Varma table

A Varma table is used when assigning tournament numbers in certain round-robin competitions. In a round robin, every participant eventually plays every other participant, and the drawn tournament number determines when each meeting occurs. The choice of numbers can therefore affect which round contains a particular matchup.

The restricted-drawing rules of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) cover cases where players from the same federation should, if possible, avoid meeting in the final three rounds. Varma tables group tournament numbers that support that aim. The contingents with the most representatives draw first from prepared groups of numbers, following FIDE's procedure.

FIDE publishes Varma number groups for events with 9 to 24 players, in paired sizes such as 9/10, 11/12, and so on. A Varma table is not a Swiss pairing system and does not recalculate opponents after each round. It restricts the initial draw of numbers so the round-robin schedule separates specified players late in the event when possible.