Pairings Setup Dialog
The Pairings Setup dialog appears each time you make pairings for a new round. Use it to set forced byes, forced pairings, starting board number, and round-specific options.
Settings here can change each round. For persistent settings that apply to the whole tournament (such as the pairing engine or restrictions), use Setup → Rules for Pairing.
Assigning Forced Byes
Select the player
Click a player in the roster on the right side of the dialog, or type their name in the search box above the roster.
Assign the bye
Click the Full, Half, or Zero button to assign the corresponding bye value.
Repeat as needed
Assign byes to all players who need them before pairing.
Assigning Forced Pairings
Select the first player
Click a player in the roster to select them.
Click “Add as White” or “Add as Black”
The player is added to the forced pairings list with their designated color.
Select their opponent and repeat
Select the second player and click the other color button to pair them together.
Assign a board number (optional)
SwissSys will prompt you for a board number for forced pairings. If left unspecified, board numbers are assigned automatically.
Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| In-depth searches (recommended) | Leave on for best color optimization. Uncheck only if pairings are running slowly. |
| Accelerated pairings | Add fictitious points to top players for this round. See Accelerated Pairings. |
| Vanilla pairings | Simplest pairing mode — top half vs. bottom half, no color optimization. See Vanilla Pairings. |
| Colorblind pairings | Pair without considering color history; optimize colors afterward. Hidden under strict FIDE rules. |
| Remove players from list as you go | Removes each player from the roster list after they are assigned, useful when making many assignments. |
| FIDE ratable round | Marks the round as FIDE-ratable. This checkbox is hidden in the shipped build; the round’s ratable status follows the persistent FIDE setting in Rules for Pairing. |
Changing Pairing Rules Mid-Setup
The dialog header shows the current pairing mode — either FIDE mode or USCF mode — so you can confirm which rule set is active before pairing.
Click Change pairing rules… to open the persistent pairing-rules dialog without leaving Pairings Setup. In FIDE-registration tournaments this opens the FIDE rules dialog; otherwise it opens Rules for Pairing. Any change you make there is reflected back in this dialog immediately — the In-depth searches, Colorblind pairings, and Vanilla pairings controls show or hide to match the new mode, and the acceleration and restrictions display refresh.
A Switch engine button also exists on this form but is hidden in the shipped build; the pairing engine is selected through Rules for Pairing.
Corrections and Clearing
The dialog keeps forced byes and forced pairings in two separate lists, each with its own clear button:
- Forced Byes list — select an entry and click Del to remove one, or click Clr all to empty the whole bye list (you are asked to confirm).
- Forced Pairs list — select an entry and click Delete to remove one, or click Clear all to empty the whole forced-pairings list (you are asked to confirm).
You can also press the Delete key while a list entry is selected to remove it.
Click OK to Pair when done to generate pairings, or Cancel to discard the round-specific settings.
Related Topics
- Rules for Pairing — Persistent tournament-wide pairing settings
- PAB (Pairing-Allocated Bye) — Automatic bye for odd number of players
- Accelerated Pairings — Fictitious points for early rounds
- Vanilla Pairings — Simplified pairing mode