"Game Abandoned" I am really annoyed now

I have created an account named Tactician101. Today, while i was playing, electricity got turned off, i re-logined in less than 2 mins, but i saw the message game abandoned and my rating went down from 1531 to 1364. It happens with me for almost every 9 in 12 games. Had this not been the problem i would have been around 1700's by now. I am really annoyed by this. What's the point in playing then...i will never get to know my actual level.

You've played 4 games in total, 1 of which was abandoned. Where do you get such figures?

In internet chess, you live by your connection I'm afraid. And you will find your "actual" level, merely by playing a few more games - one disconnect will not affect that.

Chess.com has made the unfortunate decision to create a chess variant that does not allow you to use your time in any way you wish.  Think more than 2 or 3 minutes about a difficult position?  Too bad for you-game aborted.  Until and unless this atrocious betrayal of the rules and spirit of chess is rectified I would suggest you play correspondence chess (what the site calls online chess).  Most people I've played move several times a day even in a 3 day per move game.  If you have several games going then you always have something to think about.  Actually 2 of my last 3 opponents each had 40 games going when we started.  Too much for me, but you might like it.

EDIT  To be fair I have no personal experience with this policy and am relying on other posts for my information.  Should I have been misinformed, then chess.com has my apologies.

You can buy cheaply a UPS (uninteruptable power supply) which plugs between your computer and your supply socket. An internal battery is trickle charged and if the power goes off your computer still runs for about 10 minutes. Please remember to also run your modem from the UPS.

Hope this solves your problem.

baddogno, I don't know where you got the idea that you aren't allowed to spend more than 2 or 3 minutes on a move in Live Chess before it aborts, but that just isn't true, sorry! I think the rule is something like you aren't allowed to spend over half your total game time on a single move, which is fair enough. Also, there is a time limit on reconnecting to the Live Server if you disconnect while you are playing a game.

in another thread it was suggested that maybe disconnects are somehow tied to "race".  we've got a lot to think about.

@Waller: Oh, so that's how it works.  As usual, egg on my face from a late nite caffeine fueled rant.  In my defense I can only say I was relying on the equally misinformed ramblings of other members.   At least I didn't think a "recently retired from a very stressful job" 85 year old living in the Vatican was actually asking for chess advice (like yesterday).

I was surprised to lose game that I was winning on due to a disconnet

the clock ran out on the other player found that I lost!?

My final move also lost!