Tournament Director and Affiliate Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions
(Last Revision: September 30, 2026)

For general information about tournament directing: https://new.uschess.org/tournament-directors (links on the page to be updated).

For general questions: https://new.uschess.org/frequently-asked-questions-faqs

Table of Contents

Access to MUIR to Rate US Chess Tournaments 

Any current US Chess member in good standing is eligible to become a certified Tournament Director (TD). Individuals who are not yet members may join by visiting the US Chess Membership Webstore at:
https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chess

Applicants are required to have access to the current US Chess Official Rules of Chess as well as the most recent updates. Additional eligibility requirements include maintaining an active US Chess membership, being at least 13 years of age, and completing the mandatory Safe Play training. A helpful video on becoming a tournament director can be found here with other US Chess related TD videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0iVcypzh_E&list=PLWz0jCeofD_E5koJAFYpxKz5EaWOHWBvn&index=25&t=2s

To obtain certification at the entry-level (Club TD), you must download, print, complete, and sign the Club TD Application form. The completed form should be submitted via email to: Click here to show email address 

Club TD Application form:
https://new.uschess.org/tournament-directors

Upon approval, the application grants certification as a Club TD, valid for a period of three years.

All TDs can login on the MUIR system here: https://ratings.uschess.org/

 

How do I become a US Chess Affiliate?

To submit rated US Chess events, a certified Tournament Director (TD) must be associated with an active US Chess affiliate, either through an existing organization or by establishing one independently. Any chess organization is eligible to become a US Chess affiliate. Schools serving grades 12 and below should apply as Scholastic affiliates, colleges and universities should register as College affiliates, prison chess programs should register as Prison affiliates, and all other chess organizations should apply as Regular affiliates.

 

Affiliate Benefits:
Affiliates are authorized to host US Chess–rated tournaments, earn commissions by selling memberships, and promote their events in Chess Life.

Organizations may apply to become a US Chess affiliate at:
https://secure2.uschess.org/webstore/affil.php

A searchable directory of current affiliates is available at:
https://new.uschess.org/club-search-and-affiliate-directory

 

How do I renew or upgrade my TD certification?

Local TDs, Senior TDs, and ANTDs are eligible for certification renewal provided they have, on average, served as either the Chief Tournament Director or Assistant Chief Tournament Director for at least one tournament section per year during their certification period.

Club TDs who have completed their initial three‑year certification term must first take and pass an exam before they can be considered for renewal based on sufficient tournament‑directing experience (minimum of one event per year).

For additional questions regarding TD certification—or to request an exam for renewing, extending, or upgrading your certification—please contact the US Chess TD Certification staff at: Click here to show email address

 

How do I log in or reset my US Chess account password? 

Members can use this link: https://new.uschess.org/login to login, reset their password, or request their username.

Please note that a paid US Chess membership is required to complete registration and gain full account access.

You can access the login page here:
https://new.uschess.org/signin-signup

 

Why am I unable to rate a tournament even though I am an active member in good standing and have an active affiliate? 

Tournament Directors must be assigned an authorized role within an affiliate in order to submit rated events. These permissions are managed by the Affiliate Account Manager, who designates official roles—such as President, Tournament Director, or Secretary—to ensure that only approved individuals may submit events on behalf of the affiliate. This system protects affiliates by preventing unauthorized use of their credentials. Only certified TDs are permitted to submit rating reports, and affiliates must specify which TDs are authorized to do so. A TD who is approved to submit rating reports is also automatically authorized to submit memberships on behalf of that affiliate. If you receive a message indicating that you are not authorized, you will need to contact your Affiliate Account Manager and request that they update their list of TDs permitted to submit memberships and rating reports under their affiliate ID. It is important to note that authorization is entirely separate from affiliate officer status; officers may not be TDs—or even US Chess members—and TDs do not need to be officers in order to be granted permission to submit rating reports.

 

How do Affiliate commissions work for processing US Chess Memberships? 

