Getting a USCF rating

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Avatar of AidanWithAnA

I've been playing chess for a few months now, and I want to try and get a USCF rating and begin climbing up the ladder so I can eventually play in international tournaments with a FIDE rating. I was looking online and I understand that I have to purchase a USCF membership, but I don't know how to get a rating after that. Do I just get one, or do I have to play in tournaments? Also, how can I sign up for these tournaments? The USCF website wasn't very helpful with that. Thanks in advance to whoever helps me out. 

Avatar of NikkiLikeChikki
You have to play in tournaments over the board. There is no online option because of cheating, but obviously tournaments over the board have almost entirely been suspended. You can do all the preliminary stuff now and start playing in tournaments when life gets back to normal.
Avatar of AidanWithAnA
NikkiLikeChikki wrote:
You have to play in tournaments over the board. There is no online option because of cheating, but obviously tournaments over the board have almost entirely been suspended. You can do all the preliminary stuff now and start playing in tournaments when life gets back to normal.

How many games do I have to play over the board to get a USCF rating? Also I'm assuming the preliminary stuff is just making an account and signing up for a membership. 

Avatar of NikkiLikeChikki
Before 26 games your rating is considered provisional and your rating will fluctuate a lot after winning or losing. After that it will stabilize and your rating will be official.

Yes. Become a member and all the other bookkeeping stuff.
Avatar of AidanWithAnA
NikkiLikeChikki wrote:
Before 26 games your rating is considered provisional and your rating will fluctuate a lot after winning or losing. After that it will stabilize and your rating will be official.

Yes. Become a member and all the other bookkeeping stuff.

Thanks for the help. Looking forward to playing in a USCF tournament sometime in 2021.

Avatar of DreamscapeHorizons

There should be a how to video somewhere on how to get started and playing in tournaments. There should be a video on uschess.org somewhere on their site. Not surprised if they don't.

Avatar of NikkiLikeChikki
There’s this pdf from the USCF.

http://www.uschess.org/archive/ratings/info/intro.pdf
Avatar of AidanWithAnA
NikkiLikeChikki wrote:

Thanks again!

Avatar of Martin_Stahl
NikkiLikeChikki wrote:
You have to play in tournaments over the board. There is no online option because of cheating, but obviously tournaments over the board have almost entirely been suspended. You can do all the preliminary stuff now and start playing in tournaments when life gets back to normal.

 

US Chess does have online ratings and has since 2015. Can't get titles that way or get an OTB rating but you certainly can play official rated games online, including on chess.com.

Avatar of AidanWithAnA
Martin_Stahl wrote:
NikkiLikeChikki wrote:
You have to play in tournaments over the board. There is no online option because of cheating, but obviously tournaments over the board have almost entirely been suspended. You can do all the preliminary stuff now and start playing in tournaments when life gets back to normal.

 

US Chess does have online ratings and has since 2015. Can't get titles that way or get an OTB rating but you certainly can play official rated games online, including on chess.com.

Does my online USCF rating affect how I am placed in tournaments (who I play, what side I play)? Or would they treat me as an unrated player?

Avatar of NikkiLikeChikki
@martin the OP was talking about working towards a fide rating and playing in international tournaments. I assumed he was talking about an OTB rating, and you can’t be OTB rated by playing online... so, of course you’re right but I was thinking about the context of the question. 🤷‍♀️
Avatar of 2Kd21-0

Though there tournaments US citizens can travel to in Serbia that are FIDE rated and Serbia (For now) is open to US citizens

Avatar of Martin_Stahl
AidanWithAnA wrote:
Martin_Stahl wrote:
NikkiLikeChikki wrote:
You have to play in tournaments over the board. There is no online option because of cheating, but obviously tournaments over the board have almost entirely been suspended. You can do all the preliminary stuff now and start playing in tournaments when life gets back to normal.

 

US Chess does have online ratings and has since 2015. Can't get titles that way or get an OTB rating but you certainly can play official rated games online, including on chess.com.

Does my online USCF rating affect how I am placed in tournaments (who I play, what side I play)? Or would they treat me as an unrated player?

 

If you have an Online rating a TD could assign you a rating for their events, but that's at their discretion for US Chess events.

Avatar of TheChessGuy1927

Hi

 

Avatar of The_Bookworm_At_End

Thanks this helped me a lot ;D