How is the tiebreaker determined in Swiss-format tournaments?

In Swiss-format tournaments, tiebreakers are determined primarily by match win percentage and the match win percentage of opponents faced. This method ensures that players are evaluated not just on their wins, but also on the strength of their competition. When players are tied in total points, using match win percentages gives a clearer picture of their performance relative to other participants.

The match win percentage is calculated as the ratio of wins to total matches played, providing insight into how consistently a player has performed. Then, the opponents’ match win percentage is used to adjust for the strength of the competition, ensuring that a player who faced tougher opponents may be favored in tiebreak scenarios. This approach is designed to reward players who not only perform well, but also those who do so against strong competition, creating a more balanced and fair tiebreaking system.

Other methods, such as counting total points earned or number of games won, do not offer the same level of insight into performance relative to others and can lead to less precise rankings in the case of ties. Random selection, while entirely impartial, is not a fair measure of a player's skill or performance, which is why it is not utilized in determining tiebreakers in structured formats like Swiss.