Affiliates may receive commissions when a Tournament Director processes new or renewed memberships through the US Chess Affiliate Dashboard found by logging in through the MUIR portal. A typical commission is approximately $3 per membership, and this amount appears as a line item during checkout, reducing the total payment due for that membership batch. The commission is paid to the affiliate organization—such as a chess club—which may then choose to compensate the TD or apply the funds toward club expenses, such as equipment purchases or rating fees.

Affiliates, including school clubs and scholastic organizers, may purchase group (voucher) memberships in bulk at a discounted rate, with a minimum order of 25. These vouchers can be redeemed online. Affiliates may add a small processing fee—no more than $1 per voucher—to offset administrative expenses such as credit‑card or transaction fees. While affiliates should not lose money when distributing vouchers, they are strictly prohibited from reselling them at a higher price for profit or fundraising purposes. More information on the voucher program can be found here: https://new.uschess.org/news/voucher-membership-program-revised-prices-and-terms-starting-september-1

 

I have a player (such as a foreign FIDE-titled player) in my tournament but the player doesn't have a US Chess member ID yet. How do I handle this? 

Foreign players, including FIDE‑titled competitors, must have a US Chess member ID to participate in US Chess–rated events. If the player does not already have an ID, the TD must create one. When submitting a new membership, the system automatically generates the player’s US Chess ID. Foreign FIDE‑titled players—GM, IM, WGM, and WIM—may compete in US Chess‑rated events without paying membership dues, provided their FIDE profile confirms both their title and that their federation is not the United States. These players, however, are not eligible to earn Grand Prix points unless they choose to become dues‑paying US Chess members. Foreign players who do not hold one of the qualifying FIDE titles must purchase a US Chess membership.

If no US Chess ID exists for the player, the TD may create one by submitting the individual through the process membership form selecting the membership category: Foreign GMs/IMs.

When the TD includes a FIDE ID during this process, the system will automatically check the player’s title and federation. If the player is a foreign GM, IM, WGM, or WIM, no membership expiration check is required. The system then confirms the title and federation against current FIDE records and updates the player’s US Chess profile accordingly.

A foreign player with an established FIDE rating but no US Chess rating will receive an initial provisional US Chess rating based on the official FIDE‑to‑US Chess conversion formula, using the player’s FIDE rating as of the event’s start date. A similar formula exists for CFC (Canadian) ratings, though TDs are asked to notify the Ratings Department when a player has only a CFC rating, since US Chess does not maintain monthly CFC data or ID cross‑references.

For section placement and prize eligibility, TDs may use the converted rating or follow the alternative guidelines to assign a rating provided in the current US Chess Rulebook.

 

I have a non-member in my tournament. How do I do get my tournament rated? 

Tournament Directors are responsible for ensuring that every player in their event has an active US Chess membership with valid expiration date. To avoid delays in rating the tournament, TDs are strongly encouraged to verify all players’ membership status before the first round begins. If a player’s membership is expired or they have never been a member, the TD must process a membership for them. Basic demographic information—especially email, birthdate, and gender—is required so US Chess can contact the player and properly categorize their membership for rating and Top 100 list purposes.

During validation, the system will flag any player who is still a non member, creating an error. This error will be indicated after the TD has validated the event. While TDs may choose to pay a correction fee, it is typically easier and faster for the player to purchase their membership directly. Note that a valid US Chess ID must exist before the system will allow tournament membership options to appear; missing IDs must be corrected before the report can be submitted.

“Use Membership Correction Allowance” (formerly “TD Correction Fee”) can be used under the following conditions. After running a Validation, if you are receiving a Warning that a player’s membership is expired or if they are Not Found, a new toggle option will appear in the Edit Player window of the Section Games wallchart (which you access by clicking in the wallchart box that is outlined in a color).

In order to use the Membership Correction Allowance, there has to have been a previous membership purchase, or the office can apply an expired membership line item. It cannot be used without contacting the office if a new individual who has never been a member.

It is essential for Tournament Directors to remember that all ratable games played in a rated section must be submitted for rating. TDs may not choose to exclude individual games for any reason, including a player’s membership status. If a player competes in a ratable game within a rated section, that game must be included in the rating report. As a result, the TD is responsible for resolving any membership issues for non‑members so that all games can be properly submitted and rated.

