A match is a series of games between two players. The winner can be the first to reach a certain number of wins (no limit to the number of games); or the first to reach a certain number of points (limited number of games).
A tournament is a contest among three or more players. A round of the tournament is one set of pairings of players. There are four main types of tournaments: Swiss, Round-Robin, Knockout and Team Scheveningen.
In a Swiss, the paired players usually have the same number of points to that point in the tournament. Thus, winners will continue to play winners, and an over-all winner will be determined. No one is eliminated, so this style is popular for Open events. Any number of players can be accommodated, and all players get a full set of games equal to the number of rounds.
In a Round-Robin, or all play all, each player gets one game against all of the opponents (two in the case of a double-round robin). These are popular for small invitational or Closed events.
A Knock-out eliminates the loser of each game, but with the added complication that after a draw, another game is needed to determine the winner who advances. They are not popular, and are used only infrequently, mainly in Championships, because a player may travel a great distance, only to be eliminated in the first round.
A Team Scheveningen pairs one team against the other such that each player on one team plays one game against each player on the other team. They are popular for matches between Chess Clubs.
Games are time limited. A game clock records each player's remaining time; a player whose time runs out loses. Blitz allows 5 minutes per player (or less) for the entire game. Active play allows 30 minutes per player (or less) for the entire game. Regular play typically allows 2 hours per player for the entire game. Modern play uses digital game clocks, which permit an increment of from 3 to 30 seconds to be added each move. The extra time is so that players may record their moves; and so a player with a winning position will not lose on time.
All the moves of a games are recorded by both players. Duplicate scoresheets allow the organizer to keep a copy so as to later enter the game into a database, which can be accessed via the internet. Digital recorders were invented by the Canadian company MonRoi. A player uses a stylus to tap the move on a display of the chess board.
Games are webcast with wireless technology. MonRoi's devices connect through a server to enable live viewing of the game. DGT offers a similar service using chessboards which can detect the current position by sensing the chess pieces.