Chess.com ratings and real life ratings

Sort:
Avatar of Brezinsky

As I have never played a tournament before and I don't have a rating at all, I'd like to know how the chess.com is related to the real elo ratings? I have a rating about 1200, does this mean my real rating (if I had one) would be about the same?

Avatar of scandium

Not quite, no. There is no precise comparison between an online rating and an over the board rating; but, if you are playing standard time controls that mirror over the board time controls, and play against a wide variety of opponents of different strength, then after many such games (say 50+) I think your rating would be reasonably close to an equivalent over the board rating.

 

Note that by reasonably close, I mean within about one or two rating classes (about 200 points or less). So going by the USCF rating system, where 1200 would be just on the class D borderline (1200-1400 ELO), if you remain within that range within the above framework, I think it reasonable to presume you are about class D strength.

 

BUT that is only a reasonable estimate, and not a precise comparison because online chess does not mirror over the board playing conditions or pairing systems.

Avatar of Brezinsky

Thanks, that helped a lot!