---
title: "How to Organise a Small Xiangqi Tournament · Xiangqi Master"
description: "Confirm entrants and a room first, pick a Swiss format with free pairing software, set a clear time control, and appoint one person to settle disputes."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/how-do-i-organise-a-small-xiangqi-tournament
updated: 2026-09-23
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# How do I organise a small xiangqi tournament myself?

These answers restate the rules implemented by our open-source engine, which follows the WXF laws and is regression-tested against the official 110-diagram repetition casebook. Where an answer refers to a specific position, that position lives on the linked reference page, where the build verifies it against the engine before publishing.

> Direct answer
>
> **Confirm your entrants and a room before anything else**, then pick a **Swiss format** using free pairing software rather than pairing by hand, set a clear time control in advance, and appoint one person to settle disputes before the first round starts, even in a small, friendly event.

## Keep the format simple

For a small field, a short Swiss event or a straightforward round robin needs no special equipment beyond boards, clocks and a way to generate pairings, and several free tools handle Swiss pairings competently for a club-sized entry list. Decide the number of rounds and the time control before advertising the event, not after players have already shown up.

## Somebody has to be the arbiter

Even a friendly club event needs one person, ideally not also playing, willing to make the final call on a disputed move or a repetition question. Read the rules on perpetual check and chase in advance, since that is the one area where xiangqi arbitration genuinely differs from chess and where a casual organiser is most likely to be caught out.

## Related questions

Do I need official equipment?

No. Any legible sets and any working clocks are enough for a casual club event.

Should I run it rated?

Only if you have access to a rating system that supports it; otherwise treat it as a casual event and say so clearly in advance.

## Related xiangqi resources

Play xiangqi

Free, in the browser, nothing to install

Perpetual check and chase

Repetition is adjudicated, not automatically drawn

Xiangqi questions answered

Every question on this site, in one index

## Try it on a real board

Reading an answer is one thing; playing it is another. Free, instant, and nothing to install.