Is Rating inflation on lichess as huge as people make it?

Hello Everyone

The issue of rating inflation between Chess.com and Lichess sparks intense debate within both communities. While some argue that inflation is negligible, others assert that there is indeed a notable increase in ratings. Whether this assertion holds true or not, the question remains: how significantly are ratings inflated between these two sites?

As a player with a low rating myself, I personally sought to investigate the rating inflation on Lichess. I created an account and played a few bullet games, despite it being a fast time control. To my surprise, I quickly reached a rating of 1400+ on Lichess in just one night. This starkly contrasted with my rating of 950+ on Chess.com. This discrepancy suggests a significant inflation of over 400 points. While my experience offers anecdotal evidence, examining data from other players could provide a clearer picture.

Based on data collected from Medium, there is strong evidence suggesting significant rating inflation on Lichess. The author employed Python to analyze this phenomenon, uncovering substantial inflation trends. Additional articles corroborate these findings, with ChessGoals providing precise charts illustrating Lichess rating inflation trends.

Furthermore, this evidence strongly bolsters the claim of rating inflation. Considering the scale of inflation reported by some, I find myself inclined to agree. After playing just one day on Lichess, I've observed a notable disparity. In Bullet games, where my Chess.com rating typically hovers around 900+, I swiftly attained a rating exceeding 1400 on Lichess. As mentioned earlier, I even achieved victories against players rated 1600 and 1700 in Bullet games via checkmate. This is particularly remarkable given my own rating is only 900.

Additionally, a video accompanies this argument, showcasing a graph that vividly illustrates the trend of chess inflation.

With the insights gleaned from this video, it becomes evident that Lichess shows notable inflation across different rating tiers. Around the one-minute mark, we witness Chess.com's ratings closely mirroring actual skill levels, underscoring its accuracy. In contrast, the significant gap observed at 0:25 between Lichess and Chess.com ratings vividly illustrates the pronounced effect of inflation on these discrepancies. Based on the gathered information, it is clear that Lichess is indeed affected by rating inflation. Looking ahead, will these issues be addressed and resolved in the coming years?

Solutions?

I asked chatgpt on how lichess can fix this problem and here are some of the ideas it came up with

- Rating Decay: Introduce a rating decay system where inactive accounts or players who haven't played for a certain period see their ratings gradually decrease. This encourages regular activity and reflects current skill levels more accurately.
- Adjustment of Rating Calculation: Fine-tune the algorithms used to calculate ratings to ensure they accurately reflect player skill levels. This may involve adjusting how rating changes are calculated based on performance against opponents of varying ratings.
- Rating Floors and Ceilings: Implement minimum and maximum rating limits to prevent ratings from inflating beyond a certain point. This helps maintain a balanced distribution of ratings and prevents outliers.
- Verification or Validation Systems: Introduce additional verification steps or validation systems to ensure fair play and discourage artificially inflated ratings due to cheating or misuse of the platform.
- Community Engagement and Feedback: Actively engage with the community to gather feedback and insights on rating trends. This can help identify potential issues early and collaboratively develop solutions.
- Data Analysis and Monitoring: Continuously monitor rating trends and analyze data to identify patterns of inflation. Use this information to make informed decisions and adjustments to the rating system.
- Education and Transparency: Provide clear guidelines and educational resources to help players understand how ratings are calculated and the importance of fair play. Transparency in rating adjustments and system updates can foster trust within the community.

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Is Rating inflation on lichess as huge as people make it?

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