How do I get an official NZ rating?
How do I get an official NZ Rating?
A minimum of 5 games in a rating period is required to get a published NZCF rating for an unrated player. This applies separately to standard or rapid rating, i.e. there is no crossover of games. If an unrated player plays 3 or 4 games in a period, these are still rated, but the rating will not be published. If only 1 or 2 games are played by an unrated player, these will be discarded. A rating period is 3 months.
Does my annual fee include NZCF Membership?
Yes it does because HPCC is a NZCF affiliated Club. Your NZCF Membership must be renewed annually like your Club Membership.
How do I get an official NZ rating?
Am I allowed to join other Clubs?
Yes, you can join other Clubs as well as HPCC. Do let us know if you have already paid your NZCF Membership at another club, so you can deduct $20 from your membership fee when joining HPCC.
Do I have to fill a separate form for each member of my family?
Yes. Please fill out a separate form for each member of your family joining the club.
Can you please give me more details about your Club Championship FIDE Rated Tournament?
1. You must already be a member of the Howick Pakuranga Chess Club to play in our Club Championship Tournament. The Arbiter will select the top 8 members to play in the Club Championship Tournament. Other players will be placed in the Club Reserve Championship Tournament, it is like having 2 grades. Both grades will be FIDE rated, played on the same night in the same room.
2. The Club will pay a fee to the NZCF of $2.50 per player
3. The Arbiter has to report to the NZCF monthly for the duration of the Tournament. If you do not have a FIDE ID already, a FIDE ID will be issued to you as part of the tournament reporting process.
4. If you play a minimum of 5 games against FIDE rated opponents, and achieve a performance rating of at least 1400. If you fulfil these criteria then you should appear in the next FIDE ratings list – published on the 1st of every month.
4. How the ratings work:
In the vast majority of FIDE-rated tournaments, which typically use a Swiss pairing system, games played against unrated opponents are not considered for the rating calculation of an already rated player.
Your Rating: Your FIDE rating is only adjusted based on your results against other FIDE-rated opponents.
The Result: Whether you win, lose, or draw against the unrated player, your rating will remain unchanged from that specific game. The game is effectively ignored for rating purposes on your side.
The Exception: Round-Robin Tournaments (HPCC Club Champs “top group” will be a round robin).
There is a specific exception to this rule for round-robin (all-play-all) tournaments:
In a round-robin event, games against unrated opponents are counted. The unrated player's performance is evaluated at the end of the tournament to establish a provisional rating for that event. This provisional rating is then used to calculate the rating change for the rated players they competed against.
Why it's Different: This rule exists because, in a closed round-robin, every player plays against each other, making every game integral to the final standings and overall performance assessment.
Impact on the Unrated Player
While the game may not affect your rating, it is highly significant for your unrated opponent. Their result against you (and other rated players in the tournament) is recorded and contributes towards them achieving their own initial FIDE rating.
They need to play a certain number of games against rated players to enter the FIDE rating list.
Summary Table
The following table summarises the impact on a rated player's FIDE rating when playing an unrated opponent.
Tournament Format
Impact of Win/Loss/Draw on Your FIDE Rating
Swiss System / Open Tournament
No Change. The game is not rated for you.
Round-Robin (All-Play-All)
Rating is affected. The game is rated after the tournament concludes and the unrated player's performance is calculated.