Tiebreaks - Setup Menu
Configure the tiebreak systems used to rank players with equal scores.
Menu Path: Setup → Tiebreaks (or Setup → Team tiebreaks)
How to Select Tiebreaks
Open the dialog
Go to Setup → Tiebreaks. Available systems appear in the left Tiebreak Options box; chosen systems appear in the right Current Selections (in order) box in priority order.
Add a tiebreak
Select a system in the left box and click the > button (or double-click it). The system is appended to the bottom of the right (active) box. To remove a system, select it in the right box and click the < button; click << to clear all selections.
Set priority order
The order in the right box is the priority order. TB1 is applied first, TB2 if TB1 ties remain, and so on. Three tiebreaks are typically sufficient.
Use the USCF preset (optional)
Click Set typical (USCF) to load the standard USCF tiebreak set in one step. You can then add or remove individual systems.
Repeat as needed
Add up to six tiebreaks total. Click OK to save.
Quick Reference: Common Configurations
| Federation | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | TB4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USCF standard | Modified Median | Solkoff | Cumulative | Opp. Cumulative |
| FIDE standard | Buchholz | Sonneborn-Berger | Progressive (Cumul.) | Avg. Opp. Rating |
| Round Robin | Sonneborn-Berger | Head-to-head | — | — |
| Team events | Modified Median | Solkoff | Sonneborn-Berger | Cumulative |
Tiebreak System Reference
| Name | Abbr. | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Modified Median | Mod. Med | Buchholz variant. Plus score: drop lowest opponent score. Even score: drop both highest and lowest. Minus score: drop highest. USCF primary tiebreak. |
| Solkoff | Solk | Sum of all opponent final scores. Unplayed opponents contribute a score of 0. |
| Buchholz | BH | Sum of all opponent final scores. Unplayed opponents contribute the player’s own final score instead of 0. |
| Cumulative | Cumul | Sum of the player’s running score after each round. Rewards consistent early performance. |
| Progressive scores | PS | FIDE cumulative variant with configurable round-skipping (discards the first X rounds before summing). |
| Sonneborn-Berger | SB | Sum of opponent scores weighted by your result (win = full, draw = half, loss = zero). Standard for round-robin events. |
| Head-to-head | 1-on-1 | Result between tied players. Works for any group size where all players in the group have played each other. |
| Direct encounter | DE | Recursive ranking algorithm for tied groups. Distinct from Head-to-head: re-ranks the tied group using a sub-table of mutual results. |
| Avg. Opp. Rating | ARO | Average rating of all opponents played. |
| Buchholz Cut 1 | BH-C1 | Buchholz with the lowest opponent score removed. |
| Median Buchholz | Med-C1 | Buchholz with both the highest and lowest opponent scores removed. |
| Median Buchholz 2 | Med-C2 | Buchholz with the two highest and two lowest opponent scores removed. |
| Koya system | KS | Points scored against opponents at or above a configurable percentage threshold (default 50%). Used in FIDE round-robin events. |
| Number of Wins | WIN | Total full-point wins. Rewards decisive results. |
| Wins as Black | BWG | Wins achieved with the black pieces. |
| Opp. Cumulative | Op. cumul. | Sum of opponents’ cumulative scores. |
| Opp. Performance | Op. perf. | Average performance rating of all opponents. |
Tiebreaks and pairings are separate. Tiebreaks only affect standings order. They do not influence who gets paired against whom.
Options
Round Skipping: For some tiebreaks (such as Cumulative or Progressive), you can specify an initial round to skip. This is useful for accelerated pairing events where early rounds may inflate or deflate scores artificially.
Display Settings: Control when tiebreaks appear in standings. See Standings Formatting for options (always, final round only, or never).
Team Tournaments
Tiebreaks for team events reflect the total values of eligible players based on how many players per team count toward the team score.
- Some tiebreaks (average opposition rating, opposition performance) are averaged rather than summed.
- Cumulative is the most commonly recommended tiebreak for team events.
Access team tiebreaks separately via Setup → Team tiebreaks.
Related Topics
- Rules for Pairing — Pairing engine and restriction settings
- Standings Formatting — Control tiebreak display in standings