How Chess Scoring Works

When you are playing chess, there is always a winner and loser. The game ends when one person has won more than their opponent(s). This seems pretty straightforward, but how do we determine who wins?

In order to know if someone has won or lost, we have to define what we mean by winning. If your only definition of win is whether you are in control of the board, then obviously anyone with a checkmate can be said to have won. However, this may not be the most accurate way to define victory.

Some people may choose to use the word “win” as having the highest score. Others may go up each side and say that it is a loss if your side falls into ruin. These two definitions clearly cannot both apply to the same situation, so which should we use?

This article will talk about one of the most common ways to calculate a chess match- either using the popularly used tie breaker method or using the rook rule.

Three-point scale

The most common way to score chess games is using a three point scale where you give someone one point for every move they make that is better than your last move, a second point for making a similar move, and no points for a bad move.

A good player will usually have made at least 10 moves in a given period of time, which is why there are typically 3 points available with this scoring system. If a game goes past that threshold then each person gets 2 more points! (Too easy)

The average person does not play chess very well, so this method tends to favor the skilled players. This can be discouraging for people who love the game, so we should look into different ways to score chess.

Alternative chess scoring systems

There are several other types of chess scoring systems that do not use the same three point scale. Some add extra points or take away points depending on whether or not a good move was made.

Four-point scale

The most common way to score chess games is using the four-point scale, which was made popular by Fritz Heintz in his classic book Strategy In Chess. This scoring method has you add one point for each move that is either check or capture. Each player gets two points for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a loss.

The reason this system works so well is because it focuses only on whether or not something good happened to your opponent, and nothing else. This removes other factors such as if you played with passion or if you tried hard to lose.

Five-point scale

The five-point chess scoring system was designed to be easy to use and understand. It is also one of the most common ways chess players score their games. Let’s take a look at some examples!

In this article, I will be talking about how to calculate your point totals using the 5 point scale. You can find the 5 point scale in many places, but not all versions are exactly the same. Some may include different numbers or order certain points differently.

That is why it is important to know what version of the game you have before calculating anything!

Remember that every player has two pieces (you don’t get extra credit for making clever moves!), so make sure to account for both when determining your final point total.

Six-point scale

The six-point chess scoring system is one of the most common ways to grade your games. This method uses a rating scale that ranges from 0 to 1 point for each move, with 1 being the highest possible score and zero being no points due to a check or capture.

A typical game under this system includes moves at the beginner level, so let’s look at a sample game!

Sample Game: Move 30 – King Toe Offenbargel

In this position, black can take either a draw by repetition or a win via backcheck. Since we are going through the steps as if white was making the next move, it means that you should assume white will make the next move.

Therefore, in this case, white makes the very boring king retreat! A good way to learn how to do this correctly is by taking a look at the two options, but then just choosing the less exciting one every time. That way your subconscious will choose the correct option when you play real games.

Seven-point scale

The seven-point chess scoring system was first devised in 1935 by Hungarian GM György Sárosi as a way to standardize how players rated around the world scored their games.

The most common version of this system has just three points, with 1 being the best score and 2 and 3 representing poorer performance.

A fourth and fifth point were added later to create what we know today as the FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs) Official Scale or E8. This is the most widely used scale in the world due to its widespread use. It’s also what everyone else uses when they make their own ratings!

Sixth and seventh point became obsolete after computer programs began calculating more quickly than human experts could calculate. As such, these two points have become less important. Many people even feel that adding too many points hinders your game because you are comparing yourself to overly high standards!

However, the third point — a loss by resignation — still carries weight. If you lose a position through resigning, then one point gets deducted from your total. Only if both players actively try to win can another point be awarded.

Ten-point scale

The way chess scoring works is there are two main categories: time control games and rapid/blitz games. Time controls are standard game lengths such as 30 minutes for an average game, 60 minutes for a blitz or quick game, and so on. For example, a 90 minute match would be three hours!

In order to win, you need to make sure that your opponent does not have enough time to improve their position before being allowed to do so. This is where the timing of the game comes in. If someone has been given more than eight minutes per move, then they will get the chance to rethink and develop their strategy after each individual move.

A common term used in chess is the “half-time rule” which means if one player takes longer than half the allotted time, then the other person gets the opportunity to take over. After this happens twice within a certain amount of time, the race is lost and the lower ranked player wins.

Eleveated point scale

In chess, there is an additional component to scoring called an “elevation” or “escalation” of the point value. This is done because in some cases it takes longer for the game to reach checkmate than another move, so instead of giving the same number of points for each step towards checkmate, we increase the point value as the game progresses.

The most common way this happens is when one player makes a very long series of moves that seem good, but are actually not very efficient. These types of moves are sometimes referred to as “draw-by-lack-of-effort” maneuvers. (Yes, really.)

By adding these extra points at different stages of the game, players incentivize more effective strategies. For example, if your goal is to win, then avoiding draw-by-lack-of-effort tactics is usually the better strategy.