A rating is a number that reflects a player's strength. The higher the rating, the stronger the player. The rating changes after every rated game: it goes up for wins and down for losses.
The Elo system
The modern rating system was devised by the Hungarian-born American physicist Arpad Elo. The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has used it since 1970.
The idea is that the rating difference predicts the expected result of a game. If you score more than expected, your rating goes up; less — it goes down.
- A win against a strong opponent brings many points.
- A win against a weak one — few.
- A loss to a weak opponent costs a lot.
- A draw with a strong opponent even raises your rating.
Kinds of ratings
- FIDE rating — international, for games in official tournaments. Kept separately for classical chess, rapid and blitz.
- National ratings — in Russia, the Chess Federation of Russia rating, which covers more Russian tournaments.
- Online platform ratings — on Lichess, Chess.com and other sites. They are calculated with similar formulas but do not match the official ones.
Benchmarks
Very roughly:
| FIDE rating | Level |
|---|---|
| below 1400 | beginners and youth categories |
| 1400–1800 | amateurs, third to second category |
| 1800–2200 | strong amateurs, first category, candidate masters |
| 2300–2500 | masters |
| 2500 and above | grandmasters |
| 2700 and above | the elite — a few dozen players in the world |
The record belongs to Magnus Carlsen — 2882 (“Chess stars of the world”).
How to treat your rating
A rating is a useful benchmark, not a goal. Players who are too afraid of losing rating points start avoiding strong opponents and risky positions — and stop improving. The best way to raise your rating is to study and play a lot.