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Subject: rec.games.chess.misc FAQ [1/4]
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Summary: FAQ of the rec.games.chess Computer Software
Keywords: chess FAQ
Last-Modified: 1995/06/04
Archive-Name: games/chess/part1
Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.games.chess.misc:339 rec.answers:12945 news.answers:47336
Chess FAQ
rec.games.chess.misc FAQ
WELCOME:
Welcome to "The rgcm FAQ", a compilation of information about
chess and the internet. This FAQ is posted in 4 parts, bimonthly,
to the newgroup rec.games.chess. Part 1 is about Organizations, Ratings &
Titles, Tournaments, Self-Improvement, and Supplies. Part 2 is about Mailing
Lists, freely available Services and Material, Chess-playing Hardware,
Software, and Utilities, and a Miscellaneous section. Part 3 is about how
to improve and chess related supplies including computers, software, etc.
Part 4 contains miscellaneous material.
The rec.games.chess USENET group is now a hierarchy of 5 groups:
rec.games.chess.misc
rec.games.chess.play-by-e-mail
rec.games.chess.computer
rec.games.chess.politics
rec.games.chess.analysis
This FAQ contains an overview of all areas of chess. FAQ's specific to
each of the above areas will be posted. The rec.games.chess.computer FAQ
will also contain information on tht history of computers in chess and sketches
of some of the individuals currently active in this field.
TABLE OF CONTENTS of Chess Faq Parts 1 - 4
Part 1
Organizations: International, National, Local, and Mail/E-Mail
[1] Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE)
[2] The United States Chess Federation (USCF)
[3] Chess Federation of Canada (CFC)
[4] American Chess Foundation (ACF)
[5] State and Local Organizations (USA)
[6] Correspondence Organizations
[7] Bulletin Board Systems (BBS's)
Ratings and Titles
[8] Ratings (with FIDE list)
[9] How USCF Ratings are Calculated
[10] How USCF Lifetime Titles are Earned
Tournaments
[11] Tournaments
[12] The Swiss Tournament Pairing System
Part 2
Self-Improvement
[13] I'm a Novice/Intermediate. How Do I Improve?
[14] Recommended Openings (and Books) for Novice to Intermediate
[15] I'm really good. How do I get better? (Class A/B and Up.)
[16] Publications
Supplies
[17] Where to Get Books and Equipment
[18] E-Mail Games, Live Net Chess, FICS, ICC, Usenet, Mailing lists
Part 3
Publicly available material
[19] Material Available via Anonymous FTP
Commercially available playing or material
[20] Chess-Playing Computers
[21] Chess-Playing Software
[22] Database Software
Part 4
Miscellaneous
[23] Utility Software
[24] Using Graphic Chess Symbols in Printed Text
[25] Trivia
[26] Common Acronyms
[27] Rules
[28] Variants
[29] Disclaimer and Copyright Notice
If you are new to the newsgroup rec.games.chess, you might want to read
this FAQ before posting questions to the newsgroup.
This twice-monthly posting is intended to address some of the frequently asked
questions (FAQ's) on the rec.games.chess news group. Because the answers may
not be complete, please feel free to ask questions. This is only intended to
address first-level concerns, and not to stifle discussions (discussions
are never stifled on rec.games.chess).
How to get the FAQ:
This document is posted twice monthly to the Usenet newgroups rec.games.chess,
rec.answers, and news.answers. Other ways to obtain the faq are
* WWW (world wide web) by using the url
http://www.brad.ac.uk/~mdcrowth/chess.html
* ANONYMOUS FTP to rtfm.mit.edu (18.181.0.24) and get the files
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/games/chess/part1
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/games/chess/part2
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/games/chess/part3
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/games/chess/part4
* EMAIL(for those without ftp access) send email to
mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu leave the subject empty and
send usenet/news.answers/games/chess/part1
in the body of the mail message. Parts 2, 3 and 4 can be obtained
in the same way as part 1.
What's New:
Expanded section on chess databases. Deja Vu information is now included.
Links to Deja Vu homepage, and the Chess Connection has been added. Check
them out! The recommended books section has many changes & will change
still further. No more numerical comparisons of ICC and FICS, check them out
yourselves! A new section in which is in transition has been added on how to
get better after you are really good. The rgcm FAQ is now 4 parts long. This
will leave ample room for more material and updates.
