First-move Advantage in Chess - Tournament and Match Play

Tournament and Match Play

In chess tournaments and matches, the frequency with which each player receives White and Black is an important consideration. In matches, the players' colors in the first game are determined by drawing lots, and alternated thereafter. In round robin tournaments with an odd number of players, each player receives an equal number of Whites and Blacks; with an even number of players, each receives one extra White or Black. Where one or more players withdraws from the tournament, the tournament director may change the assigned colors in some games so that no player receives two more Blacks than Whites, or vice versa. The double-round robin tournament is considered to give the most reliable final standings, since each player receives the same number of Whites and Blacks, and plays both White and Black against each opponent.

In Swiss system tournaments, the tournament director tries to ensure that each player receives, as nearly as possible, the same number of games as White and Black, and that the player's color alternates from round to round. After the first round, the director may deviate from the otherwise prescribed pairings in order to give as many players as possible their equalizing or due colors. More substantial deviations are permissible to avoid giving a player two more Blacks than Whites (for example, three Blacks in four games) than vice versa, since extra Whites "cause far less player distress" than extra Blacks, which impose "a significant handicap" on the affected player. Tournaments with an even number of rounds cause the most problems, since if there is a disparity, it is greater (e.g., a player receiving two Whites and four Blacks).