The Direct Encounter tiebreak is a method used in chess to determine the winner between two players with the same number of points in a tournament or competition. It is specifically used when the players have previously played against each other during the event.

Explanation:
When two players are tied in points at the end of a chess tournament, the Direct Encounter tiebreak considers their individual games played against each other during the tournament. The player who performed better in their head-to-head match is declared the winner of the tiebreak.

Here’s how it works:
Points in the Tournament: In a chess tournament, players earn points for each game they win and half-points for draws. The player with the most points is typically declared the overall winner of the event.

Direct Encounter Occurs If two players have the same number of points at the end of the tournament, and they have played against each other during the event, their direct encounter becomes crucial.

Head-to-Head Result:
The Direct Encounter tiebreak evaluates the game’s outcome played between the tied players. If one player wins the direct encounter, they are considered the winner of the tiebreak. If the game was a draw, other tiebreak methods might be used, depending on the tournament rules.

Implications:
The Direct Encounter tiebreak rewards players who performed better in their individual encounters, adding an extra layer of competitiveness to each game.

It’s important to note that if more than two players are tied in points, the Direct Encounter tiebreak is applied in pairs for each individual tie, not collectively for all the tied players. If the tie remains after considering the Direct Encounter, other tiebreak criteria, such as performance ratings, Sonneborn-Berger score, or cumulative score, may be used until a clear winner is determined.