Enjoy your chess!
Chess playing software reviews will be coming soon.
------------------------------------------------------
rec.games.chess FAQ part 1/4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Organizations: International, National, Local, and Mail/E-Mail
[1] Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE)
[2] The United States Chess Federation (USCF)
[3] Chess Federation of Canada (CFC)
[4] American Chess Foundation (ACF)
[5] State and Local Organizations (USA)
[6] Correspondence Organizations
[7] Bulletin Board Systems (BBS's)
Ratings and Titles
[8] Ratings (with FIDE list)
[9] How USCF Ratings are Calculated
[10] How USCF Lifetime Titles are Earned
Tournaments
[11] Tournaments
[12] The Swiss Tournament Pairing System
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: [1] Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE)
FIDE (pronounced "fee-day") is an international chess organization that
organizes tournaments (e.g. Olympiad), grants titles, and controls the World
Championship cycle. Write to: Federation Internationale des Echecs,
Write to: Federation Internationale des Echecs, PO Box 700 80, GR-16610 Glyfada, Athens, Greece.
or Iridos 11, GR-16673 Voula, Athens, Greece Tel: (30)1-895 8251
Fax:(30)1-965 7202
Tel+Fax: (30)1-895 5259
FIDE grants three over-the-board titles: FIDE Master (FM), International
Master (IM), and International Grandmaster (IGM; but more commonly just
"Grandmaster" and "GM"). FM can be obtained by keeping your FIDE rating over
2300 for 25 games. IM and GM titles require performances at certain levels
for 25-30 games (2450 for IM and 2600 for GM). This is usually achieved by
obtaining several "norms." A norm is obtained when a player makes at least a
given score in a FIDE tournament. The required score is a function of the
number of rounds and the strength of the opposition. There are also minimum
rating requirements. There are about 35 GM's, 60 IM's, and 100 FM's living
in the U.S., not all of whom are active players.
FIDE also grants titles for which only women are eligible: FIDE Woman Master,
International Woman Master (IWM; but _Chess Life_ often uses "Woman
International Master" and "WIM") and International Woman Grandmaster (WGM).
Women are also eligible for the other titles.
FIDE also grants titles for Chess Composition, Composition Judging,
Tournament Direction (as "Arbiter"), and Correspondence Chess; and maintains
a separate rating list (and titles) for "Action chess" (G/30).
------------------------------
Subject: [2] The United States Chess Federation (USCF)
The USCF is the national chess organization of the United States. It does
several things: (1) computes ratings for players who play in USCF-rated
tournaments, (2) publishes a monthly magazine called _Chess Life_, (3)
sponsors national over-the-board tournaments such as the National Open and
the U.S. Open, and a variety of correspondence (postal) tournaments, and
(4) officially represents the interests of chess in the U.S. to international
chess organizations. Most over-the-board tournaments held in the U.S. are
USCF-rated. This means that to play in them, you must join the USCF (this can
normally be done at the tournament site if you prefer).
_Chess Life_ includes a listing, sorted by state, of USCF-rated tournaments
to be held in the following few months. It periodically publishes the
addresses of all state chess organizations (see [5]). It also has chess
news, games from the U.S. and around the world, instructional and enjoyment
articles, and embedded catalogs from which you can purchase books and
equipment.
Regular memberships will be $40/year, including a _Chess Life_ subscription.
Youth memberships (same benefits) for age 19 & under are $15/year.
Scholastic memberships for age 19 and under (provides a bimonthly publication
called _School Mates_ instead of _Chess Life_) are $10/year. Senior
memberships (age 65 and over) are $30/year. Life memberships are $850 or can
be had by paying double the regular membership rate for 10 years running.
_Chess Life_ subscription (without membership): $??. Write to: United
States Chess Federation, 186 Route 9W, New Windsor, NY 12553-7698. Phone
800-388-5464 or 914-562-8350.
Those with access to Internet e-mail have active members of the USCF staff
available. For non-_Chess Life_ matters, Assistant Director
Larry King is available at uscf@delphi.com.
