Adjusting Pairings
The pair chart offers two ways to adjust pairings after they are generated: switching players between existing pairings, and using the replacement players list to insert, remove, or rearrange players.
Set up forced pairings and forced byes before generating pairings using the Pairings Setup Dialog. This reduces the need for manual adjustments afterward.
As a rule:
- use Switch when both players are already paired and you only want to trade places
- use the Replacement players list when an unpaired player, a bye row, or a deleted row is involved
If the round has not started and several pairings should change, it is usually safer to back up and pair the round again.
Switch Two Players
Use this when two players in different pairings need to swap opponents.
Enter switch mode
Click the Switch button (labeled S) in the toolbar. The cursor changes to indicate switch mode.
Select the first player
Click the first player. Their name highlights in red.
Select the second player
Click the player to switch with. The switch completes immediately.
To cancel a switch in progress, click the highlighted (red) player again, or click the Switch button again.
You can also use Enter to confirm a switch while in switch mode.
Insert an Unpaired Player
Use this to add a late-registering player or replace a no-show.
Insert mode is a left-side operation. If you try to insert from the black side of the chart, SwissSys may redirect you to a safer alternative such as replace mode, left-side insert, or the next board down.
Open the replacement players list
Click the Replacement players list button (far right of toolbar). A panel appears showing all unpaired players.
Choose insert mode
In the replacement players panel, set the mode:
- Replace mode — The dragged player takes the place of an existing player or bye (use this for late arrivals or no-shows)
- Insert before / Insert after — A new pairing is created above or below the target row (use this when adding a completely new match-up)
Drag the player onto the chart
Click the player’s name in the replacement list and drag it to the desired row in the pair chart.
Delete a Player or Match-Up
Open the replacement players list
Click the Replacement players list button.
Delete the player or pairing
Either:
- Select the player in the pair chart and click the Delete player or Delete pairing button, or
- Drag
<Delete player>or<Delete whole matchup>from the replacement list to the appropriate row
Deleted players move automatically to the replacement players list where they can be reassigned.
Deleting or inserting rows can leave board numbering uneven. If needed, use Setup → Manage board numbers… after you finish rearranging the chart.
Pair Two Bye Players Against Each Other
This requires two steps:
Delete one bye player from the chart
Open the replacement players list and delete the player who will play black. That player moves to the replacement list.
Drag the player to the other bye row
Drag the deleted player from the replacement list onto the row of the other bye player, on the black side of the chart.
Important Limits
- These tools are mainly for the current round. For past-round corrections, see Adjusting Past Round Pairings below.
- In fixed-roster team events, broad team-level changes are safer from the team-based pair chart than from the individual player view.
- In double-blitz style events, manual drag-and-drop changes may need to be repeated for the paired even-numbered game.
Adjusting Past Round Pairings
If players mistakenly played the wrong opponents in a previous round:
- Use the Results Editor to correct the round data directly, or
- Edit the main view, or
- Use Back to a Previous Round to restore the state before the problem round and re-pair from there