How to Get a Chess Rating: Different Systems and What You Need To Do

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If you’re looking to get a chess rating, there are many ways to do it. Official ratings can be obtained from governing organizations like FIDE and the United States Chess Federation. However, unofficial ratings can also be obtained by playing games on websites like chess.com. Whichever route you take, the most important thing is to practice and play as many games as possible.

How to Get a Chess Rating

To get an official FIDE chess rating you need to gain a performance rating of at least 1000 through playing 20 games including a predetermined number in round-robin or swiss formats in official FIDE events against rated players over the course of around 2 years.

Getting an official chess rating is a great accomplishment for any player! In order to get an official rating, you must play a certain number of games in different scenarios – but it’s well worth the effort!

Until you complete the 20 games you will have a provisional rating which will be adjusted accordingly – Get started today and see how far you can go!

What is a chess rating

A chess rating is a number between 100 and up to 3000 which represents how well a player has performed against other players at different levels of competition. The higher the rating, the better the player.

Elo Rating System

The official chess rating system is the Elo system developed by Arpand Elo in 1960 using the original chess rating system by harness originally developed in 1950

In 1970 FIDE adopted the system as the official chess rating system

• Official chess rating system used by all
• Transparent & logical calculation of ratings
• Ratings are updated regularly

Different Chess Rating Systems Time Line

1942 – Harkness – The original system developed by Kenneth Harkness

1960 – Elo – Based on the Harkness System and used by FIDE today

1995 – Glicko – Used on chess.com

2005 – Chessmetrics – Created by Jeff Sonas as an improvement on Elo

FIDE Ratings

FIDE Ratings are the official international ratings of players, as determined by the World Chess Federation (FIDE). FIDE Ratings are calculated based on the results of games between rated players. The higher the rating of a player, the better that player is considered to be. The ratings are used to determine pairings for tournaments and matches.

• FIDE ratings are the official international ratings for players

How to get a FIDE ID and rating

To get a FIDE rating, you must first have a FIDE ID. You can obtain a FIDE ID by submitting an application form and passport-style photograph to the World Chess Federation. Once you have a FIDE ID, you can start playing in tournaments and matches to earn points that will be used to calculate your rating. The higher your score in these tournaments and matches, the higher your rating will be.

• Getting a FIDE ID and rating opens many opportunities for chess players
• Players can get an official FIDE rating by playing in tournaments and matches

How to Get a FIDE Rating – Local Information for Tournaments

Is an Online rating the same as a Tournament Rating?

Online ratings gained with sites like Chess.com or LiChess are not the same as an official FIDE rating.

Indeed, you will find websites like those mentioned above will have different ratings too, whereby, it is generally accepted that it is easier to get a higher rating on LiChess than it is on Chess.com

For official purposes, you can not claim an online chess rating as the same to enter a tournament if away from that online platform.

Summary

In order to get an official chess rating, you must play a certain number of games in different scenarios. The best way to accomplish this is by playing in tournaments and matches – which will also help you improve your game! Official ratings are a great accomplishment for any player and can open many opportunities. Consider applying for a FIDE ID before starting out so that your rating can be tracked properly.