------------------------------
Subject: [3] Chess Federation of Canada (CFC)
The CFC maintains ratings of all players in good standing, runs tournaments,
attempts to promote chess in Canada, and sells equipment to both members and
non-members. Members get a subscription to _En Passant_, a bimonthly
magazine. The rating system used by the CFC is the Elo system, also used by
the USCF and FIDE. Local variations make CFC ratings from 25-200 points
lower than USCF ratings for players of similar ability. Dues range from
$25-$45 (Canadian), depending on province of residence. Junior memberships
range from $15-$25 (Canadian). Life memberships are also available,
depending on age. Write to: Chess Federation of Canada, 2212 Gladwin
Crescent, E-1(b), Ottawa, Ontario, K1B 5N1, Canada. Phone 613-733-2844; fax
613-733-5209.
Check out their web site at: http://www.globalx.net/cfc/index.html
------------------------------
Subject: [4] American Chess Foundation (ACF)
The American Chess Foundation promotes chess in the U.S. It sponsors some
promising young players and contributes money toward large tournaments (e.g.,
the U.S. Championship). Write to: American Chess Foundation (President Fan
Adams, Executive Director Allan Kaufman), 353 West 46th St., New York, NY
10036.
------------------------------
Subject: [5] State and Local Organizations (USA)
Every state has its own chess organization affiliated with USCF, and most also
have a bimonthly or quarterly publication. The state organizations are listed
in the annual _Chess Life_ yearbook issue (April). From these state
organizations, information can be obtained on local chess clubs. Another good
way to find a local club is to look at the tournament listings in the back of
every _Chess Life_.
------------------------------
Subject: [6] Correspondence Organizations
American Postal Chess Tournaments, c/o Helen Warren, P.O. Box 305, Western
Springs, IL 60558. Also runs electronic "postal" chess on the USA Today
Information Center (see [7]).
Correspondence Chess League of America (CCLA), P.O. Box 3481, Barrington, IL
60011-3481.
International Correspondence Chess Federation (ICCF), c/o Max Zavanelli,
ICCF-US Secretary, 1642 N. Volusia Ave #201, Orange City, FL 32763. Non-US
residents may contact ICCF directly to obtain information about their
respective affiliated national correspondence chess federation, by writing to
the ICCF Tournament Director, address: ICCF Tournament Director, c/o Ragnar
Wikman, Box 36, 20111 Abo, Finland. Internet e-mail: rwikman@finabo.abo.fi
Transcendental Chess, c/o Maxwell Lawrence, 1655A Flatbush Ave., No. 1502,
Brooklyn, NY 11210. Postal chess (PRE-chess!--first 8 moves set up the
pieces behind the pawns) organization.
------------------------------
Subject: [7] Bulletin Board Systems (BBS's)
CANADA
Alberta: Chess Hackers. 403-456-5808.
USA
CompuServe: 800-848-8990.
HoloNet: 800-NET-HOLO (800-638-4656).
Prodigy: 800-284-5933.
ImagiNation Network: 800-IMAGIN-1
CA: Charles Rostedt's chess BBS: 310-634-8549 (data), 634-8477 (voice).
CA: Chess Hotline BBS: 310-634-8549.
CA: Strategies and Tactics: 714-458-0818.
Berkeley, CA: Berkeley BBS: 510-486-0795.
Modesto, CA: Flightline of Dbase: 209-551-2227.
Waterbury, CT: Chess Horizons BBS: 203-596-1443. 755-9749 (voice). Rob
Roy, 54 Calumet, Waterbury, CT 06710-1201. Free software catalog.
Plant City, FL: The ChessBoard: 813-754-6043.
Chicago, IL: ChessBoard: 312-784-3019.
IL: Free! Board: 312-275-0848.
Louisville, KY: The Chess Board: 502-271-5233.
Metairie, LA: High Tech BBS: 504-837-7941.
New Orleans, LA: Woodpusher BBS: 504-271-5233.
Chevy Chase, MD: The Mystery Board BBS: 301-588-9465, 588-8142.
Fort Meade, MD: Interstate Express: 301-674-6835.
Durham, NC: The Isolated Pawn: 919-471-1440.
Brooklyn, NY: The Round Table BBS: 718-951-6652.
Columbus, OH: The Endgame BBS: 614-476-3351.
Mansfield, OH: DK Jet-Works: 419-524-3959.
Mansfield, OH: Procyon: 419-524-7825.
Portland, OR: PDX Chess BBS: 503-232-2282.
Erie, PA: The Basement 814-838-7344 & 8237
Austin, TX: Austin Chess Studio: 512-448-4861.