 

My memberships has a spelling error in it. How do I correct it? 

Members registered on new.uschess.org can submit corrections from their user dashboard. Members can log in, reset their password, or request username from this link: https://new.uschess.org/login

However, changes in someone's legal name and other name changes must still be submitted with proper documentation to the US Chess membership department, Click here to show email address.

 

I think I've found a duplicate ID for a player. How do I report it? 

With over 1,000,000 current and former member names in our database, there many names that appear in our records more than once (even more when taking into account variants on spelling and middle names/initials), so the chances of two different players having similar or identical names are quite high, even for relatively uncommon names. However, we have already flagged thousands of duplicate IDs.

If you think you have found a player who has more than one current ID (ie, none of them are flagged as duplicate IDs), please report that to the US Chess membership department (Click here to show email address), providing as much information as you can about those IDs, such as birthdates and addresses.

When multiple IDs are flagged as duplicates, we will combine the ratings for games played under those IDs as best we can.

 

I know of a current or former US Chess member who has passed away. How do I report it? 

Please report that information to Click here to show email address, complete with date of death, including a link to a published newspaper obituary or death notice for that player. US Chess only accepts undocumented death report from members of the family or from state officers.

 

A player who thinks he might have had a US Chess rating years ago is playing in my tournament, what rating do I use? 

Although the US Chess MUIR system has IDs and ratings for around a million current or former members, we don't have all the old ratings online, though we think we have nearly everyone who has had a published rating since about 1988. You can contact the ratings department ([email protected]) to ask them to look up long-dormant players. Please supply as much information as you can about the individual, including some estimate of when to look and what state that player lived in back then and the name that rating would likely be under.

It may take several days for the ratings department to look up long-dormant players in our paper records or in the microfilm of the old ratings cards from before 1978. Players who have not been active since 1977 may not have been issued an 8 digit member ID.

In the meantime (or if you don't get a response by the time your tournament starts), follow the procedures and recommendations in the rulebook for what rating to assign that player.

 

A player who used to be a US Chess member many years ago played in my event, but his old ID isn't on MUIR, so I can't submit his membership yet. How do I reactivate an old ID that's not on MUIR? 

Contact Click here to show email address

 

How do I submit a rating report? 

To submit a rating report online, a Tournament Director must have a login for the MUIR system and must be authorized by an active affiliate. Once logged in through the MUIR portal, the TD can upload the three required .DBF files generated by their pairing software or manually enter the event using the New Event option.

After the event data is entered, the TD must run the validation check to identify any errors, warnings, or alerts. Errors and Warnings must be corrected before submission, either by editing the event online or uploading corrected files. Warnings can typically be corrected or overridden, although some—such as those involving match-rule exceptions—require office review. Alerts do not require action but should be reviewed for accuracy. When the report validates successfully, the TD submits the event and pays the required rating fees, which vary based on submission method: 35 cents per ratable game, for online submissions (minimum $3), and 60 cents for paper submissions (minimum $8). Any applicable FIDE fees, Grand Prix fees. Events paid online by credit card are usually rated within the next hourly cycle; events paid by check are rated once payment is received.

MUIR How To: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdqYu_UM1eY&t=675s

Note: One of the top issues TD’s have when submitting a rating report is forgetting to input participant coding, do not forget this mandatory step!

 

How do I submit a FIDE-rated event online? 

To submit a FIDE rated event online, the tournament must first be registered with FIDE before the start date; contact the US Chess office to complete this step. You must have a licensed FIDE arbiter—National Arbiter, FIDE Arbiter, or International Arbiter—on site as a Chief TD. When submitting your event online, be sure to check the FIDE Rated box for every FIDE rated section. Accurate and detailed time control information is essential, especially when different rounds use different schedules, because only games played under FIDE ratable conditions can be submitted, and the time control may affect players’ eligibility for title norms. Additional FIDE rating fees apply, and these vary over time. This is listed: https://new.uschess.org/news/us-chess-fide-rating-fees-effective-april-1-2021. For complete details, please go to https://new.uschess.org/tournament-directors/fide-rated-events. If you have further questions, please e-mail Click here to show email address.

