Neustadtl score
Encyclopedia
The Neustadtl score is a scoring system often used to break ties
in chess
tournaments. It is named after Hermann Neustadtl, who proposed it in a letter published in Chess Monthly in 1882.
It is often called the Sonneborn-Berger score, though this is something of a misnomer, since William Sonneborn and Johann Berger
were actually strong critics of the system; they proposed their own tie-breaking system
that added in the raw score of each player, but that did not help with tie-breaking, so it was never popular and is not used today.
A player's Neustadtl score is calculated by adding the sum of the conventional scores of the players he/she has defeated to half the sum of the conventional scores of those he/she has drawn
against.
As an example of the system in action, here is the cross-table of the eighth Correspondence Chess
World Championship Final (here cs indicates conventional score, ns Neustadtl score):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 cs ns
1. Sloth X ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 11 69.5
2. Zagorovsky ½ X 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 11 66.75
3. Kosenkov ½ 1 X ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 10½ 67.5
4. Khasin 0 ½ ½ X ½ 1 ½ 0 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 8½ 54.75
5. Kletsel ½ 0 ½ ½ X ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 1 1 ½ 1 1 8 47.75
6. De Carbonnel ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ X ½ ½ 0 1 ½ ½ 0 1 1 7 45.25
7. Arnlind 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ X ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 7 42.5
8. Dunhaupt 0 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ X 0 ½ 1 0 1 ½ 1 7 41.5
9. Maedler ½ 0 0 0 ½ 1 0 1 X 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 7 41.5
10. Estrin 0 ½ 0 0 1 0 1 ½ 0 X 1 1 1 0 1 7 40.5
11. Walther ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 X 0 1 ½ 1 5½ 33.25
12. Boey 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 1 X ½ ½ 1 5½ 28.5
13. Abramov 0 0 0 ½ ½ 1 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ X ½ 1 4½ 24.75
14. Siklos 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ X 1 4½ 22.75
15. Nun 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 1 7.75
As can be seen, both Jørn Sloth
and Vladimir Zagorovsky
finished with 11/14, but Sloth was declared Correspondence Chess World Champion because of his superior Neustadtl score.
Since players may share the same Neustadtl score, further means of breaking ties may be required; common methods include considering the score in games played between the tied players or favouring the player with the most wins. Some tournaments do not use Neustadtl to break ties at all (Linares
, for example, gives preference to the player with the most wins), and others use no tie-breaking method at all, sharing the prize money on offer between players. In national championships or events which act as qualifying tournaments for others, there may be a blitz
playoff between the tied players. Neustadtl remains the most common tie-breaking method in round-robin tournament
s, though in Swiss system events, comparison of the Buchholz scores and the sum of progressive scores is more common.
Tie-breaking in Swiss system tournaments
Tie-break systems are used in chess Swiss system tournaments to break ties between players who have the same total number of points after the last round. If the players are still tied after one tie-break system is used, another system is used, and so on, until the tie is broken...
in chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
tournaments. It is named after Hermann Neustadtl, who proposed it in a letter published in Chess Monthly in 1882.
It is often called the Sonneborn-Berger score, though this is something of a misnomer, since William Sonneborn and Johann Berger
Johann Berger
Johann Nepomuk Berger was an Austrian chess master, theorist, endgame study composer, author and editor.In September 1870, he won the first tournament in the Austro-Hungarian Empire at Graz...
were actually strong critics of the system; they proposed their own tie-breaking system
Sonneborn-Berger score (non-Neustadtl)
The Non-Neustadtl Sonneborn-Berger score is a scoring system used in chess tournaments and is considered an improvement to the Neustadtl score proposed by William Sonneborn and Johann Berger. Sonneborn was a strong critic of the Neustadtl score, and suggested adding in the player's raw score....
that added in the raw score of each player, but that did not help with tie-breaking, so it was never popular and is not used today.
A player's Neustadtl score is calculated by adding the sum of the conventional scores of the players he/she has defeated to half the sum of the conventional scores of those he/she has drawn
Draw (chess)
In chess, a draw is when a game ends in a tie. It is one of the possible outcomes of a game, along with a win for White and a win for Black . Usually, in tournaments a draw is worth a half point to each player, while a win is worth one point to the victor and none to the loser.For the most part,...
against.
