Here are my ratings on 4 blitz sites
ICC=1562
World Chess Network=1446
FICS (Babbas)=1414
Playchess (Fritz)=1533
Aside from the fact that i'm pretty miserable at blitz, you can see that i'm highest on ICC and Playchess and lowest at WCN and FICS by about 100 points. That ratio has been pretty steady over about a year. You statisticians out there will probably deny it, but FICS seems to have the toughest opponents (at least where i'm concerned). Probably, there are plenty of people who've had the same experience. No?
Originally posted by buddy2You can't compare different ratings and claim one site is tougher than others based solely on that.
Here are my ratings on 4 blitz sites
ICC=1562
World Chess Network=1446
FICS (Babbas)=1414
Playchess (Fritz)=1533
Aside from the fact that i'm pretty miserable at blitz, you can see that i'm highest on ICC and Playchess and lowest at WCN and FICS by about 100 points. That ratio has been pretty steady over about a year. You statisticians out there wi ...[text shortened]... e i'm concerned). Probably, there are plenty of people who've had the same experience. No?
What are the average ratings of the different sites? What percentile are you in for each? What is the starting rating in each?
Originally posted by XanthosNZExactly, the ratings relative to the general median, is all that matters, not the points
You can't compare different ratings and claim one site is tougher than others based solely on that.
What are the average ratings of the different sites? What percentile are you in for each? What is the starting rating in each?
Originally posted by buddy2you get beaten in roughly 50% of games against your peers rated the same as you on both sites.
I knew the statisticians would deny it. How about Im more likely to get beat on FICS. Would that make it a tougher bunch?
think of the respective ratings to be measured in 'yards' and 'meters'. lets say your icc rating was 1500 'yards' and fics rating '1400' meters. now both ratings might actually be the same 'length', yards just being a shorter, so it takes 1500 of them to stretch the same distance as 1400 meters. you get my drift?
however, if on fics 1400 was the average and also your rating, and 1300 average on icc and your rating there 1500, that would justify saying "fics players are on average stronger than on icc".
if we don't have an average or median etc. for both pools, there's no way to even guess which was stronger.
it's exactly same as with fide vs. bcf. -you wouldn't go saying british players were far stronger just because a GM scores only 260 bcf but 2600 fide, now would you.
vipiu, suspect all you want. I don't really understand the dynamics myself. I am 1800+ over the board uscf (whatever that means). I have never used an engine at rhp (or anywhere else, except playing over lost games or playing the computer). I know there are lots of players of higher ratings at blitz and lower ratings at RHP. Why? I don't really know. I do know at RHP you have a chance to be more accurate. If you have say 4 possiblities, you have 3 days to figure out which is the best. At blitz you have seconds. Some players don't take advantage of the time element at RHP. I've even have some players resign in good positions, for what reason i don't know. I've never had that happen in blitz. I'd like to get better at blitz. I play an average of 3,4 games total a day on various sites, but have never gotten higher than 1600. Maybe my wife yelling at me in the background is a factor.
I tried playing at FICS but I didn't like the interface as well as Playchess'. On Playchess my blitz is 1810 and bullet 2011. The premove makes it a lot easier, but also adds another element to the game. Premoving too much makes you drop pieces, but premoving too little can result in a time loss.
Originally posted by Falco Lombardiwhat interface? did you try babaschess? I don't think the playchess interface comes even close...
I tried playing at FICS but I didn't like the interface as well as Playchess'. On Playchess my blitz is 1810 and bullet 2011. The premove makes it a lot easier, but also adds another element to the game. Premoving too much makes you drop pieces, but premoving too little can result in a time loss.
Try the babbas interface, Falco. I'll think you'll like it, and it has lots more configurations than playchess. My big hangup is boards that are too small for my lousy eyesight. On Playchess i always maximize the board. I can't play bullet; it's too nerve-racking. As your game gets faster and faster, it becomes less and less like chess and more of a reflex sport, like table tennis. Which is fine if you like it, but i don't and am terrible at it.