Buchholz
A higher Buchholz means your opponents scored more points as a group, which usually signals a tougher schedule.
Tournament Director Tool
Chess tiebreak calculator
Enter your opponents’ final scores and your results to calculate four common tiebreaks. The explanations below show how each sum works.
Enter each opponent's final score and your result against them
See the basic sums used in four common tiebreaks
For simple examples
At a glance
Official results can differ
This tool does not apply federation rules for unplayed rounds, byes, forfeits, or withdrawals.
Use this as an explainer and planning aid. Always confirm the rulebook and event-specific tiebreak policy.
Enter opponent scores and results
Calculated tiebreaks
Buchholz
13
Buchholz Cut 1
10.5
Median Buchholz
6.5
Sonneborn-Berger
8.5
These are basic sums, not official standings. Byes, forfeits, withdrawals, and unplayed rounds can change official tiebreaks. Use your event’s rulebook and pairing software for final results.
How to read it
What each tiebreak is trying to measure
Tiebreaks usually try to separate players with the same score by looking at opponent strength, direct performance against those opponents, or a version that removes outliers.
Buchholz Cut 1
Dropping the lowest opponent score can reduce the impact of one opponent who had an unusually poor event.
Median Buchholz
Dropping both the highest and lowest opponent scores can make the result less sensitive to outliers. This tool always drops just one high and one low score; FIDE's Median Buchholz can drop more in longer events.
Sonneborn-Berger
Wins against high-scoring opponents count more than wins against low-scoring opponents, while draws count half. It is most common in round-robin events; Swiss events usually lean on Buchholz or Solkoff.
Official References
Verify the calculator against your event rules
These are the rule sources to check before using any tiebreak result for awards, qualification, ratings, or final published standings.
Defines Buchholz, Sonneborn-Berger, Cut modifiers, Median modifiers, and unplayed-round management for FIDE-rated competitions.
Current basic Swiss pairing requirements for round count, repeat pairings, score groups, byes, colors, and transparency.
Official US Chess tournament director education and rules resources for rated events in the United States.
Useful links
Running a real event? Use Chess67 tournament software to keep registration, sections, pairings, standings, and communication connected.