What is meant by a bye? And, can you clarify why there is only one half point bye and the other byes are zero points?
Basically, a bye means you get to pass on playing a game. 1) There are full point byes generally given only when there is an uneven number of players in a section. Someone simply doesn’t get a game because there is no one to play. The person who doesn’t get to play, but gets a point as if he won a game, is the lowest rated in the section with the most losses. Unrated players seldom receive full point byes. 2) Half point byes–equivilant to a draw–are given when an individual requests to skip a round. In the States we only give one half point bye and never in the last round. These must be asked for before the tournament begins. 3) Zero point byes are given for any round a player requests to skip. The United states Chess Federation does not rate byes.
