Well, Basically, you start at 1200. After 5 games, you get assigned a provisional rating based on the average of your opponents (and weather you lose or win). For the rest of your first 20 games, you rating will continue to bounce around alot as it is still based on the average of opponents (adjusted for win/loss). After you competed 20 games, you get a regular rating. Each game you play, you will lose points or gain points upon losing or winning games. The amount of point is based on the point difference of players. In a draw, the higer rated player will lose points and the lower rated player will gain points. For example, if a 1710 beats a 1254, the 1710 will probably get 1 point and the 1254 will lose 1 point. But if a 1254 beats a 1710, the 1654 will probably get 32 points and the 1710 will lose 32. I don't know RHP's exact matrix but this is the general idea behind the rating system. Trying to figure out who to play...1250 and under are rookies, 1250-1400ish are people that aren't bad but aren't serious players, 1400-1700, getting into players that have spend years studying and not a very good chance of winning unless you have too, 1700 and up don't even think about until you've read atleast 40 books on chess or there's an "M","IM",etc in front of your name.