Submitting Results played outside Scotland

for CHESS SCOTLAND (CS) Grading

 

ECF Grades: English grades have been the only "foreign" grade used in recent years as we wish to try and move to a situation where we use FIDE grades for all outside Scotland opponents. However CS players will often play English players without FIDE ratings either in English events or when English players visit a Scottish congress. For many years we used ECF grades converted by the traditional formula (ECF*8)+600 = CS. So an ECF player graded 100 converted to 1400 CS. We had thought this produced a reasonable conversion rate between the two systems.

In 2009 the English Chess Federation (ECF) made significant revisions to how they calculate their grades. To counter what they identified as deflation all domestic grades were revised significantly higher. The increase was not uniform but produced a larger increase among lower grades eg on average 100 ECF is now 124, 125 is now 144, 140 is now 156.

If we used the traditional conversion formula then a 100 ECF who was worth 1400 will now be worth 1590. This will introduce inflation into the CS system if we ignored the changes which have been made to the ECF system and use the traditional conversion factor.

Further changes were also made to ECF junior grades which has made it very difficult to judge what would be an appropriate conversion factor.

To maintain the integrity of CS grades we will limit the use of ECF junior grades this season 2009-2010. We will permit ECF junior grades only in the British Championship, Glorney and Faber cups, CS junior team internationals such as the Liverpool Triangular. (Welsh and Irish grades will be used in junior team internationals - but otherwise these will not be used.) The situation will be reviewed next season.

We will continue to grade games against adult ECF players but will modify the conversion formula. ECF grades now convert to CS by using ECF *10+180 = CS. So an ECF player rated 100 will convert to 1180 CS.

NB: this is our attempt at arriving at a conversion formula - Scottish players in English events may have their CS grade converted differently. For example the ECF grading page indicates that it sees no need to change the historic conversion formula.

"Conversion from other (national) Elo ratings is unchanged: National Elo = New ECF x 8 + 600. "

If our calculations are correct we would expect to see Scottish players perform better than the ECF expects (if Scots are permitted to play using *8+600).

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FIDE Downloads: Every two months FIDE issue a spreadsheet which contains the results of every SCO registered player in the FIDE system. We then import these results into the CS rating system without the need for players to manually submit data (see exceptions below). The import routine will recognise when your opponent is a Scot and will change the grade used to the CS rating. There are three known issues with the system. These are not faults with the import routine but are a consequence of how FIDE process data.

1) If two FIDE unrated Scots play each other then the game will not be recorded in the FIDE file. In this case players should just email these additional Scot v Scot encounters to grading@chessscotland.com and they can be tacked on to the other results in that event.

2) FIDE have rules on how many results constitute a "partial" rating if you are FIDE unrated. So if you are unrated and for example you score 0 against two FIDE rated opponents then the result is not recorded as a valid partial. However for CS purposes these would be valid games and should be submitted. As in (1) the only way we could capture this data is for the results to be manually added.

How many games count for a partial rating? According to the FIDE handbook: "If an unrated player scores less than 1 point in his first rated event, or he plays fewer than 3 rated opponents in any event, his score is disregarded". 

3) If you play an ECF rated opponent who is FIDE unrated then these results will also be omitted from the FIDE import file. We realise this is an anomoly in that the player may have counted in a non FIDE event. By announcing it here you know exactly the situation before you play the event. Only FIDE rated opponents or FIDE unrated Scots will count in a FIDE rated outside Scotland event.

Many thanks to programmer Gordon Rattray for his behind the scenes work in creating this new data capture system.

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How to submit data:

It is now possible to type results directly into an online form (created by programmer Gordon Rattray) which can be imported into the grading program. This facility should only be used for events outside Scotland which are not FIDE rated. Outside results are only rated for members of Chess Scotland.

Please email grading@chessscotland.com and you will be given the user name and password.

Please visit http://www.chessscotland.com/csOnline/outsideResults/eventUpdateGUI.php

Check to see if the event in which you played is already listed. Pick that event rather than start another version of the same event.

There are rules as to which grades apply in outside Scotland events.

1) If the opponent has a CS rating use that first.

2) If no CS rating then use FIDE. FIDE Ratings Look-up

3) If no CS or FIDE rating use ECF (English). ECF Ratings Look-up (ECF Rapidplay grades are ignored.) ECF juniors J17 and younger are ignored. The ECF live database gives the junior status of players.

4) If none of the above ratings applies then the game is ignored for rating purposes.

Junior additions: These do not apply to FIDE grades.

Leading Players NB: It is expected that all leading adult and junior players will submit all results. This is not optional. To ensure that all selections are made on the same basis all leading junior and senior players must submit all results.

General Player International selection will not be an issue for the majority of players. In those cases it is up to the individual player to decide what they want to do about games they play outside Scotland. CS will be happy to rate outside results free of charge for members only. Games outside Scotland will not be rated for non-members. Players must be consistent in the way they submit outside results. Either you submit all your outside results every year or you submit none. You cannot be selective.

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Which grade is used for "foreign" visitors to Scottish events?

If a visitor to a Scottish tournament has a FIDE grade the CS grading system will use that first regardless of the level of their domestic grade.

All foreign domestic ratings apart from ECF will be ignored.

(Tournaments can use whichever grade or conversion formula they prefer for entry requirements but the CS grading system will always use FIDE).

CS suggests tournament organisers should convert non FIDE rated ECF players by using the new formula *10+180.

English junior grades will be ignored for rating purposes (unless playing in an official junior international as outlined earlier) but organisers may want to use these for allocation to rating restricted tournament sections.

Note that several visitors already have an official CS grade which is published in the grading list. In CS calculations this CS grade takes priority over any other grade.

Best Judgement The Chief Grader will endeavour to use his best judgement to modify or clarify the above general rules where necessary.

Queries: To submit results or ask about outside result submission e-mail the the CS Chief Grader

Page revised 09/03/2010