Tie-breaks
When players finish on the same score: direct encounter, wins, Buchholz, Sonneborn-Berger and Armageddon.
The idea
When scores are level, a tie-break announced in advance ranks players.
- Direct encounter: the winner of the game between them ranks higher.
- Buchholz adds up your opponents’ scores; a stronger field ranks higher.
- Armageddon: White has more time, but a draw counts as a win for Black.
In a game: Read the tie-breaks before round one: in the last round they can change what result you need.
How the lesson begins
Two players often finish on the same score. A tie-break decides who ranks higher, for the trophy, a title or a place in the next event. Some events share the prize money between tied players and use the tie-break only for the ranking.
There are many tie-breaks. Which ones are used, and in what order, must be announced before the first round. Some look at the games between the tied players, some at how strong their opponents were, and some send the players back to the board.
A question
You and another player both finish on 6 out of 9. You beat her in round four. The first tie-break is direct encounter. Who ranks higher?
Show the answer
You.
Right. Direct encounter looks at the games between the tied players. You won yours, so you rank higher.