Web Sites:
Chess Week in Review - Mark Crowther's Web Page - "http://www.brad.ac.uk/~mdcrowth/chess.html"
Mark is the editor and originator of the Chess Week in Review, the most
significant internet, electronic chess publication. Each week interesting
articles, interviews, chess problems and the all of the games of significant
tournaments are published and posted to rec.games.chess. This is also mailed
directly to members of the chess list.
The Chess Connection pages - "http://www.easynet.co.uk/pages/worldchess/home.htm"
First internet version May 1995. Great! Plans to provide comprehensive service for
chess enthusiasts world-wide. The Chess Connection WWW pages is essentially
an electronic chess magazine which will attempt to include all the latest news,
features, regular columns and reports of chess events world-wide. It is
amazing to see so many different columns here in one place!
Currently includes several chess columns that are published weekly and monthly.
Diagrams, commentary on games, news, etc.
Future plans include: live coverage of the Intel World Chess Championship
match between Garry Kasparov and Vishy Anand on the Live Update pages.
Not only will the reader be able to see the latest moves, but The Chess
Connection will also attempt to have a live Grandmaster
Commentary from Cologne with analysis. In addition, there
will be an extensive discussion of chess software and hardware not only
by the journalists of the Chess Connection but also by the software vendors
themselves.
Ordering on line via their Shopping Mall is also planned.
Chess Works Unlimited: "http://www.hooked.net/users/chesswks/cwu.html"
Information regarding their software and publications. Demos are available
through their ftp site, but visit here first. Eric Schiller's homepage is linked
here also. Products include Deja Vu Database (providing over 350,000 games, soon
to be closer to 500,000). Useable in ChessBase, Chess Assistant, Unix and through
Foxpro & Visual Basic. Other products and demos include electronic books and
products designed to work with BookUp.
Chess problems - "http://www.crystaldata.com/scripts/chess_problems"
Choose from a variety of problems.
Chess Federation of Canada: http://www.globalx.net/cfc/index.html
Others:
WWW Chess Archives - "http://www.traveller.com/chess/"
British Chess links: http://www.chemeng.ed.ac.uk/people/steve/
CHESS: Rudof Steinkellner, Jr. http://www.ub.uit.no/chess/
USCF Selections Page: http://dab.psi.net/uscfbrowser/
I.C.E. The Web Page of I.C.E. is available at: "http://pegasus.grandmaster.bc.ca"
ftp sites:
Chess Assistant Games:
FTP access on site : ldis.cs.msu.su or 158.250.10.196
User : Anonymous
MainDir : /PROJECTS/FTP/CA-DATA/OUTGOING
------------------------------
Subject: [8] Ratings (with FIDE list)
Different countries have different rating systems. The most common system in
use is called the Elo system, named after its inventor. An excellent book on
the subject is _The Rating of Chessplayers, Past & Present_ by Arpad E. Elo
(copyright 1978; ISBN 0-668-04721-6). FIDE and the USCF use the Elo system,
although in the USCF there have been some adjustments and additions in the
past which have distorted USCF ratings vis-a-vis systems which have been
"pure Elo" forever.
FIDE rating list for January 1995.
Top 101 players are listed. Ratings 2805 to 2575.
Games = games played in 1994.
