chess.com ratings are deflated against USCF

@SmyslovFan  - you've fallen in the rut left by AdamRinkleff -- performance at the Olympiad has nothing to do with the average skill of the chess-playing population.

LPS, I have tried to argue that before. Now, I'm taking AdamRinkleff on at his own game. His argument fails even when he tries to define things in terms of how the elites in the various nations perform against each other.

OK. In this case, +1 for your post.

The only argumentative ground he will accept is that the US have to be bad at chess, so why even try ?

I think you are forgetting that a particular skill set in one type of chess doesn't necessarily translate to another type uniformly and also that pfren might not make it the same priority also. Have you ever wondered if people use an analysis board in longer live games ? I can't help but wonder. A cheater is also likely to target a titled player since it is a bigger thing to brag about.

Live standard is extremely deflated, at least above 1600. (and probably below)

I have seen like, ONE player rated above 2000 in standard on chess.com.

Actually, yes. Andorra has a population of 85'000, with twelve players rated above 2000. They have an annual nine-round tournament which attracts 150 players, and other lesser tournaments. I live in a typical American city, with a population of 100'000+, no players rated above 2000, and no tournaments. I think we can all guess where you are more likely to find a game of chess at the local cafe.

So, Rinkleff says the next world champion is more likely to come from Andorra than the US, interesting.

I wonder where girls are better at brushing their hair at, in countries where they use hair brushes daily, or in those countries where they don't use them very commonly....

...and,I wonder where vanity has set in the worst and who looks on admiringly?

That's not what I said.

So, Andorra is NOT a stronger chess country than the US?

Lol, sorry, wrong thread

Do I need to repeat myself?

Lets put american football into the Olympics and in the mean time, transform our landscape into a wintery place most of the year so we have more people to practice those things. I wonder how many people actually live in areas of the US that are similar to Norway? It is probably less than 20 million and most of us here have no desire to go freeze to death, trying to do something we could care less about...

I've never had a friend or acquantance that was a strong chess player...

Anything above 1200 is quite rare in the general population of the USA...

no1, That's a comforting thought. But the Netherlands has similar weather to New York and Pennsylvania, yet absolutely dominate the world in speed skating. The explanation is not just cold weather, it's a culture that is in love with speed skating. If the US cared as much about speed skating as the Netherlands, we might be competitive. But for now, I am blown away by their domination. Norway dominates in skiiing events. Americans do well in hot-dogging events such as snowboard half-pipe. 

But that has little to do with whether the US is a world power in chess. We do pretty well in the Olympiads. We win an occasional medal and always finish in the top half (usually in the top ten or so on both the men's and women's tournaments). 

The US may not be quite at the level of Armenia, but it is certainly far above average. FIDE ranks the US 7th in the world (as ranked by the average rating of the top ten players). That's not too shabby. In terms of the nations with the most titled players, we rank third, behind Russia and Germany. 

By any objective standard, the US is above average in chess.

I don't mind people saying we are aren't as skilled in chess as other countries. I don't think it is true in a certain respect. It is when they say it to mean somehow we aren't as intelligent that I get peeved about it. It almost always is meant that way. I still think LPS makes a good point when comparing the players that are, in countries respectively, that we excel, where we apply ourselves. I think that is because of our resources, our ethnic diversity and our pride....

My point was, if our weather forced us to select a different set of activities more regularly, we would most likely embrace them as a culture. I think you are underestimating the proximity of places where the weather does dictate it and thus they chose to compete with their near by rivals.

Soccer is a game that we have the weather for, but it wasn't something we felt we needed to rival any great superpower or nearby country in, who was larger. I don't think the same is true about the Netherlands, in speed skating and perhaps even soccer.

Agreed, it has nothing to do with intelligence. It's all about who values what, and from what I've seen, the US culture in general seems to not value chess so much these days.

...which would go with the conclusion that many other countries (the average population, not their top players) are "better" at chess.

I don't want to get political. It is forbidden. We have already strayed a bit off topic using anologies. That would be too far.

BTW, on what do you base Columbus, Ohio on as for being a redneck hole and how does that pertain to the continuity of the topic being discussed ?

Many people come here from many nations and all over this country to attend the Ohio State University. Columbus is actually considered an educated community amongst US cities. I have lived here 40 years and I'd say that most people here have no desire to redneck or want their lives to resemble a Jerry Springer episode. They have more sense than that.