Work

Swiss-system chess tournaments and unfairness

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The Swiss system is an increasingly popular competition format as it provides a favourable trade-off between the number of matches and ranking accuracy. However, there is no empirical study on the potential unfairness of Swiss-system chess tournaments if an odd number of rounds is played. To analyse this issue, our paper compares the number of points scored in the tournament between players who played one game more with the white pieces and players who played one game fewer with the white pieces. Using data from 28 highly prestigious competitions, we find that players with an extra white game score significantly more points. In particular, the advantage exceeds the value of a draw in the four Grand Swiss tournaments. A potential solution to this unfairness could be organising Swiss-system chess tournaments with an even number of rounds, and guaranteeing a balanced colour assignment for all players using a recently proposed pairing mechanism.

Source: Annals of Operations Research

DOI: 10.1007/s10479-026-07412-6

Authors: László Csató, Alex Krumer

Institutions: Corvinus University of Budapest, HUN-REN Institute for Computer Science and Control, Hungarian Research Network, Molde University College

Language: English

Topic: Sports Analytics and Performance

Subfield: Economics and Econometrics

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,090

Funders: Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, Nemzeti Kutatási, Fejlesztési és Innovaciós Alap, National Research, Development and Innovation Office