I propose the following Swiss-pairing system:
Round 1: The players are divided into four rating groups. The highest-rated player in group 1 has White against the highest-rated player in group 2. The same applies to groups 3 and 4.
Round 2: The highest-rated winner gets Black against the highest‐rated winner in the other half. The second-highest gets Black against the second‐highest in the other half, and so on.
Round 3+: Standard Swiss pairing begins. Players are sorted by points, then Buchholz score, then original rating. Pairing proceeds from the top downward, each player being matched with the next available opponent.
Colour allocation: The player who has had fewer White games receives White. If both have had the same number of White games, the player with the higher starting number (lower rating) receives White.
This system is suitable for open tournaments. Elite players can hardly complain, since they face lower-rated opponents in the first two rounds. In Monrad, the early rounds can be unfair, as one top player may face a strong opponent while another meets a weak one. At the same time, this system avoids the oscillation that mid-level players may suffer in other Swiss systems, namely alternating between opponents who are far too weak and far too strong.
The system can be tested online here: Swiss Tournament System
I propose the following Swiss-pairing system:
Round 1: The players are divided into four rating groups. The highest-rated player in group 1 has White against the highest-rated player in group 2. The same applies to groups 3 and 4.
Round 2: The highest-rated winner gets Black against the highest‐rated winner in the other half. The second-highest gets Black against the second‐highest in the other half, and so on.
Round 3+: Standard Swiss pairing begins. Players are sorted by points, then Buchholz score, then original rating. Pairing proceeds from the top downward, each player being matched with the next available opponent.
Colour allocation: The player who has had fewer White games receives White. If both have had the same number of White games, the player with the higher starting number (lower rating) receives White.
This system is suitable for open tournaments. Elite players can hardly complain, since they face lower-rated opponents in the first two rounds. In Monrad, the early rounds can be unfair, as one top player may face a strong opponent while another meets a weak one. At the same time, this system avoids the oscillation that mid-level players may suffer in other Swiss systems, namely alternating between opponents who are far too weak and far too strong.
The system can be tested online here: [Swiss Tournament System](https://mats-winther.github.io/swiss-eng.htm)