Chess Tiebreak Calculator
Two players tied on points? Enter each opponent's final score and how you did against them, and get every common tiebreak worked out instantly.
Higher is better on every one of these.
What is this?
When a chess tournament ends, it is normal for two or three players to finish on exactly the same number of points. There is usually one trophy, so organisers need a fair, automatic way to decide who ranks above who. That is what a tiebreak does.
Almost every chess tiebreak measures the same thing: strength of schedule. If two players scored the same, the one who faced tougher opponents did more work, so they rank higher. This calculator works out the four most common versions from the same set of numbers.
How to use it
- Add one row for each opponent you actually played. Leave byes out, they are not real opponents.
- In each row, type the score that opponent finished the whole tournament on, not the result of your game.
- Pick whether you won, drew or lost against them. This only affects Sonneborn-Berger.
- Read your four tiebreak scores. Compare them against the player you are tied with, higher wins.
What each tiebreak means
| Tiebreak | How it is worked out | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Buchholz | Add up every opponent's final score | The default for club and school Swiss events |
| Buchholz Cut-1 | Same, but drop the lowest opponent first | Events where someone withdrew part way |
| Median Buchholz | Drop the highest and the lowest, add the rest | Longer events with very mixed fields |
| Sonneborn-Berger | Each opponent's score weighted by your result: full for a win, half for a draw, none for a loss | Round robins, where everyone plays everyone |
ChessHost breaks ties in this order: points, then Buchholz, then your head to head game, then total wins. You can read the full explanation in our Buchholz system guide or the wider chess tiebreak systems explainer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate Buchholz?
Add up the final tournament scores of every opponent you played. That total is your Buchholz. You do not count your own points, only your opponents' final totals. If your five opponents finished on 4, 3, 3, 2 and 2, your Buchholz is 14.
What is Buchholz Cut-1?
Buchholz Cut-1 is your normal Buchholz with the single lowest opponent score removed before adding up. It stops one opponent who withdrew or collapsed from dragging your number down. With opponents on 4, 3, 3, 2 and 2, Cut-1 drops one of the 2s and gives 12.
What is Median Buchholz?
Median Buchholz removes both your highest and your lowest scoring opponent, then adds up the rest. It is the most forgiving of the three, because it ignores your luckiest and unluckiest pairings. With opponents on 4, 3, 3, 2 and 2 the median value is 8.
How is Sonneborn-Berger different from Buchholz?
Buchholz counts every opponent equally. Sonneborn-Berger weights each opponent by how you did against them: you get their full score for a win, half for a draw and nothing for a loss. So beating a strong player is worth much more than losing to one.
Is a higher or lower Buchholz better?
Higher is better. A high Buchholz means the people you played kept winning their other games, so you faced a tough field. When two players finish level on points, the one with the higher Buchholz is ranked above the other.
Do byes count towards Buchholz?
No. A bye is not a real opponent, so it is not included in your Buchholz sum. Only games you actually played against another person count. ChessHost excludes byes automatically when it computes standings.
Planning the event rather than scoring it? Try the Swiss rounds calculator or the tournament duration calculator.
Let the software do your tiebreaks
ChessHost computes Buchholz and orders your standings automatically, every round, for free.
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