Everything You Need To Know About Chess Ratings
Your best friend who beats you every time you play, your boss who plays chess tournaments, and Magnus Carlsen are all good at chess, but how do we distinguish between them? Well, Magnus Carlsen is a chess grandmaster, and your friend just learned how to do the ladder checkmate. The chess world ranks its players using a rating system known as Elo. It's a number that goes up and down as you play based on your results, and it helps to make sure you are playing players of a similar skill level.
What is a Chess Rating System?
Your chess rating is a number that updates after each game you play. Whether you play online or in over-the-board chess tournaments, you will have a chess rating based on where you play. Winning raises that number, while losing decreases it. That is how the Elo system operates. For some, this rating can mean a lot. Players who are going after the grandmaster title are desperate to surpass the 2500 rating, while a beginner will also be ecstatic to cross the 1000 mark.
Arpad Elo
When I first got into chess, I assumed Elo was an acronym of some kind, but in fact it is named after the creator of this rating system. Arpad Elo was a Hungarian-American chess master who invented the chess rating system, in which players gain or lose rating points based on their performance relative to their opponents'. The Elo system was adopted by FIDE in 1970.
Rated versus Casual
Not all chess has to affect an Elo rating. Lots of chess clubs and meetups have casual play all the time. Official tournament games, though, affect your rating. To add to your USCF rating, you must participate in an official, rated tournament. These ranked games provide an official rating you can monitor throughout your chess journey.
How to Get a USCF Rating
Most people do not understand right away how to even become a rated chess player. One of the most commonly asked questions I heard at beginner chess tournaments was “How do I get a rating?” The answer is simple: play in an official USCF chess tournament! The first step is to become a USCF member. Once you have your USCF member number, you will be ready to register for a tournament. When you first play, you will be unrated. That means that you will not have an official chess rating until you have completed your preliminary games. So, don’t worry about your rating at first, and just play!
Finding Tournaments
- If you want to become a rated chess player, you need to find local chess clubs or local tournaments. By finding where chess players gather, you will likely find someone running an official chess tournament.
- You can also check online for local tournaments. By finding and registering for a local tournament, you can earn your official rating! You can find tournaments listed on the USCF website or similar online resources. Make sure the listed tournament is classical-length and rated.
- Another option is to travel to a bigger tournament. Those big tournaments can make for fun travel opportunities. Look for open tournaments in larger cities near you that include beginner sections; they could be a great opportunity to play your first tournament.
Overcoming Your Fear
Playing your first chess tournament is a stressful affair! Not only is playing a chess game difficult, but making sure you know where to go and when to be there is a stressful part of the process. Make sure you read the tournament's details properly and know when your first round starts. Once you are there, ask the tournament directors if you have any questions. Ideally, you could go with friends or play somewhere you are already comfortable. But even if you can't, you should still play a tournament. Once you are at the board, it's just chess!
After Playing, How Can I View My Rating?
After playing your first game of rated chess, you will have what’s called a “provisional” rating. Then, once you have played twenty-five games, you will get your official USCF rating. During your provisional period, expect more fluctuations in your rating, similar to an online rating system. When you first start playing, you may lose lots of games. The best approach is to play without fearing wins or losses and to let the rating points fall where they will.
The Point of the Rating System
Why does a rating matter? As a new player in chess, having a rating actually benefits you. Even if you lose lots of games, your lower rating will mean that you play other players that are a better match for your skill level. By just playing casual games at the chess club or casual meetups, you may never get a proper match up with someone who is also a beginner. But by having a rating, you can be paired with other players who are at a similar level. This is true all the way up the rating ladder. As you improve, you will play other players who are improving alongside you.
Chess Players Winning and Losing
How does the rating system actually work? In the Elo system, defeating a lower-rated player gives you fewer points than beating a higher-rated one. And, if a lower-rated player defeats a higher-rated opponent, they gain more rating points than if they beat an equally rated player. As a new player, there is some upside to playing a higher-rated player, and some players might even be nervous about playing a lower-rated player who has been improving!
Becoming a Master and Beyond
Many new players become obsessed with their rating and may even aspire to become a grandmaster. In order to be a grandmaster in chess, you need to be at least 2500 rated, as well as meet some other qualifications. It can be helpful to view becoming a grandmaster as what it really is, reaching the top of a sport. Most people who play pickup basketball on the weekends have no real aspirations to play in the NBA. Why, then, do chess players expect to be able to join the ranks of the elite?
Other Levels of Achievement in USCF Ratings
There are other levels of chess players at the club level, known as Class E to Class A. These levels help categorize players, and they can serve as motivation to improve.
Class levels:
- Class E: Under 1200
- Class D: 1200–1399
- Class C: 1400–1599
- Class B: 1600–1799
- Class A: 1800–1999
- Expert: 2000–2199
- National Master (NM): 2200 and above
If you are a Class E player, it's exciting to know that you have lots of room to improve. If you're more experienced, remember not to look down on players who are still learning and developing.
Online Ratings for Chess Players
Most chess players, even if they are unfamiliar with USCF-ratings, are aware of online chess ratings. It is likely you know your Chess.com or Lichess.org ratings right now! These online ratings work very similarly to a USCF rating. When you win games, your rating goes up, and when you lose, your rating goes down. If you beat a higher-rated player, you will earn a few more rating points.
Rating Disparity
It can be confusing, though, because not all ratings are made equally! Even within the same websites, ratings such as puzzle ratings can be wildly inflated for players who spend a lot of time solving them. It’s also possible that rapid or blitz ratings are not equal. Between the two primary chess websites, there is also a difference in the ratings. A 1500 on Lichess is not equal to a 1500 on chess.com. A USCF rating is also generally going to be lower than a player's online rating. Do not be discouraged if you find you have a lower OTB rating; that is normal.
All Ratings are Good Ratings
I have seen far too many players, especially new players, become very invested in their chess rating. One thing I love about chess is how easy it is to track your progress, but that can also become a curse. Try to be okay with where your chess rating is, but also know that most people can improve if they work on the proper things.
Improving Your Chess Rating as a Beginner
If you are brand new to chess, there are a few things that you can do that will cause you to win games and immediately improve your chess rating. You can learn basic checkmate patterns, tactics, and piece protection. If you do those three things, you could easily go from 100 to 1000.
Checkmates
There are so many players who can reach winning positions but are unable to convert them into checkmate! Learn some basic checkmates like the ladder checkmate, the king and queen checkmate, and others, and you will improve.
Tactics
By learning basic tactics like forks and pins, your rating will shoot up. I call basic tactics superpowers on the chessboard. It’s almost unfair if you play a game, know the tactics, and your opponent doesn't. Practice basic tactic patterns by solving puzzles to improve.