--- title: "US Chess rating" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/us-chess-rating.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/us-chess-rating" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "A US Chess rating is the number the American federation assigns a player from results in its rated events; it is separate from a FIDE rating." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/uscf.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rating-category.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/elo-rating.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/fide-rating.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rating-system.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/tournaments-ratings-titles.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # US Chess rating > **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 US Chess rating is the number the American federation assigns a player from results in its rated events; it is separate from a FIDE rating. A US Chess rating is the number the American federation assigns a player from results in its rated events; it is separate from a FIDE rating and from ratings on chess websites, so the numbers should not be swapped. Each result in a US Chess rated event moves your number, and the size of the move depends on the gap to your opponent and on how much evidence already sits behind your rating. The federation's published method sets the multiplier K to 800 divided by an effective game count plus the number of games in the event, so a player with few games swings far more than a veteran. A rating counts as established once it rests on more than 25 games, and an unusually strong result can earn a bonus on top of the normal change. A player can hold separate ratings for regular, quick and blitz play and a parallel set for online events, with no formal link among them beyond how a new rating is started. Official ratings are whole numbers, the lowest possible rating is 100, and a new list is published 12 times a year. The formula, the pool of opponents and the tuning differ from FIDE's, which fixes K at 40 for a player's first 30 games and then uses 20 or 10. That is why one person can sit at different numbers on the two lists. Treat any conversion chart between lists as a rough guide. Read the entries on the USCF, [rating category](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rating-category.md) and the [Elo rating](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/elo-rating.md) next. Also called: USCF rating. 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. Also worth reading is [Blitz rating](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blitz-rating.md). A blitz rating is a rating earned in blitz games, kept on a separate list from standard and rapid ratings, because fast play measures a different skill. How "US Chess rating" 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 - [USCF](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/uscf.md) - [Rating category](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rating-category.md) - [Elo rating](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/elo-rating.md) - [FIDE rating](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/fide-rating.md) - [Rating system](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rating-system.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 - US Chess, The US Chess Rating System (Glickman and Doan), dated 6 April 2026 (Sections 1 and 7), read 2026-10-21: https://new.uschess.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/us_chess_rating_system_specs-2026-04-06.pdf - US Chess FAQ, "Why isn't my rating (or my current rating) in the latest ratings list?" (FAQ answer on the latest ratings list), read 2026-10-21: https://new.uschess.org/faq - FIDE Handbook B.02 FIDE Rating Regulations, effective 1 March 2024 (Clause 8.3.3), 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 - [USCF in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/uscf.md) - [Rating category in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rating-category.md) - [Elo rating in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/elo-rating.md) - [FIDE rating in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/fide-rating.md) - [Rating system in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rating-system.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)