SSM page

SSM stands for: Modified Swiss System pairing rules for wargame tournaments.

Notes:

1. The SSM is a direct adaptation and simplification of the chess Swiss System as adopted by FIDE, in order to produce reliable results in wargame tournaments from 4 to 8 games. Is it the best system we could find - please read 'less bad' - to output a reasonable final classification, including both the selection of the most 'fair' first place and a consistent series of intermediate places.
These procedures are oriented towards fairness and are marginally better than randomness, but are much better than prejudice or plain injustice.

2. Scoring: primary scoring uses exclusively Win-Draw-Loss (WDL) information, translated to corresponding 2-1-0 points (equal to 1-0,5-0) to avoid the data 'pollution' caused by the excessive weight of uneven games in the final classification. Scoring based on the game scores leads to the lifting of average or strong players that play mostly weak opponents.

3. Secondary classification criteria: SOS.
The resolution power of WDL alone - with a large number of players and few rounds in the event - is weak.
The use of SOS as the first tie-break criterium is necessary to avoid players who met stronger opponents in average, to be underscored in relation to same score players who had easy games.

4. Secondary classification criteria: GAM points.
After the previous criteria produce a fair generic classification, the natural game scores may be used as a 'blunt' last tie-break. This a crude criterium that can be replaced with SOOS or other higher level WDL derived criteria.

5. It is essecial that the generic tournament regulations define exactly how games ending on a time limit should be handled by the system (WDL dependent on GAM points scored). Any subjective valoration criteria are outside the scope of the SSM.

Jerboa

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