Swiss Pairs
What is it?
Swiss pairs is a scoring format which resembles teams play and is different to the normal duplicate
pairs you are familiar with. It is popular overseas.
How is it different?
In duplicate pairs, each board counts equally toward the final score. If you score +120 when
everyone else scores +90, you get a top. If you then go down in 6H (-100) when everyone else
makes +650 you get a bottom. The net result is 50% over two boards.
In Swiss pairs the actual size of the difference in score counts. +90 and +120 differ by +30 points,
which converts on the International Match Point scale to +1 IMP. For -100 and +650 the difference
is -750 which converts to -13 IMPs. Going down in a slam is very expensive at this form of scoring.
Making one over-trick gains very little. Boards do not count equally to the final score.
What tactics should I use?
There is much more emphasis on making contracts as declarer and defeating contracts if you are
defending. Don’t take a finesse for an extra trick and risk going down. Learn about and take safety
plays in order to cope with bad breaks and other bad luck.
Be a little more pushy in bidding games, especially vulnerable. If you play 3H and make 3 or 4
depending o a finesse, you will score, on average, 155 points per hand ((140 + 170)/2). If you bid
4H vulnerable and on a finesse, you will score on average 260 points ((620-100)/2). Being in game
is better.
On defense always look for a layout that allows the contract to be beaten and take your chance.
So how is my score calculated?
All the scores are added up and then the average is calculated (called the datum score). Your
score is compared to the datum score and converted to IMPS. Each match is then converted to
Victory Points. The VP scale is based on the number of boards played in the match. You cannot
score less than zero VP’s and the maximum win is 25 VP’s. 15-15 is a draw. The IMP and the VP
scale have the effect of dampening wild results. No one can win or lose an event just on one wild
match.