Team Match Tournaments (Scheveningen System)

Team Match tournaments in SwissSys use the Scheveningen system, a specialized format where exactly two teams of equal size compete against each other. Each player on one team plays exactly one game against every player on the opposing team, ensuring complete head-to-head competition between the teams.

What is a Team Match Tournament?

A Team Match is the ideal format when two clubs, schools, or groups want every player on one side to face every player on the other. Unlike Swiss or round-robin formats, Team Match guarantees complete inter-team competition with optimal color balance across all rounds.

Tournament Format Overview

The Scheveningen system has specific structural requirements:

• Exactly Two Teams: Only two teams can participate in a Team Match tournament
• Equal Team Size: Both teams must have the same number of players
• Supported Board Counts: Teams must have exactly 4, 6, 8, or 9 players each
• Complete Round-Robin Between Teams: Each player plays every opponent on the other team exactly once
• Automatic Round Count: Number of rounds equals number of boards per team

How It Works

Setting Up Team Match Tournaments

Tournament Setup Process

Team Registration Requirements

• Team Codes: Register each player with a team code (up to 25 characters)
• Team Names: Use Team -> Expanded team names to assign full team names to codes
• Equal Sizes: Ensure both teams have identical player counts
• Valid Size: Total players per team must be 4, 6, 8, or 9

Pairing Process

Initial Pairing Setup

When you first generate pairings for a Team Match tournament, SwissSys presents two configuration dialogs:

1. Pairing Number Assignment

Choose how players are ordered within their teams:

• Assign by rating: Players are ordered by rating (highest rated = Board 1)
• Assign by lots (random): Players are randomly assigned board positions
• Leave unchanged: Use current player order as-is

2. Team Order Selection

SwissSys randomly assigns which team gets the lower pairing numbers (Team A) and which gets the higher numbers (Team B). You can accept this random assignment or swap the teams.

The team order affects color distribution in the first round and throughout the tournament.

All Rounds Paired Simultaneously

Unlike Swiss tournaments, Team Match tournaments pair all rounds at once when you first generate pairings:

• All rounds are created using official Scheveningen pairing tables
• The pairing tables ensure each player faces every opponent exactly once
• Color balance is automatically maintained across all rounds
• No additional pairing steps are needed after initial generation

Scoring and Results

Game Point Scoring

In Team Match tournaments:

• Individual Games: Each game scores normally (1 for win, 0.5 for draw, 0 for loss)
• Team Score: Sum of all individual game points for the team
• Match Result: Determined by comparing total team scores

Result Entry

Standard Result Entry

• Enter results through the main pairing chart interface
• Select any round to enter results for that round
• Results update both individual player and team statistics

Bulk Result Entry

• Use Pairings -> All Rounds Results Entry
• Enter results for multiple rounds in a single grid interface
• Especially efficient since all rounds exist from the start

Reporting

Available Reports

• Team Standings: Overall team scores and match results
• Individual Performance: Each player’s record against opposing team
• Round-by-Round Results: Detailed results for each round
• Wall Charts: Visual display of all pairings and results

Statistics Tracked

• Team Level: Total game points, match result (win/loss/draw)
• Individual Level: Personal score, board performance, color balance
• Board Analysis: Results organized by board position

Troubleshooting

Common Setup Errors

“Team Match requires exactly two teams of equal size”

This error appears when:

• More than 2 teams are registered
• Fewer than 2 teams are registered
• Teams have different numbers of players

Solution: Verify exactly 2 teams exist with identical player counts.

“Unsupported board count for Team Match. Use 4, 6, 8, or 9”

This error appears when team size is not one of the supported values.

Solution: Adjust team rosters to have exactly 4, 6, 8, or 9 players per team.

Pairing Issues

Cannot modify pairings after generation

Team Match pairings use fixed Scheveningen tables and cannot be manually adjusted like Swiss pairings.

Solution: If pairings are incorrect, you may need to clear all rounds and regenerate after fixing team rosters.

Result Entry Issues

Round appears but no games are paired

All players must be properly assigned to teams before pairing generation.

Solution: Verify all players have team codes assigned, then regenerate pairings.

Technical Background

Scheveningen Pairing Tables

SwissSys uses official Scheveningen pairing tables sourced from:

• English Chess Federation Round Robin Pairings document
• USCF Official Rules of Chess, Chapter 12

These tables guarantee:

• Each player faces every opponent exactly once
• Optimal color balance across all rounds
• Consistent pairing patterns used in official competitions

Comparison to Other Team Formats

Related Topics

• All Rounds Results Entry - Bulk result entry for Team Match tournaments
• Team Menu Commands - Team management interface
• Tournament Setup and Tools - Tournament configuration guide
• Fixed-Roster Team Tournaments - Alternative team format

Scheveningen Team Match tournament support was introduced in SwissSys v11.76