Sincerely Confused About Rapid Ratings

I don’t understand something about online chess, especially with this platform. Why do I get several bouts of matches where I am playing people who I feel are probably twice what their rating is and then I get a bout of matches where I feel like I’m actually playing the rating that the person is. For example, I don’t understand why I can play someone OTB whose tournament rating is an actual 1600, but I can’t seem to keep up with some 600’s online here. And then my rating here is really low like a beginner, but I’ve been consistently told by competitive players in my area that my tournament rating estimate should be in the neighborhood of 1000-1400?

Online rapid and slow OTB are different games that require different skill sets. Being good at one does not necessarily mean you will be equally good at the other.

It is not unusual for a person's online rapid rating to fluctuate by +/- 150 or 200 points. Sometimes you will play people at the top or bottom of their range, neither of which is indicative of their actual ability.

You, yourself, will have streaks when you play exceptionally well and exceptionally poorly (be on tilt). In these cases it can seem like your opponents are playing below or above their rating.

Chess ratings are not a universal measure (like height), but are based on the pool of rated players. 1600 in pool A may be equivalent to 1750 in pool B for example.

Taken together, these will account for much of the "weirdness" seen in performance.

Online and OTB chess can feel quite different. Online games are often faster and can involve more distractions, while OTB games tend to be slower and more focused.