Ratings...

How many games must be played before a player is rated?  When I start a new game, if I specify a range, sometimes it tells me I have to include my rating in the range - but I'm unrated.

Thanks for any feedback.

Playing one game is enough to be rated, just make sure that it is a rated game you play.

Unrated players are assumed to have a starting rating of 1200 for most purposes here.

Thanks for your reply!  Now I get it.  I've one 1, lost 1, but still unrated.  I guess I was playing other unrated players in those games. 

All things with time, as they say.

Actually, one game is enough to be rated, as imalgo says, if you are playing rated games. However, it takes a few games (don't know the actual number), for the unrated label to go away and your rating to show on games.

If you go to your game history, it will show your rating in the completed game list. You are currently rated 999.

Also, your won game didn't get you any rating points since it wasn't long enough. Game needed to be at least 4 moves to gain a rating adjustment due to timeout.

Thanks, Martin!  Appreciate the response.  Good info.

Games must be at least 3 and a half moves to count.

I started saying games must be more than 3 moves since 3 and a half displays as 4 moves.

Okay, here's how naive a chess player I am - what the heck is a half move?

A half move is a ply.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ply click on "game theory"

I remember a topic on here that talked about it in depth but I was just going by the Help/FAQ on why ratings don't change and it stated 4 moves, so that's what I went with.

To clear this up for rated games...

If a game TIMES OUT in less than four moves, UNLESS it's a tournament or team match game; then there will be no affect on ratings.

Assuming you press the button, If you RESIGN at any time, it will affect your rating.  Even after one move.  Before the resign button is available, it will say ABORT.  If it says abort, the game will disappear, if it says RESIGN, your rating will be affected, always.

I deleted the above post. We will have to agree to disagree on the 7 ply vs 8 ply situation.

The "UNLESS it's a tournament or team match game" is another issue. There is no unless, time outs do not count at less than 7 ply in any type of game.

I this tournament game of less than 7 ply ratings were not affected.

http://www.chess.com/echess/game.html?id=49810348

.

	P1P3R (1344)	AWARDCHESS 1649)	0-1 (won)	1 day	0	1/25/2012	view
	AWARDCHESS 1649)	AraHar (1756)	0-1 (lost)	1 day	31	1/25/2012	view

.

If a member times out several games in a row, the system will stop awarding ratings to the following game or games, assuming they have abandoned the site.

P1P3R timed out in the games previous to the one with Awardchess so there were no ratings awarded for that game.

I use the term "less than four moves" which also means "3.5 moves or less" which is actually in agreeance with your " 7 ply vs 8 ply" .

That's how it was before the programming broke, or maybe the policy changed.

	subse7en1229 (839)	bigblackugly (839)	0-1 (lost)	2 days	7	12/02/2011	view
	wiltonb (1086)	subse7en1229 (847)	1-0 (lost)	1 day	18	12/02/2011	view
	mateoris (1001)	subse7en1229 (850)	1-0 (lost)	1 day	1	12/02/2011	view
	siouxie (1072)	subse7en1229 (850)	1-0 (lost)	1 day	14	12/02/2011	view
	subse7en1229 (854)	JJN2 (1085)	0-1 (lost)	3 days	0	11/09/2011	view
	ironballs (1107)	subse7en1229 (854)	1-0 (lost)	3 days	1	11/06/2011	view
	shaneshady89 (1008)	subse7en1229 (854)	1-0 (lost)	3 days	1	11/06/2011	view
	deltablues (1103)	subse7en1229  (854)	1-0 (lost)	3 days	1	11/06/2011	view

Some time after 2011 Nov 9 the 854 floor was pulled from under subse7en1229 and timeouts lowered the rating.

bandi611 started freefalling 2011 Nov 13.

White	Black	Result	Time	Moves	Date	Action
	bandi611 (775)	TheCleric (1362)	0-1 (lost)	3 days	6	11/18/2011	view
	kornhughes (984)	bandi611 (779)	1-0 (lost)	3 days	7	11/18/2011	view
	marty102x (1021)	bandi611 (795)	1-0 (lost)	3 days	7	11/18/2011	view
	gerritt77 (1050)	bandi611 (810)	1-0 (lost)	3 days	7	11/17/2011	view
	chessssssqqqe(1206)	bandi611 (826)	1-0 (lost)	3 days	5	11/17/2011	view
	bandi611 (838)	crocalex (932)	0-1 (lost)	10 days	2	11/17/2011	view
	bandi611 (838)	stundest (1210)	0-1 (lost)	3 days	7	11/16/2011	view
	fret_twelve (1238)	bandi611 (847)	1-0 (lost)	3 days	8	11/16/2011	view
	bandi611 (856)	Dunks303 (911)	0-1 (lost)	3 days	5	11/16/2011	view
	bandi611 (900)	Barb711  (1058)	0-1 (lost)	3 days	9	11/13/2011	view
	ankush_pcmc(1162)	bandi611 (934)	1-0 (lost)	3 days	4	11/13/2011	view
	choyacero(unrated)	bandi611 (964)	0-1 (won)	3 days	2	11/08/2011	view

.

Looks like the freefall situation was temporary. All is well with the world again.

White	Black	Result	Time	Moves	Date	Action
	dr_islam (2075)	Vicdman60 (2221)	1-0 (lost)	14 days	1	1/14/2012	view
	mitto (2131)	Vicdman60 (2221)	1-0 (lost)	14 days	1	1/10/2012	view
	Vicdman60 (2221)	olopitan (1933)	0-1 (lost)	14 days	0	1/10/2012	view
	Vicdman60 (2221)	lavamancer (1832)	0-1 (lost)	14 days	0	1/10/2012	view
	Vicdman60 (2221)	norlavuaram (1323)	0-1 (lost)	14 days	0	1/10/2012	view
	olopitan (1941)	Vicdman60 (2221)	1-0 (lost)	14 days	1	12/27/2011	view
	lavamancer (1832)	Vicdman60 (2221)	1-0 (lost)	14 days	1	12/27/2011	view
	Vicdman60 (2221)	mitto (2132)	0-1 (lost)	14 days	0	12/27/2011	view
	Vicdman60 (2221)	dr_islam (2075)	0-1 (lost)	14 days	0	12/27/2011	view
	norlavuaram (1323)	Vicdman60 (2221)	0-1 (won)	14 days	0	12/27/2011	view
	mitto (2146)	Vicdman60 (2221)	1-0 (lost)	14 days	46	12/13/2011	view
	chesslida (1870)	Vicdman60 (2269)	1-0 (lost)	3 days	2	7/13/2011	view
	Vicdman60 (2269)	chesslida (1870)	0-1 (lost)	3 days	2	7/13/2011	view
	juvi999 (2213)	Vicdman60 (2269)	1-0 (lost)	3 days	18	7/05/2011	view
	Vicdman60 (2301)	juvi999 (2204)	0-1 (lost)	3 days	3	5/23/2011	view
	Narnash (1683)	Vicdman60 (2301)	0-1 (won)	14 days	5	1/21/2011	view

Ratings floor after five timeouts.

I am also confused somewhat about how to begin being rated.

How do i ensure the games i am playing are being rated? i can not find this info anywhere! (am i blind?)

I also can not locate my games history as advised?

Is it because I am playing for free? I registered recently to play some games before deciding... 

Any advise would be helpful.

Cheers