Chess Parents FAQs
  • Blog
  • Index
  • 5334
  • Camp
  • About

What is the difference between online rating and USCF rating?

3/3/2015

0 Comments

 
When I talk to parents, often they quote me their kids' ratings on chess.com or ICC. I have to tell them I need to know USCF ratings. Most times online ratings are much higher for beginners, which make both parents and kids happy. But that doesn't tell the truth. When they go to tournaments, they will be greatly disappointed.

USCF rating is calculated based on over-the-board games with long time control. They are the real test of a person's strength. People tend to play blitz online because we as human don't have the patience to stare at an unchanging screen for even 5 minutes, especially when we wait for our opponents (who are invisible) to move. So online rating basically is blitz rating. Blitz rating can fluctuate a lot and is not accurate. Online ratings can have huge discrepancy from USCF rating, higher or lower either way. 500-point difference is not uncommon. My chess.com rating is 400 lower than my USCF rating because I get timed out in 60% of my online games.

You can use your online rating to track your progress with blitz if you play a lot. Otherwise, it's meaningless anywhere.

If a coach quotes you his online rating, check his USCF rating. If he could not facilitate his USCF rating history, there might be a problem. I knew a popular coach whose highest rated student was 1500. He had never played any rated tournaments but still had many students. Undeniable, he had done a great job to introduce kids to chess. When he finally began to play 10 years later, his rating was stuck around 1500. He actually unintentionally destroyed the future of  his best students.


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Coach Andy
    Princeton Chess Academy

    Having been a chess parent for more than 10 years himself, Coach Andy will answer questions about chess, chess education, scholastic chess for chess parents from his own experience and lessons. 

    Daily Puzzles

    Steps Method

    Online Course

    Chess^Summit


    Please like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

© Copyrights 2015 All Rights Reserved | Daily Math Worksheet, LLC