NAME COUNTRY Rating Games Birthday
1 Kasparov, Gary RUS 2805 0 04/13/63
2 Karpov, Anatoly RUS 2765 37 05/23/51
3 Anand, Viswanathan IND 2715 11 12/11/69
4 Kramnik, Vladimir RUS 2715 8 06/25/75
5 Salov, Valery RUS 2715 20 05/26/64
6 Kamsky, Gata USA 2710 17 06/02/74
7 Shirov, Alexei LAT 2710 36 07/04/72
8 Gelfand, Boris BLR 2700 43 06/24/68
9 Ivanchuk, Vassily UKR 2700 21 03/18/69
10 Bareev, Evgeny RUS 2675 35 11/21/66
11 Piket, Jeroen NED 2670 31 01/27/69
12 Yusupov, Artur GER 2660 42 02/13/60
13 Adams, Michael ENG 2655 32 11/17/71
14 Akopian, Vladimir ARM 2655 27 12/07/71
15 Lautier, Joel FRA 2655 46 04/12/73
16 Short, Nigel D. ENG 2655 0 06/01/65
17 Beliavsky, Alexander G UKR 2650 31 12/17/53
18 Dreev, Alexey RUS 2650 31 01/30/69
19 Nikolic, Predrag BIH 2645 24 09/11/60
20 Sokolov, Ivan BIH 2645 51 06/13/68
21 Vaganian, Rafael A ARM 2640 31 10/15/51
22 Epishin, Vladimir RUS 2635 73 07/11/65
23 Korchnoi, Viktor SUI 2635 53 03/23/31
24 Khalifman, Alexander RUS 2635 35 01/18/66
25 Timman, Jan H NED 2635 28 12/14/51
26 Andersson, Ulf SWE 2630 50 06/27/51
27 Hansen, Curt DEN 2630 15 09/18/64
28 Lputian, Smbat G ARM 2630 34 02/14/58
29 Nunn, John D M ENG 2630 18 04/25/55
30 Polgar, Judit (GM) HUN 2630 30 07/23/76
31 Smirin, Ilia ISR 2630 39 01/21/68
32 Topalov, Veselin BUL 2630 45 03/15/75
33 Dautov, Rustem GER 2625 17 11/28/65
34 Georgiev, Kiril BUL 2625 48 11/28/65
35 Psakhis, Lev ISR 2625 68 11/29/58
36 Tiviakov, Sergei RUS 2625 37 02/14/73
37 Granda Zuniga, Julio E PER 2620 0 02/25/67
38 Huebner, Robert GER 2620 22 11/06/48
39 Ehlvest, Jaan EST 2615 29 10/14/62
40 Hodgson, Julian M. ENG 2615 43 07/25/63
41 Malaniuk, Vladimir P UKR 2615 45 07/21/57
42 Miles, Anthony J ENG 2615 90 04/23/55
43 Yudasin, Leonid ISR 2615 50 08/08/59
44 Azmaiparashvili, Zurab GEO 2610 47 03/16/60
45 Oll, Lembit EST 2610 29 04/23/66
46 Speelman, Jonathan S ENG 2610 34 10/02/56
47 Dolmatov, Sergey RUS 2605 6 02/20/59
48 Ftacnik, Lubomir SVK 2605 43 10/30/57
49 Gurevich, Mikhail BEL 2605 47 02/22/59
50 Kaidanov, Grigory S USA 2605 32 10/11/59
51 Morozevich, Alexander RUS 2605 19 07/18/77
52 Nenashev, Alexander UZB 2605 51 08/25/62
53 Vyzmanavin, Alexey RUS 2605 22 01/01/60
54 Agdestein, Simen NOR 2600 9 05/15/67
55 Chernin, Alexander HUN 2600 47 03/06/60
56 Gavrikov, Viktor SUI 2600 30 07/29/57
57 Rozentalis, Eduardas LTU 2600 26 05/27/63
58 Ribli, Zoltan HUN 2600 18 09/06/51
59 Seirawan, Yasser USA 2600 22 03/24/60
60 Eingorn, Vereslav S UKR 2595 36 11/23/56
61 Hertneck, Gerald GER 2595 17 09/18/63
62 Gulko, Boris F USA 2595 30 02/09/47
63 Hracek, Zbynek CZE 2595 48 09/09/70
64 Illescas Cordoba, Miguel ESP 2595 45 12/03/65
65 Romanishin, Oleg M UKR 2595 13 01/10/52
66 Almasi, Zoltan HUN 2590 30 08/29/76
67 DeFirmian, Nick E USA 2590 99 07/26/57
68 Dorfman, Josif D FRA 2590 20 05/01/53
69 Glek, Igor V RUS 2590 21 11/07/61
70 Giorgadze, Giorgi GEO 2590 53 10/10/64
71 Hjartarson, Johann ISL 2590 24 02/08/63
72 Huzman, Alexander UKR 2590 49 04/10/62
73 Lalic, Bogdan CRO 2590 71 03/08/64
74 Onischuk, Alexander UKR 2590 50 / /
75 Novikov, Igor A UKR 2590 50 05/23/62
76 Pigusov, Evgeny RUS 2590 41 03/31/61
77 Adianto, Utut INA 2585 60 03/16/65
80 Kurajica, Bojan BIH 2585 49 11/15/47
81 Portisch, Lajos HUN 2585 18 04/04/37
82 Polugaevsky, Lev RUS 2585 0 11/20/34
83 Rublevsky, Sergei RUS 2585 22 10/15/74
