--- title: "Rating system in chess" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rating-system.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rating-system" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "A rating system is a method that turns game results into a number for each player, rising after wins against strong opponents and falling after losses." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/elo-rating.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/fide-rating.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/uscf.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/k-factor.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/provisional-rating.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rating-list.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/tournaments-ratings-titles.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # Rating system in chess > **For AI agents:** the complete index of GeorgeLiChess pages is [llms.txt](https://georgelichess.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md. A rating system is a method that turns game results into a number for each player, rising after wins against strong opponents and falling after losses. A rating system is a method that turns game results into a number for each player, rising after wins against strong opponents and falling after losses, so that strength can be compared. A rating is a number that estimates how strong a player is, based on results against other rated players. Beat someone stronger than you and your number rises by more. Lose to someone weaker and it drops by more. Over many games the number settles near your real level. The best known approach is the Elo system, and FIDE maintains the international version with its own regulations. [National federations](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/national-federation.md), including the United States, run their own systems with their own formulas, so the same player can hold different numbers in different places. Online sites also keep separate pools, which is why a number on one site does not match another. Useful points for families: ratings compare players only within the same pool and [time control](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/time-control.md), new players usually start with a provisional number that moves quickly, and improvement shows up over dozens of games rather than a few. Use a rating as a rough guide to the level of opponent and tournament section, not as a judgment of a child. It sits close to [USCF](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/uscf.md). The USCF, now branded US Chess, is the official governing body for chess in the United States, a nonprofit that represents the country in FIDE and maintains the national rating system most American tournament players are measured by. A neighboring idea is [Elo rating](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/elo-rating.md). An Elo rating is a number that estimates playing strength from results: the gap between two ratings predicts the expected score, and wins and losses move each player's rating up or down. It sits close to [Glicko rating](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/glicko-rating.md). A Glicko rating is a rating that comes with an uncertainty value, the rating deviation, so that a player with few or old results can move faster than one with a long recent record. How "Rating system" applies to your own results depends on where you stand now, and the [improvement plans by rating band](https://georgelichess.com/improve.md) show what players near your rating work on. ## Related terms - [Elo rating](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/elo-rating.md) - [FIDE rating](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/fide-rating.md) - [USCF](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/uscf.md) - [K-factor](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/k-factor.md) - [Provisional rating](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/provisional-rating.md) - [Rating list](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rating-list.md) ## Guides that go further - [Chess ratings explained](https://georgelichess.com/chess-ratings-explained.md): What a rating measures, how FIDE, Lichess, US Chess and chess.com compute theirs, and why the numbers differ. - [Average chess rating and a good chess rating](https://georgelichess.com/chess-rating-percentiles.md): What share of active Lichess players are rated above 800, 1200, 1500, 1800 or 2000, by time control. - [Chess rating calculator](https://georgelichess.com/tools/rating-calculator.md): Work out how a FIDE rating changes after a run of games. ## Sources - FIDE Handbook B.02 FIDE Rating Regulations (effective from 1 March 2024) (Clauses 7.1 and 8.1), read 2026-10-21: https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/B022024 [Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com. ## Related - [Elo rating in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/elo-rating.md) - [FIDE rating in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/fide-rating.md) - [USCF in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/uscf.md) - [K-factor in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/k-factor.md) - [Provisional rating in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/provisional-rating.md) - [Rating list in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rating-list.md) - [Chess terms: Tournaments, ratings and titles](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/tournaments-ratings-titles.md) - [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)