Your first tournament can be exciting and a little intimidating. The good news: most open tournaments welcome players of every level, and first-time players are very common. This guide covers everything from choosing an event to analysing your games afterwards.

1. Choose the right event

• An open or rapid tournament is ideal for a first event. One-day rapid tournaments are perfect for getting used to the atmosphere.
• Some events are split into rating groups (for example under 1600) so you play opponents at your level.
• Youth tournaments are organised separately for children and juniors.
• In the mytourneys calendar you can filter tournaments by country, city, date and type; members see registration links, entry fees and prizes.

2. Registration

Most tournaments accept online registration. FIDE-rated or official national events usually require a federation membership and a FIDE ID; the details are in the tournament announcement. Watch the deadline: popular events can fill up early.

3. How the Swiss system works

Most open tournaments use the Swiss system. The event has a fixed number of rounds (usually 5–9) and everyone plays every round; there is no elimination. In each round players on similar scores are paired and colours are balanced as far as possible. A win is 1 point and a draw 0.5. Ties are broken by criteria such as the sum of opponents' scores (Buchholz and others).

4. Rules you must know

• Touch-move: if you touch a piece you must move it. To straighten a piece, say 'I adjust' first.
• A move is complete once you release the piece on its new square.
• You finish your move by pressing your clock with the same hand.
• Recording moves on a scoresheet is mandatory in classical events.
• Electronic devices usually must be switched off completely or handed to the arbiter; a ringing phone can lose you the game.
• If there is a problem, stop the clock and call the arbiter instead of arguing with your opponent.

5. Game day

• Arrive early: check the pairings, find your board and settle in.
• Bring water, a light snack and a pen.
• Light review and rest beat heavy study right before a game.
• If you know your opponent, studying their games is a big edge: mytourneys' Opponent Prep tool uses Stockfish 19 to reveal their openings and typical mistakes.

6. During the game

Stay calm and spread your time evenly. Before each move, check your opponent's threats. If you make a bad move, don't resign immediately; at amateur level games often swing several times. When the game ends, shake hands and report the result to the arbiter or results desk.

7. After the game

After the tournament, review your games, especially the losses: first on your own, then with an engine. Note which phase went wrong (opening, middlegame, endgame) and work on it before the next event. For tactical mistakes, regular puzzle solving is the fastest fix.

💡 The goal of your first tournament is experience, not winning. Treat every game as a lesson; after a few events your comfort and your results will improve noticeably.