Chess tiebreak calculator for Swiss-system tournaments
Estimate simple Buchholz, Buchholz Cut 1, Median Buchholz, and Sonneborn-Berger scores from each opponent's final score and the player's result against that opponent.
Adds the final scores of all opponents.
Drops the lowest opponent score before adding.
Drops the highest and lowest opponent scores when enough rounds exist.
Weights opponent scores by your result against each opponent.
Use this as an explainer and planning aid. Always confirm the rulebook and event-specific tiebreak policy.
Enter opponent scores and results
Calculated tiebreaks
This intentionally uses simple examples. For US Chess Modified Median, FIDE unplayed-round management, byes, forfeits, withdrawals, and official standings, use your event's rulebook and pairing software.
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.
A higher Buchholz means your opponents scored more points as a group, which usually signals a tougher schedule.
Dropping the lowest opponent score can reduce the impact of one opponent who had an unusually poor event.
Dropping both the highest and lowest opponent scores can make the result less sensitive to outliers.
Wins against high-scoring opponents count more than wins against low-scoring opponents, while draws count half.
Why this may not match your final wall chart exactly
Official tiebreaks are not just formulas. They also depend on the federation, the published tiebreak order, unplayed-round handling, and the exact settings in the pairing program.
In US Chess terminology, Solkoff is close to this calculator's Buchholz output, but official events may adjust opponent scores for unplayed rounds.
US Chess Modified Median changes which opponent scores are dropped depending on whether the tied player has a plus, even, or minus score.
FIDE describes Buchholz, Sonneborn-Berger, Cut 1, Median-1, and related modifiers, plus special management for unplayed rounds in Swiss events.
For each opponent, multiply that opponent's final score by the points scored against them. A win counts the full opponent score, a draw half, and a loss zero.
Tournament director caveats
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.