84 Serper, Grigory UZB 2585 38 09/14/69
85 Savchenko, Stanislav UKR 2585 62 01/21/67
86 Svidler, Peter RUS 2585 24 06/17/76
87 Tukmakov, Vladimir B UKR 2585 34 03/15/46
88 Zvjaginsev, Vadim RUS 2585 22 08/18/76
89 Dokhoian, Yury RUS 2580 13 10/26/64
90 Goldin, Alexander RUS 2580 15 02/27/65
91 Greenfeld, Alon ISR 2580 40 04/17/64
92 Ljubojevic, Ljubomir YUG 2580 17 11/02/50
93 Milov, Vadim ISR 2580 51 / /
94 Razuvaev, Yuri S RUS 2580 25 10/10/45
95 Vladimirov, Evgeny KAZ 2580 4 01/20/57
96 Yermolinsky, Alex USA 2580 68 04/11/58
97 Alterman, Boris ISR 2575 69 05/04/70
98 Damljanovic, Branko YUG 2575 50 06/17/61
99 Gurevich, Ilya USA 2575 22 02/08/72
100 Komarov, Dimitri UKR 2575 67 12/01/68
101 Kengis, Edvins LAT 2575 37 04/12/59
FIDE Rating list, Restricted to women, 1 January 1993
1. Judit Polgar Hungary 2595 +20
2. Zsuzsa Polgar Hungary 2560 +20
3. Pia Cramling Sweden 2525 -5
4. Maya Tschiburdanidze Georgia 2510 +5
5. Jun Xie China 2470 -15
6. Nana Ioseliani Georgia 2460 +15
7. Alisa Gallyamova Ukraine 2445 +45
8. Ketevan Arakhamya Georgia 2440 +5
9. Svetlana Prudnikova Russia 2420 +85
10. Ketevan Kakhyani Georgia 2420 +60
11. Ildiko Madl Hungary 2415 +5
12. Irina Levytina USA 2415 0
13. Alisa Maric Yugoslavia 2415 +25
14. Zsofia Polgar Hungary 2415 -30
15. Kanying Qin China 2410 +95
16. Yelena Donaldson USA 2405 0
17. Svetlana Matveyeva Kirgisia 2395 -40
18. Ainur Sofiyeva Azerbaidzan 2390 +5
19. Vesna Bashagic Bosnia-Hercegovina 2385 -5
20. Natasha Boykovic Yugoslavia 2385 +20
21. Anna Akhsarumova USA 2385 0
USCF has rating classes as follows (with number in class as of 1 Nov 1994):
title range number (Percentile)
Senior Master 2400 and up 252 100
Master 2200 - 2399 855 99
Expert 2000 - 2199 2,263 95
Class A 1800 - 1999 3,579 88
Class B 1600 - 1799 4,714 78
Class C 1400 - 1599 5,183 66
Class D 1200 - 1399 5,226 54
Class E below 1200 19,872 the rest of the pack
There are more USCF members than the total 41,944 listed here. These
are just those who have been active in tournaments recently. The average
rating on this list is 1271. Your rating is determined by your results
and the ratings of the players you play against.
There is no hard and fast relationship between the various rating scales.
One question which often arises is: Do Elo historical ratings of famous
players of the past enable us to predict how well they would do against
present day players?
Some discussion of this issue occurred in (the now discontinued) _Chess
Notes_ in 1988. Edward Winter wrote, "Elo's retrospective rankings look less
and less convincing the more one studies them. For example, George Walker is
attributed 2360, the same as George Botterill in January 1988 (who has thus
had the benefit of insight into a century and a half of chess development
since Walker's time)." Ken Whyld responded this "shows a misunderstanding of
ELO. The ratings do not reflect how a player from a past age would fare
against a present-day player. . . . Elo's figures measure competitive
ability, NOT the quality of play. . . . In chess we can only know the
standing of players within the pool of which they are a part. It is idle
speculation to make comparisons between discrete periods." Arpad Elo himself
then got into the discussion, saying, "The historical ratings have generated
controversy partly because people misunderstand what they represent . . . Mr.
