Unrated Again

This post originally started under a racy title, but after thinking about it, there was a distinct "ew" factor, so I recycled it under a new title.

I just found out that I'm unrated again. As drunknknite pointed out after he learned from Getting to 2000, getting a FIDE rating is not as easy as just playing in a FIDE rated tournament. I've had a couple opportunities, but nothing came together until this last 2008 Far West Open.

Today, out of curiosity, I looked and actually found my name and brand new FIDE ID number at the FIDE website. It was weird seeing my name there, as if I had traveled back in time and watched myself play in my first chess tournament and get my first provisional rating. There's no rating number attached yet. Apparently there are a few more games I have to get under my belt with possibly some complicated rules about how much I can lose to previously FIDE rated players.

There is a fellow expert in my club who at FWO2008 seemed surprised to find out his FIDE rating is in the 2300's, 200 points higher than his USCF rating. A player nearby told him he could claim the FIDE Master title outright. He's a master and he didn't even know it. I wish getting to FM was so easy as to be just some paperwork. No scratch that; if I didn't remember earning the title, then it would never be real. The fellow expert had a USCF 2474 performance rating against 6 FIDE rated opponents in FWO2004 and a USCF 2395 performance rating against 4 FIDE rated opponents in FWO2006. Ten great games, about 400 excellent chess moves. That's all it takes to be a master.

Right now, the only light at the end of the tunnel is that I'm climbing back to 2200 on Chess Tempo. But there certainly isn't any strong correlation between what I'm doing there and what I'm doing on my USCF rating. Currently I'm #1 on the standard list, but only because all the higher players have let their ratings lapse from inactivity.

But I'm taking up the challenge and casting about for some coaching help. It's just so hard to remain optimistic about improvement when I'm a pessimist by nature and my empiricist side sees all the stagnation in myself and my fellow adult chess players. I'll keep you updated on my experience being coached.

**UPDATE 4/22**
I didn't notice it before, but there are now some calculations from FWO2008 that show I scored 1.5/3 against three opponents with FIDE average 2167, which I guess would be my provisional FIDE rating. drunknknite scored an impressive 3.0/5 against 2151 average with a performance of 2164. Take that, drunknknite! I'm still ahead by 3 points, but just barely.