 

How do I enter time controls? 

At this time, US Chess only supports reporting increment or delay settings that are in effect starting with move 1 and remain the same throughout the event.

Here are some examples of properly formatted time controls. These examples are not intended as recommendations of time controls, just acceptable ways to format them:

G/3;d2Blitz (Game in 3 minutes, 2 seconds of delay)
G/5;d0Blitz (Game in 5 minutes, no increment or delay)
G/30;d5Game in 30, 5 seconds delay
G/30;+5Game in 30, 5 seconds increment
G/120;d5Game in 120 minutes (2 hours), 5 seconds delay
 Examples below all use 5 seconds delay
30/30,SD/30;d5Secondary Sudden Death
30/60,30/30,SD/30;d5Secondary Sudden Death with 3 time controls
30/30;d5No Sudden Death
30/60,30/30;d5No Sudden Death with 2 time controls
30/60,20/30,30/30;d5No Sudden Death with 3 time controls

Note that you must report the time in minutes, so use G/120 rather than G/2, etc.

For tournaments with multiple time controls – with sections that affect regular rating if they are in the same rating category for the tournament report use the longest rating.

For example, if you have a 5 round tournament with rounds 1 and 2 at G/45;d5 with rounds 3, 4, and 5 at G/90;d5 the listed time control will be G/90;d5 for the event.

TDs should submit separate sections if the rating categories would be different. For example if you have a 5 round tournament with rounds 1 and 2 at G/15;d0 with rounds 3,4, and 5 at G/30;d5 two sections should be submitted for rating.

Blitz time controls must all be the same for blitz-rated sections.

For example: In a Blitz tournament all games must be the same time control (G/5;d0 or G/3+2).

 

What order are games rated in? 

All games by a player in a section are pooled together and rated at the same time using the ratings formula (available here). This is true even if a player had more than one pairing number in a section, because of things like multiple schedules that are merged into a single section or because of reentries.

The ratings formula does not pay any attention to the order in which the games in a section were played. A loss to a 1200 player in round 1 and a win against a 1500 player in round 2 would produce the same post-event ratings as a win against a 1500 player in round 1 and a loss to a 1200 player in round 2.

The order in which we rate sections is predetermined based on the following:

1. Section ending date.
2. Section beginning date.
3. 12 digit US Chess Event ID.
4. Section number as assigned by the TD.

(The 3rd term only comes into play when are multiple events with the same beginning and ending date, but is needed to ensure that we are completely consistent about the order in which we rate events. For the most part, the event submitted first will get the lower 12 digit Event ID, and thus will be rated before another event that has the same starting and ending dates.)

Suppose an event has 4 sections:

Section 1 begins on March 10th and ends on March 11th
Section 2 begins and ends on March 10th.
Section 3 begins and ends on March 11th.
Section 4 begins and ends on March 11th.

We would rate those events in the following order:

A - Section 2, since it started and ended first.
B - Section 1, since it ended later than section 2.
C - Section 3, since it started later than section 1 or 2.
D - Section 4, since it has a higher section number than section 3.

Note that sections from other events could wind up being rated in between these 4 sections. For example, another event that starts and ends on March 11th might be rated before or after Sections 3 and 4 in the above example, based on the 12 digit event ID which is the 3rd sort parameter. The section(s) with the lower event ID would be rated first.

We have no way to track intra-day timing or when particular rounds were played with the information we have, the starting and ending dates for a section. If there are two sections, one held in the morning and one held in the afternoon, we would rate them in section number order. It is up to the TD to assign the section numbers in intra-day order if that is significant.

For events that run longer than about six weeks, TDs are advised to submit monthly rating reports, so that those games are rated promptly and in a reasonable order with other events that those players may have played in.

It is inappropriate to give false information regarding the starting and ending date of sections in order to try to force a different rating order, and that will inevitably lead to complaints from players that we have the section starting and ending dates wrong.