Ken Whyld . . . correctly points out how ratings should be viewed, i.e., as a
measure of competitive ability, and that proper comparisons can be made only
between players of the same milieu. . . . There is also a fundamental point
that should not be overlooked: the rating scale itself is an arbitrary scale,
open ended, . . . with no reproducible fixed points."
------------------------------
Subject: [9] How USCF Ratings are Calculated
The following is a simplified version of how the USCF rating system works;
for a full version, write to the USCF (see [2]).
*** For the first 20 games (provisional rating): ***
Take the rating of the opponent +400 if the player wins.
Take the rating of the opponent -400 if the player loses.
Take the rating of the opponent if the game is a draw.
Average these numbers. (If unrated players play other unrated players, this
requires several iterations of the above.)
*** After 20 games (established rating): ***
The maximum amount a player can win or lose per game (called the "K" factor)
varies according to rating. Players rated under 2100 have a 32-point
maximum; players rated 2100-2399 have a 24-point maximum, and players rated
2400 and up have a 16-point maximum. (In a "1/2 K" tournament, divide these
maximums by two?)
If players of equal rating play, the loser loses half of the maximum, the
winner gains the same amount. No change for a draw.
If players of unequal rating play, the higher-rated player gains fewer points
for a win, but loses more points for a loss. (The lower-rated player does
the opposite, of course.) A higher-rated player loses points for a draw; a
lower-rated player gains points. For players rated 400 or so points apart,
the maximum rating change is used for an upset, and the minimum gain/loss is
1 point if the much higher-rated player wins.
The true formula for the number of points won/lost versus the ratings
difference is a curve, but a straight-line approximation for players with a K
factor of 32 points can be used, where every 25 points of ratings difference
is one additional rating point gained/lost starting from a beginning of 16
points for a win/loss, and from zero for a draw. (I.e., for a 100-point
difference, the higher-rated player gains 16 - 4 = 12 points for a win, but
loses 16 + 4 = 20 points for a loss. If a draw, the higher-rated player
loses 4 points, the lower-rated player gains 4.)
The actual formula is as follows:
K = K factor
delta_R = (Opponent's rating) - (Player's rating)
Expected_Wins = 1/(10^(delta_R / 400) + 1)
New_Rating = (Current rating) + K * ((Actual wins) - (Expected_Wins))
An established player's rating cannot drop below (his rating - 100) truncated
to the next lowest hundred (i.e., a 1571 player cannot drop below 1400).
This is called the rating's "floor."
------------------------------
Subject: [10] How USCF Lifetime Titles are Earned
USCF's class title norm system is similar to the system FIDE uses to
determine GM and IM titles (see [1]). There is no time limit for
accumulating points towards USCF titles.
There are two titles per class from E to Expert: "Certified" and "Advanced."
Master-level titles have a different naming scheme: 2200 is "Life Master,"
followed by "1-Star Life Master" at 2300, "2-Star Life Master" at 2400, etc.
Points are earned toward titles by exceeding the expected score of a player
with the minimum rating of that level by a certain number of points. Rules:
1. A norm can be earned only in events of four rounds or greater. (Norms
cannot be earned by playing a rated match.)
2. A minimum score of two game points in the event is required, not
counting unplayed games.
3. Ten "norm points" are required for a title.
4. Making a norm earns two points toward the title for that level.
5. A player who does not have the title 100 points below the norm level
also earns five points towards that title.
6. A player who does not have the title 200 points below the norm level
automatically achieves that title.
7. A player who achieves an established rating, but not the title
corresponding to 100 points below this rating, is awarded that title.
8. Only established rated players can earn titles.
The Life Master title may still be earned by playing 300 games at the 2200
level. After 1996, this title may only be earned through the norm system.
For a full description of the system, see _Chess Life_ May 1992.
------------------------------
Subject: [11] Tournaments
Chess tournaments can be large (1000 players) or small (10 players or even
less); long (1 round per day for 2 weeks) or short (a few rounds in one day).
There are tournaments only for Masters and tournaments only for beginners,
although most tournaments are open to anyone. A typical _Chess Life_ will
list about 350 tournaments coming up in the U.S. in the next couple of
months, and there will be about the same number which are unlisted. If you
want to participate in a tournament but are intimidated because you don't
know the procedures, by all means go and ask the director and/or other
players questions before things begin. They'll be glad to help.
