Running your first tournament: the 21-point checklist from arbiters who've done 100+

Running a 50-board tournament for the first time looks scary. Running one well is mostly about doing 20 small things in the right order. Here's the list, in the order you should do them.

Six weeks before

1. Lock the venue + table count (40 boards = 50 + a buffer)
2. Decide the format (Swiss, round-robin) and rounds (5–7 for one day, 7–9 for two days)
3. Decide entry fee + prize fund (industry rule: ~70% of entry fees back as prizes)
4. Build the registration page (BSPM gives you one in 10 minutes)
5. Post on chess-results.com + your branded portal

Two weeks before

6. Confirm arbiter team (1 chief + 1 floor per 25 boards minimum)
7. Order trophies / certificates
8. Send WhatsApp reminders to past players who haven't registered
9. Confirm refreshments / lunch arrangements

The day before

10. Print pairings + scoresheets + spare pens
11. Test the pairing software (BSPM works offline if venue WiFi dies)
12. Brief arbiters on tiebreak rules

The day itself

13. Registration desk open 90 minutes before round 1
14. Round 1 starts on time — late entries play round 2
15. Results entered live so parents can refresh
16. Lunch break of at least 45 minutes between rounds 3 and 4

The week after

17. Publish final cross-table to chess-results within 48 hours
18. Auto-send parent reports (BSPM does this — or send manually)
19. Email sponsors the Insights Report
20. WhatsApp every player a "thanks + save the date for next event" message
21. Open registration for the next event within 7 days. Momentum matters.