I assume I am still considered a beginner being that my online rating is only around 1450.  Either way, my question is even though thats not a high rating, it is still considerbaly higher than my tactics trainer rating of app 900.  Just curious as to why such a difference there.  One would assume that those ratings would be closer to each other. 

Also, had I not (last week) allowed "nine" games to timeout on me in a 1day tourny which i couldnt help, my rating might be over 1500 which makes the difference between tactics even greater.  (I was so frustrated)

I have a similar question.  I have wide gaps between my quick, blitz, long, and online ratings.

I don't know what my normal - real - rating would be, and am curious.

LOL, I don't think your tactics trainer ratings have too much too do with your actual ratings...

Case in point, my Live ratings all average around 1500, my online rating is around 1800 and at one point my tactics rating was 2300++ (and is still above a healthy 2000)... the odd thing is I miss some fairly obvious tactics in my own games or play bad positionally and most often, blunder badly (more so in quicker time limits). The point is that you can be sure in tactics trainer that the right move WILL work: you can usually find the first move by instinct, applying general principles or by logic in reaching objectives. You have to build up and KNOW its the time for tactics in real chess.

 So 'I' don't think tactics trainer really correlates with your overall chess skills (though let me be the first to tell you, I desperately wish it did!). Its just one of a whole slew of skills needed: consistency, an eye to spot WHEN tactics will fail and when they won't (which I lack), calculation skills, clear plan and strategy, endgame knowledge, strong openings etc etc. Haha... but on the topic of 'actual rating', I'd say its between your live chess rating and online chess rating, just basing on the fact that tourney time limits lie in between.

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