There is a tool on the TD/A menu to copy a pending event that would allow a TD to renumber the sections so that, for example, an extra games section is at the end and would be rated after the other sections. You can also use this tool to drop a section from a pending event. (Occasionally a section will get corrupted, this is one way to get rid of that section so you can re-enter it manually.)

 

I had a no-show from someone who is not a current US Chess member, what do I do about that? 

Delete the player as they did not have any games (It cannot be used for any ratable games, though).

 

I left a round or some players off an event that has been rated.
How do I correct an event that has been rated?
How do I delete a section of an event after it has been rated?

For simple corrections (such as changing results or player IDs), you need to send the correction to the US Chess office. You can email the correction to [email protected]. The office will need sufficient information to uniquely identify the event being changed and the changes requested, for example:

  • The 12 digit US Chess event ID and event name.
  • The section number and name.
  • The players' US chess member IDs and names. (Please note: If an ID appears more than once in the crosstable, correctly or because of an ID error, you will need to provide enough information, such as the final score or round-by-round results, to uniquely identify the pairing # that needs to be changed.)
  • If player IDs need to be changed, list the correct IDs and player names.
  • If game results need to be changed, list the results as originally reported and the corrections needed.
  • If the section was rated under the wrong rating system (eg dual rated when it should have been quick rated only), we need the correct time control, since time control information is displayed on MUIR.

If the event or section dates are incorrect, or if you left some players off completely or need to add a round or a missing section, TDs will need to provide updated data to the office for correction. If there are a large number of corrections office staff may request the TD to submit an entirely new rating report. If that occurs, first, the US Chess office will delete the current event ID.

Once the event has been deleted, you can upload the event again. When the corrected event is ready to submit for rating, contact the ratings department again ([email protected]), they can tell you the amount of any additional rating fee needed and/or waive the ratings fee for the corrected event and take care of submitting the corrected event for rating. Do not submit the corrected event yourself or you will be charged for the full rating fee again.

 

How do I enter pairings/results? 

Here is a helpful video on using the MUIR system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdqYu_UM1eY

Start with the result, then the opponent's pairing number.

Suppose player #1 defeated player #7 in round 1. Then in the column labeled 'Round 1' you would enter W7 for player 1 and L1 for player 7. If you select the 'Yes (editable) for 'Show Color Allocation', there will be radio buttons to select the color for each player.

Here are the codes you use to enter results:

  • W - Win
  • L - Loss
  • D - Draw
  • B - Full Point Bye
  • H - Half Point Bye
  • F - Forfeit Loss
  • X - Forfeit Win
  • Z - Forfeit Draw
  • U - Not Paired (also Zero Point Bye)

 

What are the current regulations regarding US Chess rated matches? 

US Chess treats matches differently from standard tournaments because they involve two players intentionally choosing to compete against each other—often multiple times—which does not align with the statistical assumptions of the regular rating system. A match is defined as any event in which all or nearly all games are played between the same two players, including multi-game team matches. However, situations that arise naturally in tournaments, such as house player assignments or low turnout, are not considered matches unless the players deliberately entered to face each other repeatedly. Playoffs used to determine prizes are typically classified as matches.

Matches may consist of one to 32 games and can be regular, quick, or dual rated depending on the time control. To be eligible for rating, both players must have established published ratings within 400 points of each other at the start of the match. Rating adjustments from matches are capped: no more than 50 points gained or lost per match, 100 points within any 180-day period, and 200 points within a three-year span. Matches do not generate bonus points and cannot be used for qualification into invitational events or for Grand Prix or Junior Grand Prix standings.

All matches must be clearly identified when submitted for rating. Online submissions require selecting the match designation, while mailed reports must be labeled accordingly. If a certified tournament director (TD) does not submit the results, both players must provide a notarized statement confirming compliance with US Chess rules. During the validation process, any section with only two players and more than one game will be flagged if not coded as a match, and TDs are expected to properly identify even intentional one-game matches.

If an event appears to be a match but was not intended as one, the TD must contact US Chess to clarify the situation. US Chess retains discretion to classify events as matches, including combining sections or events when appropriate. Additionally, any event in which two players compete against each other three or more times—even across multiple sections—may be treated as a match.

