hi

I think it would be better to start at 900.

Starting at 1200 means that everyone is overrated. I know for certain from playing chessmaster on the PC at my chess.com rating means I get pasted. My real rating according to that program is under 1200.

Just my 2 euros :) 

AlecKeen wrote: Becca wrote: Rating has its place but its not the most important thing. Sometimes you can lose a game on time and it will seriously affect your rating this has nothing to do with how well you play.

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Oh yes it does! How well you play includes how well you manage your time. Time is as much part of Chess as it is in other games. In football you could score the greatest goal in history, but if the referee blows time before it goes in it doesn't count. Similarly in Chess if you don't get your moves in within the time, you lose, and correctly so.

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 Maybe not much effect on your rating in some cases. I played some1 almost 150 rate higher than me and when i won, i was upgraded just 1 rate and him less by 1 rate. teh i played another 1200 starter and lost almost 35 rate and he jumped up to 135something as a first bonus??????

I still don't get it???????????? 

Ratings -- a measuring stick -- that's it  When I had a rating below 2000 I would challenge a player above that level and get a pathetic message like 'Oops! this player doesn't play anyone below 2000.  You know why!  Because they're scared of losing their precious little rating points.  They would be better off selling insurance, there is more security doing that.  Oops is a jellyfish burp!

joeyson wrote:

wow ppl

just play

ratings dont even matter

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 Yep. Though I must say, I can't stand being a very low rating. It's demeaning. I know it's a game, but winning is the point.

the higher the rating ... the better you play!

i am beginning 2 understand this ...

good maniac

if i get challenged, it tells me how many points i risk or gain, how do i know if i challenge someone else?

i never see how many points i can risk losing or gaining ... where do u find that out?

wow

true. blitz for good memory and sight. plodders rely more on their analytical skills, performing poorly in blitzes. so i think....anyway.

I agree , 1200 is average, and you can rise or down, play and no ask, or you can do yourself the website.

ok then... i think the ratin is a great idea... but still dont understand it ...

I like joeyson's earlier response. His answer was don't worry about ratings just play. After all, we all hope we're playing a person at the other end not a person using a computer.

yeah innit

o0obruceleeo0o wrote: 1200 is supposed to be the average rating in the elo rating system, so most chess playing websites start all players at 1200.

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 thats true

ok then ... so u can be great player and u still start at 1200

Anand could join chess.com and he'd start out at 1200.

yeah even tho he is good ?