rating

Is it just me or does my rating always go down twice as fast when I lose as it goes up when I win
I just lost to a player that was 21 points lower than I was and lost 17 points out of my rating. Someone needs to explain this to me.

I've always thought the rating system here was messed up but I've never played enough games to find out.

the new rating is based on you and your opponents rating at the start of the game. could have been your opponent had a much lower rating when it was started and won some other games

not true

Originally posted by willpeet
Is it just me or does my rating always go down twice as fast when I lose as it goes up when I win
I just lost to a player that was 21 points lower than I was and lost 17 points out of my rating. Someone needs to explain this to me.

The rating that is used is the rating at the end of the game.

Very roughly, ratings between equally-rated players will go up/down 16 points in a decisive result (winner +16, loser -16).

When there is a rating gap, the variance is plus or minus 4 points per 100 point difference in the players, so if a 1700 player beats a 1600 player, he goes up 12 (16-4) and his opponent goes down 12, but if a 1700 player loses to a 1600 player, he goes down 20 (16+4) and his opponent gains 20.

The max variation is a 400 point gap- if a 1600 player beats a 1200 player, he gets 1 point and the loser loses 1 point, but if the 1600 player loses, he loses 32 points and the 1200 player gains 32.

I have oversimplified, but this is a pretty accurate ballpark approach to figuring it out.

This is why lower-rated players should be absolutely fearless when playing a higher-rated player, if ratings are important to them. They have little to lose and lots to gain.

I also think that if players understood this better, open invites would be approached with a very different attitude.

Paul

The way I think about the rating is easy and you don`t need a calculator for a formula.

Just think if I lose to someone rated the same ---lose 16 points.
And If I lose to someone rated 25 points higher---lose 15 points.

Just continue thinking 16 points and adjust 1 point every 25 points.

Disclaimer...This may not be as accurate as the formula but it is close and easy to calculate without a calculator.

Oops I see Paul typed the same thing quicker than me by a few minutes.

Thank you. I will keep that formula in my head and may not go into shock every time I win/lose a game. It will be great knowing there is something besides that incredible calculus formula I always am refereed to.