Armageddon is a tiebreak game that cannot end level: White gets extra time, and Black advances if the game is drawn.
In the classic setup White receives five minutes to Black's four, and in return Black holds draw odds: any drawn result counts as a Black win for the match. The format guarantees a decision in a single game, which is why it sits at the end of playoff ladders.
Many modern events refine it with bidding: both players secretly offer how little time they would accept to take Black, and the lower bid gets the draw odds. Norway Chess goes further and plays an Armageddon after every drawn classical game to award extra points.
Strategy flips from normal chess. White must create winning chances at all costs and avoids sterile equal endings, while Black is happy to trade pieces and steer for simplification. Critics argue the quality suffers; nobody argues it is boring.
Draw odds are Black's compensation for having less time and moving second. White gets the extra minutes and the first move; Black gets the draw. The imbalance is the point: one game, guaranteed verdict.
Players secretly bid how little time they are willing to play with as Black. Whoever bids lower takes Black with draw odds and their bid amount of time, letting the players themselves price the value of the draw.
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