Is it time to modify the way ratings are calcul...

Originally posted by Phlabibit
Before you play someone, view their graph. For the most part, the ratings we have are our real ratings.

The graph will tell you if they are not.

RHP should have a ratings floor, the idea has come up... but nothing that sticks.

What should my rating floor be? See graph.

What is my average?

How is my rating not my rating?

P-

in a way, we have rating floors: the tournament entry ratings.

Originally posted by vgunzler
There may have been previous discussions of this topic, but unfortunately I do not have the time to review all threads.
I think the current way of calculating ratings - gives a distorted readout.
Let's assume I am a player with a "True" rating of 1400. I start 500 games at the same time. I play those 30 % games that go well quickly, and my rating increase ...[text shortened]... uld definitely not be an average of all games, to allow for learning improvement.
Thoughts?

I'm not sure how you think the calculation works.

If you start 500 games, all against 1400 rated players, and you lose 70% of them, then your rating should drop. So you win 150 games, lose 350, for a net loss of 200 games. Your rating drops. Your rating now shows how you performed against 1400 rated players - lots of losses.

To do exactly as you describe is perhaps not that uncommon - playing quickly in the games you find easy makes some sense. But it has the effect of making them finish faster, as you say. But for every game you have an easy win, there should be another where you are losing badly, and ought to consider resigning. Then you start having loses interspaced with your wins, and your rating does not rise so fast. Also, your opponents can play the same trick as you, and play slowly where you are winning easily.

What you have described could also be considered a trick to get your rating up. I would consider that to be a waste of time. Tournament entry rating drops after 100 days, unless I blinked an missed the change, so that is not a major problem, unless your goal is to pump up your rating.

While I'd agree that the system is not perfect, I think it is adequate. I don't think I could come up with something better without significant work.


If you disagree with what I have written, maybe you can respond with the average rating of the opponents you win and lose against.