The Buchholz tie-break in chess, with a worked example
The Buchholz tie-break separates players on equal points by the strength of their opposition: it adds up the final scores of everyone they played. It is the usual first tie-break of a Swiss tournament, and ChessLivo computes it by the FIDE tie-break regulations (C.07) after every round.
What is Buchholz?
A player’s Buchholz is the sum of the final scores of their opponents. Two players on the same points did not meet the same opposition in a Swiss: the one whose opponents scored more had the harder tournament, and ranks higher.
Add up the points each opponent has at the end of the tournament (not when the game was played). The player’s own result against them does not matter for Buchholz.
A worked example: six players, three rounds
Six players, A to F, play a three-round Swiss. The table is computed by the same tie-break code as ChessLivo’s standings.
A and F both finish on 2.5 points. A played 0 (D) + 2.5 (F) + 1.5 (E), so A’s Buchholz is 4. F played 1 (C) + 2.5 (A) + 1.5 (B), so F’s Buchholz is 5. F met the stronger field and ranks first.
| Rk | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | Pts | BH-C1 | BH | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F | C Black 1 | A White ½ | B White 1 | 2.5 | 4 | 5 | 3.75 |
| 2 | A | D White 1 | F Black ½ | E White 1 | 2.5 | 4 | 4 | 2.75 |
| 3 | E | B Black ½ | C White 1 | A Black 0 | 1.5 | 4 | 5 | 1.75 |
| 4 | B | E White ½ | D White 1 | F Black 0 | 1.5 | 4 | 4 | 0.75 |
| 5 | C | F White 0 | E Black 0 | D White 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 6 | D | A Black 0 | B Black 0 | C Black 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
Columns 1–3 are the rounds: the opponent, the colour (○ White, ● Black) and the score of that game.
Buchholz Cut 1 and Median Buchholz
Buchholz Cut 1 leaves out the lowest opponent score, so one weak opponent weighs less. Median Buchholz leaves out both the lowest and the highest.
In the example A drops 0 (D) and F drops 1 (C): both have a Buchholz Cut 1 of 4, so Cut 1 alone does not separate them, and the next tie-break in the list decides. ChessLivo’s default order for a Swiss is Buchholz Cut 1, then Buchholz: here Buchholz puts F ahead. The order of the tie-breaks matters, so publish it with your tournament rules.
Byes, forfeits and Buchholz
A bye or a forfeit is a round without a real opponent. FIDE C.07 has its own rules for how such rounds count in Buchholz, and ChessLivo applies them, so you never adjust a total by hand.
Buchholz on ChessLivo
- Every Swiss starts with the tie-breaks Buchholz Cut 1, Buchholz, Sonneborn-Berger, direct encounter and the number of wins; choose your own list and order when you set up the tournament.
- The standings show each tie-break’s value after every round, and the public tournament page shows the same table to players and spectators.
- Round robins do not use Buchholz: everyone plays the same opponents there, so it separates nobody. They use direct encounter, Sonneborn-Berger, the number of wins and Koya.
How to set the tie-breaks of a Swiss, step by step: the Swiss tournament guide.
Buchholz questions
- How is Buchholz calculated?
- Add up the final scores of all the player’s opponents. In the example on this page, A’s opponents finished on 0, 2.5, 1.5 points, so A’s Buchholz is 4.
- What is Buchholz Cut 1?
- Buchholz without the lowest of the opponents’ scores. It keeps one very weak opponent, for example a player paired against the bottom of the field in round one, from deciding the tie.
- What happens when the Buchholz is equal too?
- The next tie-break in the tournament’s list decides, for example Sonneborn-Berger or the direct encounter. If every tie-break is equal, the players share the place unless the tournament rules say otherwise.
- Is Buchholz used in round robin tournaments?
- No. In a round robin everyone plays the same opponents, so the sum of their scores separates nobody. Round robins use the direct encounter, Sonneborn-Berger, the number of wins and Koya instead.
- Does a bye count in Buchholz?
- A bye or a forfeit is a round without a real opponent, and FIDE C.07 sets how it counts in Buchholz. ChessLivo applies those rules for you, in every round.
Let ChessLivo compute the tie-breaks
Run your Swiss on ChessLivo: pairings by the FIDE Dutch system and standings with Buchholz, Sonneborn-Berger and the other FIDE tie-breaks after every round.