Special rules apply to two-player sections. If two players play two or more games, the section is automatically considered a match. For one-game situations, classification depends on intent: if the players requested to play each other or the game is a playoff, it is a match; if the pairing was assigned by the TD due to logistical reasons, it is not. If a two-player playoff involves participants without established ratings or with a rating difference exceeding 400 points, the event should be submitted for review to confirm proper handling.

US Chess also monitors potential abuse of match rules. Players who reach or maintain their rating floor primarily through match play may be reviewed, and their floor can be reduced by 100 points if warranted. Events designed to circumvent match regulations may be reclassified as matches and could lead to sanctions against the TD, affiliate, or players involved.

 

How do I handle a house player who isn't a US Chess member? 

Over the years, US Chess has offered different short‑term membership options, including older per‑round and temporary memberships. While these formats have changed, the rules for “house players” remain consistent. Under current US Chess regulations, a house player is someone who was not registered for the tournament, did not pay an entry fee, and is asked by the Tournament Director to play in order to avoid a bye. House players may participate without holding a US Chess membership, but only under specific conditions. Their rating—if they have one—should generally fall near the lower end of the section, and they are not eligible for prizes. Only one house player may be used per section in any round, though a different house player may be used in different rounds.

Tournament Directors may request a membership exception through the tournament review process for a house player, but any exception that does not meet the standard criteria, or cases where the player competes in most rounds and scores 75% or more may be rejected. TDs may not classify someone as a house player simply to avoid the membership requirement, since Rule 23C requires all non‑house players in rated events to be current US Chess members.

For questions about whether a membership was submitted or processed, TDs should contact the US Chess office directly.

 

How do I report a Round Robin, such as a quad? 

The pairing program you use may decide this for you, but in general you have two choices:

  1. Use the Round Robin format, in which the column represents the opponent number, so the grid for a quad is 4x4. In this format the result square should only contain the result, e.g., W, L or D, with a * in the 1x1, 2x2, 3x3 and 4x4 grid squares. (If you don't put in the same number for the players and 'rounds', you will get an error message.)
  2. Treat it as a Swiss using the Crenshaw-Berger pairings (see the US Chess rulebook) for each round, with a quad being a four player three round event.

For example:

Player # and Name -1--2--3--4-
1 - Jones*WWW
2 - BrownL*DW
3 - SmithLD*W
4 - GreenLLL*

Either method will generate the same ratings.

 

What are the file formats for the 3 upload files for rating reports and for the rating supplement files? 

Note: s separate document for developers is pending and will direct to “Developer Guidelines” when available. This guide will include API information.

US Chess pairing programs generate three DBase files—Thexport.dbf, Tsexport.dbf, and Tdexport.dbf—which contain the tournament, section, and player‑detail information needed for rating reports. These files correspond directly to the formats used by the US Chess rating system’s internal entry/edit module (CFRATSYS).

A single set of export files may include multiple events. In these cases, the header file contains multiple event records, the section file contains one record per section, and the detail file contains a record for each player (with additional records for players who played more than 10 rounds). Each section record includes a pointer identifying where its player data begins in the detail file.

The tournament type field in the section file is especially important because it tells the rating system how to interpret the results data. If the format encoded in the file does not match the actual structure of the event (e.g., Swiss, Round Robin, Match, etc.), the rating system may misread results, requiring the tournament to be re‑entered manually.

Before export, the Tournament Administrator (TA) program runs validation to check for errors such as unmatched scores, mismatched opponents, invalid ID numbers, missing affiliate or TD IDs, and incorrect date formats. Major errors must be corrected before files can be generated; minor issues may be overridden only after review. Accurate dates, valid ID numbers, and correct country codes—always “USA” unless the event was actually held outside the United States—help ensure smooth processing.

When submitting supporting paperwork, TDs should list “new” for players whose memberships are being created with the event and “pending” for players who recently purchased memberships but do not yet have IDs. The disk‑generation program should leave these fields blank in the actual data files so the rating system’s ID‑format checks work properly.

Although the full file‑structure specifications are primarily used by pairing‑software developers, TDs should understand that correct formatting, validation, and coding ensure their events can be rated without delay or manual intervention by the US Chess office.

