Re: Minimum Grades
Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 5:38 am
IMO, there is very little need for official 'real time ratings' under the ECF system, either to ensure the accuracy of the system, or to fulfill the purpose of creating a rating list at all. As regards accuracy, with the exception of Juniors/new players, the vast majority of players are pretty static in their playing strength. Frequent lists for these people simply introduce noise into the system, but don't particularly improve accuracy. Furthermore, unlike with ELO systems, there is no situation where an excess of games over the rating period can lead to inaccuracy. In fact the opposite. As regards the purpose of ratings, trying to actually use real-time ratings can actually create problems. Any long term grading/rating limited competitions (eg. leagues, counties championship etc) will ignore them for the purposes of eligibility (and utilising them to determine things like board order is of insignificant advantage over the current situation - especially as most leagues will allow flexibility anyway). Congresses will necessarily set a cut off date to provide certainty for people entering their tournaments. I suppose, however that there may be some theoretical advantage for congresses currently scheduled just after publication date.
That is not to say there isn't some sort of value of some sort of real time "provisional grading" (as it appears exists in Scotland), especially for determining the strength of Juniors and/or new players. But for most players it should make little difference. This is not the case with ELO where the issues are far more complex. And to the evidence of the inexpert eye, not being dealt with successfully (in FIDE's case).
That is not to say there isn't some sort of value of some sort of real time "provisional grading" (as it appears exists in Scotland), especially for determining the strength of Juniors and/or new players. But for most players it should make little difference. This is not the case with ELO where the issues are far more complex. And to the evidence of the inexpert eye, not being dealt with successfully (in FIDE's case).