It seems really difficult to find unrated games

Hi.

I've asked some time ago, but I feel like it's even worse now.

Basically, I can't find opponents for unrated games. I am talking about time controls like 5’+5’’, or 5’+3’’, or 10’+0, with a range of +100/-100 points or even more. Yet these are among the most practiced, I suppose. Even for 5’+0 it is practically impossible. I wait, I wait, and after some minutes the search aborts. Yesterday I tried again, I launched three, waited 20 minutes without being able to play. Today, the same.

This is by far the largest and most populated chess platform, is it possible that almost no one wants to play an unrated game, perhaps as training or just for fun ? Really, I can’t believe it…! It's not a tragedy and it'st not a complaint, obviously. I will resign myself, but it seems so strange to me...

Do you know if there are other more practiced time controls ? If so, which ones ?

Thanks, and my apologies if this question is boring to you.

Games with increment have never been very popular. There was a post by the site's CEO back in 2017 that documents that fact. https://www.chess.com/article/view/interesting-chess-data-time-controls-and-game-results

He found that the 10 0 rated game time control wss the most popular, followed by 5 0, 3 0 and 1 0. Those four time controls made up 85% of the games played that day. It would be nice to have an update but Danny Rensch said that things have stayed that way in a fairly recent State of Chess.com broadcast.

He didn't document the amount of unrated games out there. My guess is that most people think that winning or losing a few rating points actually makes the games more fun.

If you are going to continue playing unrated, I think you should loosen up the ratings parameters you will accept.

Thank you, @justbefair.

Sincerely, I don’t like games without increment, due to my inability to manage time in this type of game. Anyway, although more rarely, I tried 10|0 and 5|0 too, and I had difficulties finding opponents even with this time controls.

It seems like I have to give up. I'll come to terms with it.

I'll play unrated for people wanting to challenge me during streams. But in general, though it can be uncomfortable, you just have to remember that the elo system here are made up internet points and to not take it too seriously or it will hurt your chess improvement.

you could make club so even other people who like unrated incriminate could all play a tournament when you want or just a place to even ask each other and stuff

i think it is also to say what heckinsprout even said my otb elo is sooooooooo much lower than my rapid but i get really nervous in sertain plays like daily im really really bad to because of that to

I know well that the only rating that has value is the Elo of official otb tournaments ( FIDE, USCF,...), and that online ratings are mainly good to check your progress and make targeted pairings.

I play unrated as well as rated. I like unrated because I've noticed that people seem much more relaxed, less rude, they don't get mad if you don't give them a rematch… In short, it's closer to that chess-club spirit that I personally prefer. And also, in unrated games I feel more free to experiment, to try something different.

Improvements now interest me up to a certain point, because it is clear that I will not be able to go up much further ( it would be necessary to dedicate much more time and effort to chess, which I cannot ). Another reason why playing even unrated is not bad.

Can't argue with that. I haven't disabled chat during games, but I rarely accept messages since most of the time people are trying to rage bait. Maybe do as Sleevenibbles suggested and try creating a club, or search for one and join it.

i think peoeple who disable chat are mad at me or i did but then i found out it is a setting i just say good luck and have fun at the beginning and good game at the end is even all i say

Time controls without increment may be more popular now because these are the time controls you are using for your own tournaments which is where many people are playing.

Otherwise they use the "quick start" and 10+5 is hidden away.

There is no lobby so anyone who makes an off-beat "custom" general seek will never get paired as nobody will see it. If instead of that huge unnecessary chessboard, you had a lobby there, and also you did not hide some time controls away as "other", you'd find people would get paired more easily.

I tried creating 15+10 chess960 here and did not get paired. I tried the same at lichess (where there is a lobby) and got paired when I made it unrated.

Of course that can work for me, but isn't an option for your "partner" streamers that you don't allow to use that site (when they stream). I know very well of at least 2 streamers who would like to play with increment but can't get a pairing - one of them would like to play 15|10 but doesn't get paired at their level, the other would like to play 10|5 but isn't paired because it is "hidden away".

That's the first thing I thought too.

It's a fact that on other platforms where there is a lobby there is no problem playing unrated, with any ratings parameter and with any time control, even the strangest ones that you can invent (8+2, 4+9...). But chesscom probably considers unrated play to be of little relevance and is not interested in making it more practicable, so I doubt we will see a lobby.

I was hoping, instead, that there was some more practiced time control to redirect myself, and that's why I asked. Now I know that the best chances are with 10+0 and 5+0, so…patience. Never mind.

Lost position, time to resign. : )