A typical tournament announcement will contain the following: (1) Date(s) and
name of the tournament. (2) What kind of tournament it is, e.g., 4-SS or
3-RR. The number given denotes how many rounds will be played. "SS" stands
for Swiss System, which is a method of pairing the contestants (see [12]).
"RR" stands for round-robin, a format in which the players are divided into
groups of similar ratings before the tournament begins, and then each member
of a group plays every other member of that group. Thus, in a 3-RR, the
group size will be four. The Swiss System is by far the most popular in the
U.S.
(3) The time controls, e.g., "30/60, SD/60" or "G/60" or "20/1, 30/1." The
number on the left is the number of moves, and the number on the right is the
time in minutes, or if that number is 1 or 2, in hours. "SD" stands for
"sudden death," and "G" stands for game. Where more than one time control is
listed, they are the controls which will take effect as the game progresses.
So, the three examples given above can be explained as follows. In the first
example, the players would each get 60 minutes on their clocks, and would
have to have made their 30th moves before the 60 minutes expires (your clock
only runs when it is your turn to move). Then, they each have another 60
minutes to finish the game completely. Time left over from the first time
control carries over to subsequent time controls. In the second example,
each player would begin with 60 minutes on his clock, and would have to
finish the game within that time. In the third example, the players would
each get 1 hour for the first 20 moves, 1 hour for the next 30 moves, and
another hour for every subsequent group of 30 moves.
(4) The location of the tournament. (5) The entry fee, sometimes by section
(see item 7). (6) The total prize fund (if any), either "guaranteed" (G) or
based on a certain number of entries (e.g., b/30). The difference is
guaranteed prizes must be paid, and "based on" prizes need only be paid in
full if the stated number of players enter. If the stated number of players
do not enter, the prize fund is reduced proportionally, but only down to a
minimum of 50%.
(7) Sections, if any. If none are listed, the tournament is an "open."
"Open" sections are always open to *any* player. Other sections may be
restricted to players below a certain rating, and/or occasionally above a
certain rating. Sometimes sections (or whole tournaments) are restricted to
certain age groups, school grades, etc. "Class" tournaments separate players
by USCF rating classes. Sometimes different sections carry different entry
fees. (8) Prize fund breakdown (if any). If the tournament is in sections,
each section shows its own prize fund. In an small open, a typical prize
fund might look like this: $140-100-70, A 50, B 45, C 40, D/E/Unr. 35, Jrs.
20. This means first prize is $140, second is $100, and third is $70. The
top Class A player gets $50, etc. The top player in the combined classes of
D, E, and unrated players gets $35, and the top Junior (under age 21) gets
$20. (9) The registration time and time the rounds will begin. (10) Where
to send an advance entry fee, and/or who to contact for more information.
------------------------------
Subject: [12] The Swiss Tournament Pairing System
The best way to get the rules for a Swiss System is to buy a copy of the USCF
rulebook, available for about $7.95. (The FIDE rulebook also has rules for a
Swiss, which vary from USCF's rules.)
However, a VERY simplified summary of the USCF rules is:
1. Arrange players in order by rating, highest to lowest, unrated either at
the bottom or by estimated rating.
2. For round 1, divide into two stacks. The top players in EACH stack play
each other, then the second players in each stack play each other, etc.
This results in the highest-rated player playing the middle-rated player.
3. After round one, divide up by score groups. Win=1, Draw=1/2, Loss=0.
4. Pair up each score group as in step 2. If an odd number, the bottom
person in higher point group plays top person in next score group. If
odd number in lowest score group, lowest rated player gets a full point
bye. (Limit players to one bye each.)
5. Where possible, players should alternate color, or at least equalize.
(By round 4, players ideally should have had two Whites, two Blacks.)
6. Players NEVER play the same opponent more than once. If necessary, pair
players with someone in next lower score group. (Treat as if odd
number.)
7. To improve on color allocation as per step 5, if two players in the
bottom half of a score group are rated within 100 points, they can be
interchanged. (If rated over 2100, 50 points is a better cutoff.)
------------------------------
--------------------------------
The FAQ is compiled and posted by Stephen Pribut at pribut@us.net.
This FAQ has been created by the combined efforts of numerous readers of
rec.games.chess.misc.
"The rgcm FAQ" is copyrighted 1995. Before reprinting a FAQ article
for monetary gain (or major portions of one), please obtain
permission from the author of the article.