There does not appear to be an equivalent document for the rating supplement files. There are two different formats, the monthly update file and the Gold Master file.

The montly update file (TARSFLE.DBF or TARSFLEn.DBF) format is:

TARSFLE.DBF is a Dbase III file, no memo file

header byte count=225

record byte count=60

6 data fields

field 1 R_MEM_NAME type C length 27

field 2 R_MEM_ID type C length 8

field 3 R_EXP_DATE type D length 8   (YYYYMMDD)

field 4 R_STATE type C length 2

field 5 R_RATING1 type C length 7    (Regular Rating)

field 6 R_RATING2 type C length 7    (Quick Rating)

The ratings fields are a four digit number (left blank filled) followed by a * if the rating is established or by a '/' and the number of games for a provisional rating. If the player is unrated, this field is blank.

The Gold Master (TARATSUP.DBF) file format is:

TARATSUP.DBF is a Dbase III file, no memo file

header byte count=417

record byte count=56

12 data fields

field 1 MEM_ID type C length 8

field 2 MEM_NAME type C length 17

field 3 EXPIRED type D length 8      (YYYYMMDD)

field 4 STATE type C length 2

field 5 RSUPP_YR type C length 4     (Year YYYY for last published rating)

field 6 RSUPP_NUM type C length 2    (Month 01-12 for last published rating)

field 7 R_PLR_TYP type C length 1    (See below)

field 8 R_LPB_RAT type C length 4    (Regular Rating)

field 9 R_NRM_DAT type C length 2    (Not currently used)

field 10 Q_PLR_TYP type C length 1   (See below)

field 11 Q_LPB_RAT type C length 4   (Quick Rating)

field 12 Q_NRM_DAT type C length 2   (Not currently used)

The R_PLR_TYP and Q_PLR_TYP fields have the following values:

E  - Established Rating

U  - Unrated

P  - Provisional Rating

L  - Provisional Rating (All Losses)

W  - Provisional Rating (All Wins)

Note that the number of games a provisional rating is based upon is NOT shown in the Gold Master format.

Neither the monthly supplement file format (TARSFLE.DBF) nor the Gold Master file format (TARATSUP.DBF) have fields for Blitz ratings. There will be a new rating supplement file format standard published in 2013 that will include Blitz ratings, pairing program authors will be encouraged to support Blitz ratings and this new file format quickly.

 

US Chess Membership Batch Upload for TDs and Organizers 

To process memberships, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to your account
    Access your profile through the member site login: https://new.uschess.org/login
  2. Select your affiliate
    Navigate to “My Authorized Affiliates” and choose the appropriate affiliate associated with the memberships you wish to process.
  3. Process memberships
    Under Affiliate Actions, click “Process Memberships.”
    This page allows Tournament Directors (TDs) and organizers to process up to 15 memberships at a time.

 

Annual Membership Types 

  • Adult (Age 25-64): $54 (1 year), $105 (2 years)
  • Senior (Age 65+): $48 (1 year), $93 (2 years)
  • Young Adult (Under 24 at expiration): $33 (1 year), $63 (2 years)
  • Youth (Under 19 at expiration): $24 (1 year), $45 (2 years)
  • Family Plan 1: $102/year (Includes up to two adults and children under 19, and full-time students under 24 in the same household)
  • Family Plan 2: $66/year (Includes all children under 19 in the same household)
  • Special (Blind or Incarcerated): $22/year (verification may be required upon request)

Lifetime and Premium Memberships

Affiliate Memberships

 

Where can I find updates to the US Chess Rulebook? 

Updates to the US Chess Rulebook made after the publication of the 7th edition are available here:
http://www.uschess.org/docs/gov/reports/RulebookChanges.pdf

This document is updated annually following the Delegates Meeting.

A printed version of the 7th edition is also available for purchase. In addition, several chapters are available for free download online. To access these chapters, visit:
https://new.uschess.org/news/7th-edition-rule-book-chapters-now-available-download/

 

How long do games have to be to be regular rated? 

