Elo is a rating system that expresses a chess player's strength as a single number, named after the physicist Arpad Elo who devised it. The idea is simple: the rating difference between two players predicts the expected result. Score better than expected and you gain points; score worse and you lose them.
How ratings change
After each game the change is calculated from the difference between the actual result (win 1, draw 0.5, loss 0) and the expected result, multiplied by a factor K. If you are rated 200 points above your opponent, the system expects you to score about 76%. Win and you gain little; lose and you lose a lot. Conversely, beating a stronger player brings a big gain.
The K-factor
The K-factor sets how much one game affects your rating. FIDE uses a higher factor for new and young players and a lower one for established, higher-rated players, so newcomers' ratings quickly approach their real strength.
How to get a FIDE rating
- Register with your national federation and obtain a FIDE ID.
- Play in FIDE-rated tournaments; in the mytourneys calendar they carry a 'FIDE' label.
- After enough games against rated opponents your first rating is published.
- There are separate FIDE ratings for classical, rapid and blitz.
Titles
- CM (Candidate Master): about 2200.
- FM (FIDE Master): about 2300.
- IM (International Master): 2400 plus norms earned in international events.
- GM (Grandmaster): 2500 plus norms, the highest permanent title in chess.
- Women's titles WCM, WFM, WIM and WGM also exist.
Common misconceptions
- Online ratings (Lichess, Chess.com) are not on the same scale as FIDE ratings and cannot be compared directly.
- A rating is not a talent grade but a statistical summary of recent results; short-term swings are normal.
- Protecting your rating by choosing opponents slows improvement; playing stronger opponents pays off in the long run.
💡 The most reliable way to raise your rating is to play tournaments regularly and analyse your losses after each one. For opponent-specific preparation, try mytourneys' Opponent Prep tool.