Rated and Unrated What does it mean?

There are two kinds of chess tournaments, rated and unrated. Rated tournaments are tournaments that are run using at least one USCF (United States Chess Federation) certified Tournament Director. Rated events are also rated. This means that after the event the results are submitted to the USCF and ratings of each player are than calculated and published.

Unrated tournaments are often not run with USCF Tournament Directors, though it is not always the case. These events do not count towards a player’s rating.


What is a rating and why do I want one, you ask? A rating is a lot like sports statistics. A rating, rates a players ability of play in competition. There has always been debate about how accurate these ratings are, especially in scholastic chess. But ratings are important because they help Tournament Directors pair the appropriate players against one another.

What is in a number?

The importance of the number depends one who you are talking to. It is a gage of competitive performance, but not all players compete regularly. The top rated players in the world are called Grandmasters and have ratings that are usually over 2300. Master rated players are considered the next best in the world and are rated above 2200.

The top rated 7 year old in the United States is rated 1685 and considered a Class B player. Most 7 year olds do not hold such a high rating. Many children that age are rated 500 or lower.