There are plans to change the league system but the intent for leagues is they were not meant to be skill based. That's what rating is
Redefining the Divisions/Ranking System: Overhaul
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Martin-Stahl:
I understand. However, some players would like to play without worrying about rating, and being able to acquire skill in another format, when they are rating system itself requires tilted players to acquire certain rewards, and this provides an incentive for players who want to climb in a different way. The league system is based off a psychological aspect of giving players incentive to play and promotes blitz and rapid play not skill-based play. It is not incentivizing, and players can stay in those leagues indefinitely.
While I understand there is a rating system, the league system plays off number of games, and this is easier to acquire using blitz games, which do not require skill or strategy from lower rated players who can climb easier by quantity not quality of play.
My suggestion is incentivizing players learning, not binging blitz or rapid games. If chess.com is a place to learn, then I hold tight to my suggestion and ideas.
Otherwise, chess.com is rather a place to incentivize mobile, fast past play, profit and hold political positions, and as it does, it instead rolls over as a pro-profit, politically aligned and biased platform that is not meant to engage genuinely and authentically its player base.
My idea is to ensure people who want to be incentivized to learn, play longer games and increase there skill. this is especially true for those who are not attracted to ratings and more so ranking systems. This is why ranking systems work and are more incentivized than rating points. Ratings are important, and I myself am working on mine, however, there's only one incentive, my own personal drive of learning, nothing on Chess.com incentivizes me to learn or be better.
I prefer to learn OTB, as mobile or online learning differs greatly compared to transferring OTB skills from online play. Hence why we have players like Hikaru focuing on OTB instead of Online games as there is a harsh division and change in skill from OTB to online. If we can make online more incentivizing for learning and engagement instead of using methods to acquire more games and more players, we get people who want to play to learn not play blitz like its a FPS games or for those trying to get a quick hit of dopamine. This method works, sure, however it side tracks from a player approach to what is now a marketing, profit based approach.
I respect your comment, however, If chess.com wants to ensure players can transfer skills from online to OTB without a gap in skill, then there should be more learning incentives, and opportunities and rewards. Chess is turning into an E-sport which drives your websites demand, while it also starts to lesson OTB demand, which in turn lessens club demand. Sure, this drives the companies profits, while also news and drama increases player base, however it does worse and less for the game of chess.
My suggestions is many fold, it is not as simple as league is for none-skilled and rating is for skilled. Currently, what are the incentives for rating? Rating on chess.com is meaningless as rating itself is only important if you are subscribed as a member of FIDE and play OTB rated games to be rated officially and obtain titles. Even the rating system online is superfluous and just as shallow as the league system, of which both should be re-imagined.
Objective:
To introduce a more skill-based ranking system that promotes longer, more thoughtful games, introduces seasonal divisions with gradual rank decay, and provides meaningful rewards, including a free basic membership for top-ranked players. This system will enhance competitive integrity while maintaining Chess.com’s business sustainability.
1. Revamped Ranking System
A. Division-Based Ranks with Meaningful Progression
The ranking system will be structured similarly to Chess.com’s current Divisions, but with added demotions and seasonal resets to encourage continued improvement.
B. Promotion & Demotion Rules
Players must win games consistently to be promoted.
Players above Platinum must maintain activity, or gradual seasonal rank decay will move them down one rank if inactive.
No harsh daily rating loss, only seasonal adjustments.
C. Differentiate Game Modes
Longer games (Classical & Rapid) will be weighted more heavily in ranking progression than Blitz and Bullet.
Blitz & Bullet ratings will have a separate, less significant ranking ladder, rewarding intuition-based play while keeping skill-based progression intact.
Chess.com can detect mobile vs. desktop play and adjust ranking incentives accordingly, as mobile players tend to play shorter, more casual games.
2. Seasonal Resets & Rank Decay
Lower-ranked players (Bronze-Gold) do not experience rank decay.
Platinum and above must maintain performance to hold their rank.
At season’s end, inactive players drop one rank (., Master → Diamond), ensuring ranking remains skill-based.
End-of-season rewards will make climbing worthwhile.
3. Meaningful Rewards for Ranked Play
A. End-of-Season Rewards
Players receive unique profile borders, titles, and cosmetics based on the highest rank they reached that season.
Examples:
Master Strategist (Top 10%)
nly given to the top 1% (a very small number of players).
Blitz Gladiator (Top Blitz players, but in a separate category)
Legendary Grandmaster (Top 1%)
Special unlockable board themes and piece sets for high-ranked players.
B. Free Basic Membership for Legendary Division
Players who reach and maintain Legendary Division for an entire season receive a free Basic Chess.com Membership for the next season.
This does not include advanced features like unlimited game analysis but serves as a prestigious reward.
Must be renewed every season by maintaining rank, keeping players engaged.
Similar to how Chess.com grants free Diamond to titled GMs/IMs, but for top online performers instead of only FIDE-titled players.
C. Exclusive Badges & Titles
Players maintaining Legendary Division for multiple seasons earn exclusive lifetime profile badges.
Example: “3x Legendary Division Champion” displayed on profile.
4. Business Sustainability & Player Engagement
This system ensures Chess.com does not lose money, as the free membership is
Only the Basic plan, encouraging paid upgrades.
Seasonal, requiring constant engagement to maintain.
Encourages longer, high-quality games, leading to better AI training data for Chess.com’s analysis tools.
Increases community engagement and prestige, making Chess.com more attractive for sponsorships and partnerships.
This proposal enhances Chess.com’s ranking system by rewarding skill, encouraging improvement, and promoting longer games, all while maintaining Chess.com’s financial sustainability. By introducing seasonal rank decay, meaningful end-of-season rewards, and a prestigious free membership for Legendary players, Chess.com can create a more competitive, engaging, and fair experience for players of all skill levels.