Creating a tournament on the iqpi.io platform — how to create an online tournament in your account: from the Create tournament button to publication. You can run an online Chess tournament (or Tetris / Capital Chess) with a prize pool, with or without an entry fee; choose knockout or Swiss system, complete steps 1–5, and publish (for a prize tournament with a fixed prize pool — with prize-pool funding).

Below — where to start, which flags to choose in the modal, what each step configures, and how to publish or cancel a tournament.

Do not confuse with Organizing tournaments (organizer earnings) and Prize tournaments (participant view). System and fee details are in the neighboring articles in the Tournaments section.

Related topics: Knockout system, Swiss system, Player requirements, Fees, Balance management, Donations.

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Where things are

There is no separate “create only” URL: first the modal and match settings, then a draft at /lk/tournaments/{slug}?edit=1&draft_step=….

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What you need before creating

1. Sign in to your account.
2. IQPIC balance not below the tournament-creation threshold (value from platform settings). If funds are short, an Insufficient funds window opens with amounts “required / on balance / shortfall” and a Top up button → /lk/balance?deposit=1. This check is before the wizard starts — it is not a charge for opening the form.
3. For a prize tournament with a predefined prize pool (not “from fees only”), you will need prize-pool funding from your balance before publication — see below.

Top-up: Balance management.

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Overall flow

1. My tournaments → Create tournament.
2. Modal: game and basic flags → Continue.
3. Match settings page (chess or tetris) → Continue — a draft is created.
4. Wizard steps 1–5 on the tournament page.
5. Publish (when needed — Fund and publish with prize-pool funding).

Status before publication: Draft.

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“Create tournament” modal

UI hints:

• prize — “If enabled — the tournament will have a prize pool.”;
• fee — “If enabled — an entry fee will be required to participate.”;
• donations — “Enables accepting donations from players on the tournament page”;
• friends — “Only users from the organizer’s friends list will be able to register for the tournament”.

Donations ≠ players topping up the prize pool. See Donations.

Swedish (Bughouse) is not available when creating a tournament. Capital Chess and Tetris: Attack are set on the next screen as the match / win mode, not as a separate button in this modal.

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Match settings

After Continue, the game-creation screen opens with the tournament flag:

• chess: /lk/game/create/chess?tournament_create=1&…;
• tetris: /lk/game/create/tetris?tournament_create=1&….

Here you set time control and mode (for chess — including win mode Classic or Capital Chess; for tetris — including Tetris: Attack). In tournament mode, challenging a specific player, handicap, and rated Buy-in are hidden — the match for the bracket is a normal tournament game.

Continue creates the draft and goes to /lk/tournaments/{slug}?edit=1&draft_step=1. Back — to My tournaments.

Game rules: Chess, Capital Chess, Tetris, Tetris: Attack.

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Draft steps (1–5)

UI headings: Step 1 … Step 5.

Step 3 appears only if the tournament is a prize tournament.

Step 1 — main parameters

Fee recipient (if fee is enabled):

• Tournament (prize pool);
• Organizer;
• Mixed — separately % to organizer (0–99).

Details: Fees, Organizing tournaments.

Systems: Knockout, Swiss.

Step 2 — player requirements

• Minimum balance;
• Level;
• Lichess verification;
• Minimum players — at least 4;
• Maximum players — 0 means unlimited.

Details: Player requirements.

Step 3 — prize pool (prize tournament only)

• Prize pool amount in IQPIC (if the pool is not “from fees only”);
• Formed from fees only toggle — available if a tournament with fee is enabled;
• Number of prizes: for knockout always 3; for Swiss — 3–10;
• Prize calculation type: % or Fixed (fixed is unavailable with “from fees only”);
• shares / amounts per place;
• Auto-pay prizes — “Prizes will be paid automatically 1 hour after the tournament ends”.

Percent sum — not more than 100%; fixed sum — not more than the pool (can be less).

Step 4 — schedule

• Date and time of stage 1 start;
• Stage duration (min) — not less than the minimum for the selected match timer;
• Break between stages (min) — minimum 1.

Stage 1 start — not earlier than 1 minute after registration ends.

Step 5 — description (optional)

UI hint: “Fields on this step are optional.”

• Description (text);
• Stream link — YouTube, Twitch, or VK Video (embedded on the Broadcast tab).

After step 5 you stay on the tournament page in editor mode.

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Publication

On the draft page: Publish.

If the tournament is a prize tournament, the pool is set as an amount and is not formed from fees only, and funding has not been deposited yet — a Prize pool funding window opens:

• UI text: funding guarantees prize payout; if the tournament is cancelled or deleted, funds return to the balance within 15 minutes;
• Fund and publish button.

Without funding, publishing such a tournament is blocked with “You must fund the prize pool before publishing.”

After publication the status changes (tournament awaits start / registration), the slug becomes readable from the title; the tournament appears in the catalog /tournaments.

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Editing, deleting, cancelling, copying

Drafts appear in the organizer’s tournament block on My tournaments.

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Typical scenarios

A. Prize tournament with pool from balance

1. Modal: Prize on, fee optional.
2. Match settings → steps 1–5 (on step 3 — pool amount and places).
3. Publish → Fund and publish.

B. Prize from fees only

1. Enable Prize and Tournament with fee.
2. On step 1 — fee amount and recipient (often Tournament (prize pool) or Mixed).
3. On step 3 — Formed from fees only.
4. Publish without depositing fixed prize-pool funding.

C. Friends-only tournament

1. In the modal enable Friends only.
2. Complete the wizard and publish — only friends from your list can register.

D. Copy of a past tournament

1. In My tournaments / history — Create tournament copy.
2. Check steps 1–5 and publish.

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FAQ

Where do I see my tournaments?

/lk/history/tournament — My tournaments.

Why won’t creation open?

Not enough IQPIC for the platform threshold — Insufficient funds window and Top up.

Can I create a Swedish (Bughouse) tournament?

No. Only Chess and Tetris (Capital Chess / Tetris: Attack modes — on the match settings screen).

How does Knockout differ from Swiss?

Short version: knockout — elimination bracket; Swiss — rounds and points. Details: Knockout, Swiss.

Do I have to pay the prize pool immediately?

The creation threshold is a balance check only. Funding is charged when publishing a prize tournament with a fixed pool (not “from fees only”).

Where are organizer earnings from fees?

Organizing tournaments and Fees.

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Cheat sheet

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Useful help links

• Organizing tournaments — organizer fee share.
• Prize tournaments — participation and prizes.
• Knockout system, Swiss system.
• Player requirements, Fees.
• Balance management, Donations.
• Chess, Capital Chess, Tetris, Tetris: Attack.

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This article describes creating a tournament on the iqpi.io platform at the time of publication. Check the interface for current button labels and thresholds.