The situation comes up fairly often for tourney directors: you glance down at your roster and notice an odd number of players. It is not the end of the world, just a hiccup in neat pairing system called Swiss pairing. Now you’ve got thirty players and one sits out because he/she had to. Or maybe … Read more

In a Swiss tournament, few rounds end with a Hollywood-style finish. Instead, it tends to be a hushed mathematical puzzle in one of the halls’ corners: two competitors with the same score is facing off against each other. And while it’s not always the victor who carries the trophy home. Often, it’s the one with … Read more

You sit at table with a score of four and a half in a five-round event. You’ve got four and a half sitting on the table in front of you. So does another guy, seated across from you. Tournament director, it’s your call: Who goes on? Whose name gets ranked more than the other? That’s … Read more

There’s nothing like crushing a tournament bracket. Then someone mumbles something about being lucky. Yeah, it burns. Because this stuff are competitive. You want to beat everybody, but you also want your victories to count for something. Beating beginners feels hollow compared to rough run through elite tables. That’s why we made the strength of … Read more

Tournament directors are not only tasked with running a game but they must also manage complicated logistics. A clock refuses to stop ticking; judges need coffee breaks; and players wants to sit together. This is where the Swiss pairing system comes into play. All player stay in the tournament, none get eliminated early and everyone … Read more

But this is never about talent at the end of a season; it’s always about math. Yes, you have a team that could win, but the bracket don’t care about potential. The bracket only cares about whoever is sitting wherever once schedule is finished. And that’s why knowing about cutoff paces and seed bands matter … Read more

Most importantly, it helps fill a gap between thinking I’m getting better at a game, and actualy being better at one. Points per game scores turns board gaming from an abstract social ritual into a real collection of skills where you can clearly point to an improvement (or lack thereof) and back it up with … Read more