Rapid playoff
A rapid playoff is a short extra game or mini match, played at a faster time control, that decides the winner after players tie in a tournament or match.
Also called: tiebreak playoff
When two players or two teams finish with the same score and one must advance or win a prize, organizers often use a rapid playoff. The tied players play a game or a short series with a faster time control than the main event, perhaps ten to twenty-five minutes each, often with a small increment. If the main event was played at classical speed, a rapid playoff allows a quick decision on the same day.
The format varies. Some events play one game with colors chosen by lot. Others play two games with the colors reversed, then go to blitz and finally to Armageddon if the score is still level. The rules are published in advance in the tournament regulations, so players should read them before the event.
Rapid playoffs are used in knockout events, championship matches and school finals. They test different skills from classical games, because quick judgment, steady nerves and simple endgame technique matter more than long preparation. A student who expects to reach a final should practice rapid games and be comfortable playing with little time on the clock.
Also worth reading is Sudden death. Sudden death is a time control in which each player has one fixed amount of time for the whole game, with no extra time added, so a player whose clock reaches zero loses on time.
Compare it with Rapid chess. Rapid chess is a medium speed format, with each player getting roughly ten to sixty minutes, which keeps games thoughtful while allowing several rounds to be played in one day.
If "Rapid playoff" is the format you play most, the improvement plans by rating band give a weekly routine for your rating range.
Related terms
Armageddon is a sudden death tiebreak game in which White receives more time than Black, but Black wins the game if it ends in a draw, so that exactly one player can come out ahead.
A tiebreak is a rule that ranks players who finish on the same score, either by a calculation from the results or by extra games, so that the final standings can be published.
Sudden death is a time control in which each player has one fixed amount of time for the whole game, with no extra time added, so a player whose clock reaches zero loses on time.
Rapid chess is a medium speed format, with each player getting roughly ten to sixty minutes, which keeps games thoughtful while allowing several rounds to be played in one day.
Blitz chess is a fast format where each player has about three to ten minutes for the whole game, so decisions rely heavily on pattern recognition and quick tactics.
A time control is the rule that sets how much thinking time each player gets in a game, and whether extra time is added per move, which decides what kind of chess is being played.
Guides that go further
See whether a base time and increment counts as bullet, blitz, rapid or classical.
Average chess rating and a good chess rating
What share of active Lichess players are rated above 800, 1200, 1500, 1800 or 2000, by time control.
What a rating measures, how FIDE, Lichess, US Chess and chess.com compute theirs, and why the numbers differ.
Want to spot this in your own games?
A first lesson starts with your games: George reviews them and builds a study plan around what he finds.