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What software do you need to run a chess tournament?

It depends on whether a federation rates the games. A casual night runs on a phone app, or even pen and paper. A club Swiss runs on a tool that's free at that size, such as Vega or Tornelo, or on Checkmate IRL if every player has the app. A rated event needs a program that writes your federation's rating file, and for FIDE one on FIDE's endorsed list, such as Swiss-Manager, Vega or Swiss-Chess.

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What do casual nights and club tournaments need?

Open play needs boards and nothing else. Once you add rounds, you need pairings, and you can do a small Swiss by hand, though a tool is quicker and keeps colors and byes straight.

These options cost little or nothing, as listed in October 2026:

What does a rated tournament need?

A program that produces the file your federation accepts, and the person the federation trusts to send it. For FIDE, pick a program on FIDE's endorsed list; the list doesn't include WinTD.

• FIDE: a program on FIDE's endorsed list (its status under the 2026 Swiss rules is unconfirmed, so check with your federation before a norm event) and an arbiter. Your national federation's rating officer passes the TRF file on to FIDE.
• US Chess: a certified tournament director uploads 3 .dbf files, which SwissSys, WinTD and Vega all export.
• ECF: games on clocks, blitz from 3 minutes per player. Submit a file from Swiss software with ECF support, such as Vega, or the ECF's Excel template.
• DWZ in Germany: tell players before round 1 that it's rated and send the complete crosstable to your Wertungsreferent. Both Swiss-Chess and Vega can produce the DWZ file.

Do players need to install anything?

With a desktop program or a one-phone app, no: only the organizer runs it. Lichess and Chess.com need an account for every player, and they only pair games played on their own sites. Checkmate IRL needs the free app on every player's phone, because that's where each pairing appears.

Where does Checkmate IRL fit?

We build Checkmate IRL, so weigh this part with that in mind. It runs Swiss and casual nights for free on iOS and Android, with automatic pairings, board numbers and colors on each phone, and live standings. Results feed the app's own offline rating and produce no FIDE, US Chess, ECF or DWZ report, so a rated event needs one of the rating programs.

Prices, platforms and pairing systems for 12 tools are in the full comparison.

Frequently asked questions

Is there free chess pairing software?

Yes. Vega is free on Linux and free on Windows or Mac for up to 20 players, Tornelo is free unless players pay an entry fee through it, and Checkmate IRL is free for nights where everyone has the app.

Which pairing programs are on FIDE's endorsed list?

Swiss-Manager, Vega, SwissSys, Swiss-Chess, Tornelo and ChessManager are among them. The list predates FIDE's revised Swiss rules, in force since 1 February 2026, and we couldn't confirm which programs FIDE has endorsed for them, so check with your federation before a norm event.

Can I pair a Swiss tournament by hand?

Yes, for a small group: pair players on the same score who haven't met and keep colors balanced. A pairing tool does it in seconds.

What software do US Chess tournament directors use?

SwissSys and WinTD both write US Chess rating reports, and Vega also exports the 3 .dbf files US Chess needs for a rating report.

Does Checkmate IRL send results to FIDE or my federation?

No. Its results count toward the app's own offline rating only. For a rated event, run the pairings in a program that writes your federation's file.

Chess tournament software compared · How to run a Swiss tournament · Chess tournament formats · Your first chess tournament · Free tools for organizers