{"id":2107,"date":"2022-06-17T11:23:30","date_gmt":"2022-06-17T09:23:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chessily.com\/?p=2107"},"modified":"2023-01-10T05:25:44","modified_gmt":"2023-01-10T04:25:44","slug":"armageddon-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chessily.com\/glossary\/armageddon-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Armageddon Game in Chess: What You Need To Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Armageddon Game in Chess: Explained<\/h1>\n

When the best of the best chess players face each-other in tournaments, draws are a common occurence. The almost mistake-free play of Grandmasters<\/a> makes it hard for either player to gain a lasting advantage. Unfortunately, the abundance of draws in high-level chess can lead to very long matches that exhaust both players. Luckily, we have a solution to that. Today, we’ll look at the armageddon game<\/strong> in chess!<\/p>\n

What Are Armageddon Games?<\/span><\/h1>\n

Armageddon games are a special type of chess game, which is most often used as a tiebreak in a tournament. They are useful has they ensure a decisive result in a relatively short time frame. But how exactly do they work?<\/p>\n

The rules of chess stay the same within an armageddon game. There are just two additional rules in armageddon<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

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  1. If Black manages to draw the game, the draw is counted as a win in the context of the tournament. So by nature,\u00a0an armageddon game cannot end in a draw.<\/li>\n
  2. Black starts with less time on the clock than White.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Common time controls are 4 minutes for Black, and 5 minutes for White. However, the rules are not completely decisive in this regard, so you might see armageddon games with different time controls.<\/p>\n

    Usually, one player is given the choice to play as Black or White. Which player is given the choice is generally decided by drawing lots.<\/p>\n

    Who is Favored in Armageddon Tiebreaks?<\/h1>\n

    Now, one question remains: “Should you play as Black or White in armageddon tie-breaks?” Unfortunately, the data is not very clear on that. There have only been a couple of armageddon games in high-level tournaments, which is not enough data to come to a conclusive decision on which side is favored.<\/p>\n

    <\/span>Other Glossary Entries<\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n