Speed play-off - how is it done?

Running Chess Tournaments
1

For the experienced TD’s out there, I am curious how a speed play-off is done. I went to a tournament where it was used to award a digital camera as a prize to the winner in a group (when there was a tie in points). In the USCF Official Rules (5th ed), under 34E12, it doesn’t mention how to do this (just that it can be used as an exciting first tiebreak).

My questions (I’m sure I’ve left something out):

  1. How many games?
  2. What time controls?
  3. Who determines who plays white / black if there is only one game?
  4. What happens if the scores are tied or if there are draws?

Thank you,
Chris Kim
Baltimore, MD

2

The organizer/TD gets to determine the answers to your questions above.

What I would do:

  1. A small odd number of games.

  2. Usually G/5.

  3. Flip a coin.

  4. Play a sudden death game(s) or flip a coin.

Tim

3

What I have done is a two game match (eliminating the color issue for now) at either a straight five minutes, or five minutes with a two second delay. If it is still tied then I have the players draw colors the way we did when we first started to play and give White seven minutes, Black five but with draw odds. Note that this last game is not ratable.

Alex Relyea

4

And what will you do if the two-game playoff match also ends in a draw?

5

Thank you very much for the replies so far, and I hope there are more, so that we can a sample on how TD’s have tried doing this.

Perhaps, the USCF (I don’t know if FIDE has any rules on this) can come up with a uniform way of doing this - if such a way were to exist. That way players have a set expectation if they have to participate in one.

Chris