# Number of Games in a Tournament

DevFeed: [Number of Games in a Tournament](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/number-of-games-in-a-tournament-40208.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.jeremykun.com/2011/06/23/number-of-games-in-a-tournament/>)

Published: 2011-06-23T16:04:47Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [Jeremy Kun](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/jeremy-kun.md>)

Topics: [Math and Logic](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/math-and-logic.md>)

Tags: [logic](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/logic.md>), [mathematics](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mathematics.md>), [number](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/number.md>)

## AI overview

A tournament with 1,000 players requires 999 games. The article proves the general result that a single-elimination tournament with n players has n−1 games by pairing each game with the player who loses it.

## Source excerpt

Problem: 1000 players compete in a tournament. In each round, players are matched with opponents, and the winner proceeds to the next round. If there are an odd number of players in a round, one player chosen at random sits out of that round. What is the total number of games are played in the tournament? Solution: 999. Each player loses exactly one game, except for the winner of the tournament.