Buchholz tiebreak - chess tie-break method
Buchholz tiebreak
Definition
The Buchholz tiebreak (often called “Buchholz score” or simply “BH”) is a tournament tiebreak method that ranks players who finish with the same number of points by summing the final scores of all their opponents. It is a strength-of-opposition metric: the better your opponents perform in the event, the higher your Buchholz score.
- Core idea: add up each opponent’s final points; higher sum = tougher opposition faced.
- Used primarily in Swiss system events, but it can appear in other formats per regulations.
- Typical abbreviations in standings: BH, BH-1 (Cut-1), Median, MBuchholz.
How it is used in chess
Buchholz is a standard Tiebreak system in Swiss tournaments for awarding prizes, titles, and norms when players finish on the same score. Organizers specify a tiebreak order (for example: Direct Encounter → Buchholz Cut-1 → Buchholz → Number of Wins). Software and crosstables often display it as TB1/TB2, “BH,” or “Buc.”
- Common contexts: weekend Swiss events, scholastic tournaments, national opens, and online Swiss pairings.
- Less common in Round robin events, where Sonneborn-Berger is frequently preferred.
- Players sometimes track their prospective Buchholz during the last round and “root” for previous opponents to score well.
How to calculate the Buchholz score (step-by-step)
- List all opponents you actually played (including those you drew or lost to).
- Record each opponent’s final score at the end of the tournament (their total points after the last round).
- Add those final scores together. The sum is your Buchholz score.
Important notes:
- You do not include your own score—only your opponents’ final scores.
- Unplayed games (byes, forfeits) and withdrawals are handled per event regulations. Many events reduce the impact using a variant such as Cut-1 or Median-Buchholz. Always check the organizer’s rules.
Worked example
Suppose in a 5-round Swiss you played five opponents whose final scores were 4.5, 3.0, 2.0, 3.5, and 1.0 points. Your Buchholz is:
- BH = 4.5 + 3.0 + 2.0 + 3.5 + 1.0 = 14.0
- BH Cut-1 (drop the single lowest opponent score) = 4.5 + 3.0 + 2.0 + 3.5 = 13.0
- Median-Buchholz (drop the highest and lowest) = 3.0 + 2.0 + 3.5 = 8.5
If another player tied you on points but has BH = 15.0, they rank above you on the Buchholz tiebreak.
Variants and related tiebreaks
- Buchholz Cut-1 (BH-1): Sum of opponents’ scores, excluding the single lowest. Reduces the effect of facing (or receiving a bye against) a very low scorer.
- Buchholz Cut-2 (BH-2): Excludes the two lowest opponents’ scores. Used in some long events.
- Median-Buchholz (a.k.a. Harkness or Modified Median): Drops the highest and lowest opponent scores (sometimes more in longer events). This “trims” outliers on both ends.
- Sonneborn-Berger (SB): Different method, often used in Round robin events: sum of the scores of defeated opponents plus half the scores of drawn opponents.
- Other common tiebreaks seen alongside Buchholz: Direct Encounter (head-to-head), Cumulative/Progressive score, Number of Wins.
Strategic and practical significance
Buchholz rewards players whose opposition performs well across the event. While you can’t directly control your opponents’ results, you can be mindful of typical implications:
- Strong early opposition can yield a robust Buchholz if those players continue scoring.
- Short, safe last-round draws against a struggling opponent may hurt your tiebreak relative to beating or playing someone with better results.
- Knowing the event’s tiebreak order can inform practical decisions when standings are tight.
Historical note
The system is named after Bruno Buchholz of Magdeburg (1930s). It spread widely as Swiss events became common, and modern pairing software computes it automatically. FIDE and many national federations list Buchholz (and its cut/median variants) among standard tiebreak options in event regulations.
Common misconceptions and pitfalls
- “Do I add my own score?” No—only your opponents’ final scores are summed.
- “Do I use scores at the time I faced them?” No—use each opponent’s final score after the last round.
- “Are byes and forfeits handled the same everywhere?” No—practice varies. Many events use BH-1 or Median-Buchholz to mitigate anomalies. Always consult the event’s regulations.
- Buchholz vs. SB: Buchholz uses all opponents equally; SB weights by game result (wins count the opponent’s full score, draws count half).
In standings and software
You’ll often see Buchholz shown as BH, Buc, TB1/TB2, or “Buchholz Cut-1/2.” Pairing programs compute it from the final crosstable. It is one of the most widely adopted secondary criteria in Tournament chess, especially under the Swiss system Pairing model.
Related terms
Quick recap
The Buchholz tiebreak is the sum of your opponents’ final scores. It’s simple, widely used, and generally fair at reflecting the strength of opposition in Swiss events. Know your event’s specific variant (pure, Cut-1/2, Median) and tiebreak order to understand how ties will be resolved.