 W–4 B | 7 W–3 B | 1 W–2 B |
| Round 3 | 2 W–8 B | 3 W–1 B | 4 W–7 B | 5 W–6 B |
| Round 4 | 8 W–6 B | 7 W–5 B | 1 W–4 B | 2 W–3 B |
| Round 5 | 3 W–8 B | 4 W–2 B | 5 W–1 B | 6 W–7 B |
| Round 6 | 8 W–7 B | 1 W–6 B | 2 W–5 B | 3 W–4 B |
| Round 7 | 4 W–8 B | 5 W–3 B | 6 W–2 B | 7 W–1 B |
Color distribution: every player plays 4 games with one color and 3 with the other. Position #8 remains fixed throughout.
Automated tournament management on ChessPairings.org
Use for free →
By selecting the “Round-Robin” format, the platform generates Berger schedules, tracks color balance, and calculates standings along with tie-break criteria.
Reading the tournament crosstable
In a round-robin tournament, match results are summarized in a crosstable (or cross-table). Each row corresponds to a player, while each column represents an opponent. The cell at their intersection displays the game outcome.
| Player | Fis | Kas | Tal | Pet | Spa | Kar | Bot | Las | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fischer | × | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6½ |
| Kasparov | 0 | × | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Tal | ½ | 0 | × | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5½ |
| Petrosian | 0 | 0 | 0 | × | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Spassky | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | × | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Karpov | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | × | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Botvinnik | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | × | 1 | 1 |
| Lasker | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | × | 0 |
The grid is read row by row: Fischer’s row shows a win (1) against Kasparov, a draw (½) against Tal, and wins (1) against the remaining five participants, for a total score of 6½ out of 7. The diagonal marked with the × symbol represents the cell where a player would meet themselves.
FIDE tie-break criteria for round-robin tournaments
In the event of a tie in points at the end of a round-robin tournament, the order of tie-break criteria is specified by the event’s specific tournament regulations. The FIDE C.07 (Tie-Break Regulations) directives establish the formal definitions of criteria without imposing a single universal sequence: it is up to the organizer to establish and publish the ordered list of applicable tie-breaks in the tournament regulations before the start of the first round.
In round-robin tournaments, the most commonly adopted criteria include:
1. Direct Encounter: evaluates the result or total score achieved in direct games played solely between the tied participants.
2. Sonneborn-Berger (SB): calculated by adding the final points of defeated opponents and half the final points of drawn opponents. It assigns higher value to victories achieved against higher-placed opponents.
3. Koya System: calculates the score obtained exclusively against participants who achieved 50% or more of the theoretical maximum tournament score.
4. Greater number of victories: rewards the participant who achieved the highest number of won games during the tournament.
Official FIDE rules for tie-break criteria are set out in FIDE Handbook C.07 — Tie-Break Regulations (effective 1 March 2026).
→ Consult FIDE C.07 Tie-Break Regulations (March 2026)
→ Consult FIDE C.07 Tie-Break Regulations (March 2026)
Restricted drawing of lots (FIDE C.06)
Before the tournament begins, participants are assigned pairing numbers (1 through N) that determine their rows and columns in the Berger table. In the absence of special constraints, numbers are assigned by public drawing of lots.
The regulation FIDE C.06 (Restricted Drawing of Lots) governs constrained draws. This procedure applies when it is necessary to prevent players from the same club, federation, or association from facing each other in the final rounds of the tournament.
To prevent potential tactical agreements near the end of the event, FIDE mandates that restricted players must meet in the early rounds. For this purpose, specific pairs of restricted numbers in the Berger table are used (for example, in 8-player tables, certain number pairs guarantee a direct encounter in round 1 or round 2).
In specific tournament regulations, the organizer may assign pairing number 1 directly to the top-seeded player prior to drawing the remaining positions, predefining their playing schedule in advance.
Operational procedures for restricted draws are described in FIDE Handbook C.06 — Restricted Drawing of Lots.
→ Consult FIDE C.06
→ Consult FIDE C.06
Comparing round-robin and Swiss system
Choose a round-robin when: tournament days and available time allow completing all scheduled rounds, and a final standing based on direct head-to-head encounters between every pair of players is required.
Choose the Swiss system when: the number of participants does not permit playing a full round-robin within the available rounds or the tournament is open to a large number of entrants.
Hybrid tournament formats: many events adopt a preliminary Swiss system phase (to select top qualifiers from a large field) followed by a final round-robin stage among the top 6 or 8 qualifiers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does a rest round (BYE) in a round-robin tournament award 1 point in the standings?
No. In an odd-numbered round-robin, being paired with the dummy entry simply indicates an unplayed round. Because all participants take exactly one rest round, everyone plays the same number of games and no automatic victory point is awarded by default (unless specifically provided by the tournament regulations).
Do rest rounds from odd player counts affect FIDE rating?
No. For FIDE rating variation calculations, only actually played games are considered. Rest rounds resulting from an odd player count produce no Elo rating changes.
What is the difference between a single and double round-robin?
In a single round-robin, each participant meets every opponent once, playing with White or Black according to the Berger table. In a double round-robin, each pair faces each other twice with reversed colors, neutralizing White’s statistical first-move advantage in the final standings.
Is there a mandatory tie-break sequence required by FIDE?
No. FIDE C.07 directives define how each criterion (Direct Encounter, Sonneborn-Berger, Koya, number of wins, etc.) is calculated, but require the organizer to establish and publish the exact application order of tie-breaks in the tournament regulations before games begin.