Interesting question. I would think they would be pretty close to over the board. I'm rated about 1600 here and about 1800 USCF. I'm rated about 1500 blitz. I think somebody once pointed out, you're rating is relative and based on the pool of quality opponents, rather than some absolute number. Some people have asked, "Why am I not getting any better at the game. I've been studying and playing for years." The fact is that objectively you are getting better. It's just that your opponents are also improving at the same/more/lesser rate. Ratings, like IQ sometimes give a false impression of your abilities. I believe (like IQs) you can break down ratings into opening rating, middle game, end game, combinational, strategic, speed, accuracy of calculation, etc. All that being said, your rating must give some idea of your abiltiy, since a 2000 player will almost always beat an 1100 player. If that's not confusing enough, I also believe your actual rating rises and falls without any activity on your part. I gave up chess for twenty years. When I came back a few years ago, I got a rating of about 1800 (USCF). Before I gave it up I was 1500's. I figure if I stop playing chess for another twenty years, I could be a master.
Originally posted by KarldoggTotally uncomparable. Correspondence players have resources like books and databases, and, above all, time and the ability to make the moves on a board and look at the result before committing to it.
thanks. If anyone else would be kind enough to post their elo ratings vs. their RHP rating, it would be greatly appreciated.
Of course, there is a correlation. Good OTB players, when devoting time and effort, tend to become good correspondence players as well.
Last, but not least, the rating depends on the rating calculation function (which is comparable to the OTB one), the starting point (1200 here on RHP, not an easy choice to make), and the rating distribution of your opponents. In OTB this tends to be more banded than here, especially in tournaments.
Regardless of that, expect the strength of the top players at master level (or GM ????).