Have some questions regarding FIDE ratings:

Zack who is previously unrated, competes in a FIDE rated event and plays 6 games (4 against FIDE rated opponents & 2 against unrated players).

Say he manages just a draw against an unrated opponent, would he still earn FIDE rating points for all 6 games played?  

I do not know how FIDE works but it is probably very similar to what we have in the US.

In the US in order to be rated or become rated you must be a member of the US Chess Federation and play in their sanctioned tournaments. 

I would imagine if your friend plays in a FIDE rated tournament he will get or lose FIDE points but all the players must have FIDE ratings even if those ratings are "provisional".

If the tournament he plays in a non-FIDE sanctioned tournament I would think that it would not count a FIDE rated games.

Chuck

Thanks Chuck, so inspite of his poor outing in the tournament, he wud still get a rating from FIDE, albeit a provisional one.

Does FIDE have a base (min) rating to start?

You have to win a certain number of games against FIDE rated opponents before you get a FIDE rating -- I know because I recently played in a dule rated (USCF / FIDE) tourney and because I didn't win against my FIDE opponents I don't have a FIDE rating at all.

I only got to face 2 out of the 7 rounds, against one I blundered in the opening (doh) and against the other I had a good advantage, then got cocky and over pressed it to turn it into a loss (darn).

Maybe next time

Thanks orangehonda, Zack found out that he'd have to have played a minimum 9 games against FIDE rated opponents (regardless of the result) before he cud get a rating.

Just so.  There is no reason to maintain separate national or transnational ratings when FIDE's system is available.  All it does is run up costs unnecessarily and sow confusion about ratings. 

The last impediment was the ability to rate lower players, and now FIDE is permitting that.  USCF might have to keep separate ratings for scholastic chess, but it's already almost a completely separate system since there is so little interplay between the school and adult pools.