As an example of the system in action, here is the cross-table of the eighth Correspondence Chess
Correspondence chess
Correspondence chess is chess played by various forms of long-distance correspondence, usually through a correspondence chess server, through email or by the postal system; less common methods which have been employed include fax and homing pigeon...
World Championship Final (here cs indicates conventional score, ns Neustadtl score):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 cs ns
1. Sloth X ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 11 69.5
2. Zagorovsky ½ X 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 11 66.75
3. Kosenkov ½ 1 X ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 10½ 67.5
4. Khasin 0 ½ ½ X ½ 1 ½ 0 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 8½ 54.75
5. Kletsel ½ 0 ½ ½ X ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 1 1 ½ 1 1 8 47.75
6. De Carbonnel ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ X ½ ½ 0 1 ½ ½ 0 1 1 7 45.25
7. Arnlind 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ X ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 7 42.5
8. Dunhaupt 0 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ X 0 ½ 1 0 1 ½ 1 7 41.5
9. Maedler ½ 0 0 0 ½ 1 0 1 X 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 7 41.5
10. Estrin 0 ½ 0 0 1 0 1 ½ 0 X 1 1 1 0 1 7 40.5
11. Walther ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 X 0 1 ½ 1 5½ 33.25
12. Boey 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 1 X ½ ½ 1 5½ 28.5
13. Abramov 0 0 0 ½ ½ 1 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ X ½ 1 4½ 24.75
14. Siklos 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ X 1 4½ 22.75
15. Nun 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 1 7.75
As can be seen, both Jørn Sloth
Jørn Sloth
Jørn Sloth is a Danish chess FIDE Master and grandmaster of the correspondence chess, most famous for being the eighth ICCF World Champion in correspondence chess between 1975 and 1980....
and Vladimir Zagorovsky
Vladimir Zagorovsky
Vladimir Pavlovich Zagorovsky was a Russian chess grandmaster of correspondence chess. He is most famous for being the fourth ICCF World Champion in correspondence chess between 1962 and 1965.He won the 1952 Moscow City Championship.-External links:*...
finished with 11/14, but Sloth was declared Correspondence Chess World Champion because of his superior Neustadtl score.
Since players may share the same Neustadtl score, further means of breaking ties may be required; common methods include considering the score in games played between the tied players or favouring the player with the most wins. Some tournaments do not use Neustadtl to break ties at all (Linares
Linares chess tournament
The Linares International Chess Tournament , is an annual chess tournament, usually played around the end of February, takes its name from the city of Linares in the Jaén province of Andalusia, Spain, in which it is held...
, for example, gives preference to the player with the most wins), and others use no tie-breaking method at all, sharing the prize money on offer between players. In national championships or events which act as qualifying tournaments for others, there may be a blitz
Blitz chess
Fast chess, also known as blitz chess, lightning chess, sudden death, speed chess, bullet chess and rapid chess, is a type of chess game in which each side is given less time to make their moves than under the normal tournament time controls of 60 to 180 minutes per player.-Overview:The different...
playoff between the tied players. Neustadtl remains the most common tie-breaking method in round-robin tournament
Round-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
s, though in Swiss system events, comparison of the Buchholz scores and the sum of progressive scores is more common.
See also
- Sonneborn-Berger score (non-Neustadtl)Sonneborn-Berger score (non-Neustadtl)The Non-Neustadtl Sonneborn-Berger score is a scoring system used in chess tournaments and is considered an improvement to the Neustadtl score proposed by William Sonneborn and Johann Berger. Sonneborn was a strong critic of the Neustadtl score, and suggested adding in the player's raw score....
- Tie-breaking in Swiss system tournamentsTie-breaking in Swiss system tournamentsTie-break systems are used in chess Swiss system tournaments to break ties between players who have the same total number of points after the last round. If the players are still tied after one tie-break system is used, another system is used, and so on, until the tie is broken...