According to Rule 5C, There are four rating systems: Regular (slow), Quick (fast), Blitz and Online. For the purposes of rating G/minutes and inc/seconds (or d/seconds), add minutes (mm) and seconds (ss) for total playing time for each player. 

That is, total time equals minutes plus (seconds times 60) or mm+ss; e.g.: G/60 d/5 = 60+5 = 65 minutes total playing time for each player. Multiple time controls add all mm for each control: mm = mm(1) + mm(2) + . . . . 

Regular only: Total playing time for each player is greater than 65 minutes (mm+ss > 65). 

Dual (both regular and quick): Total playing time for each player is from 30 to 65 minutes (30 < mm+ss <65). 

Quick only: Total playing time for each player is more than 10 and less than 30 minutes (10 < mm+ss < 30) 

For Regular, Dual and Quick the primary time (mm in minutes) must be at least 5 minutes. 21

Blitz: Total playing time for each player is from 5 to 10 minutes inclusive and the primary time control must be at least 3 minutes. 5 < mm+ss < 10 

 

TD TIP: Examples of ratable time controls: 

  • 40/90 SD/30 inc/30 Regular
  • 40/120 SD/60 d/5 Regular
  • 40/115 SD/60 d/5 Regular
  • G/120 inc/30 Regular
  • G/120 d/5 Regular
  • G/115 d/5 Regular
  • G/90 inc/30 Regular
  • G/90 d/5 Regular
  • G/60 inc/30 Regular
  • G/60 d/5 Dual
  • 30/30 SD/30 d/5 Dual
  • G/30 d/5 Dual
  • G/25 d/5 Dual
  • G/25 d/3 Quick
  • G/15 d/3 Quick
  • G/10 d/3 Quick
  • G/10 d/0 Blitz
  • G/5 d/0 Blitz
  • G/3 inc/2 Blitz 

When used, standard increment is 30 seconds (Regular). Standard delay is 5 seconds (regular or dual); and 3 seconds (quick). Standard blitz uses no delay or increment (see chapter 11).

 

Why doesn’t the number after the “/” match the number of games I’ve played? 

For players with a provisional rating (typically 25 games or fewer), the number shown after the “/” is not always the actual number of games played. Instead, it reflects an “adjusted” game count, which is often higher.

This adjusted number includes:

  • The actual games played, plus
  • A small additional value (up to 10) based on how the player’s initial rating was established.

If a player’s first rating was based only on their age, then the adjusted number will match the actual number of games played.

However, if the initial rating was converted from another rating system (such as other US Chess formats, FIDE, or CFC), the system adds extra weight to reflect that prior information. This is why the number may appear higher.

After a player’s first tournament, the adjusted number increases only by the actual games played going forward.

For full details, refer to Section 2 of the US Chess rating system specifications. 

 

The results page for one of my events says that I finished in 3rd place, but I took 2nd place from tiebreaks. Why doesn't the crosstable show that?

The crosstable shows you in 3rd place, even though you finished 2nd, because crosstables are NOT SORTED by tiebreaks.

We do not always know which tiebreak systems were used, and even when we do, some tiebreaks cannot be recreated from the crosstable data. For example, performance rating depends on players’ pre-event ratings as they were entered at the start of the tournament, which may differ from the ratings shown in the final crosstable. 

Because of this, crosstables are organized differently: they are grouped by total score, and within each score group, players are listed by post-event rating, not by final standings or prize order. 

 

How long does it take to rate a chess tournament?

First, we must receive the rating report from the Tournament Director within seven days of tournament ending date for over-the-board events. Online events should be submitted within 21 days. Over 95% of events are now submitted online, and most are sent within two days of the event ending. Once submitted, these events are usually rated within a few hours.

If an event is mailed in instead of submitted online, it must first be entered by the ratings department. These events are typically rated about 10–14 days after they finish.

After submission or entry, the event still needs to be processed by the rating system before it is finalized.

 

Why isn't my rating (or my current rating) in the latest ratings list? 

US Chess publishes rating lists, the supplement, 12 times per year. Each monthly list includes all events rated since the previous list.

In December, we also publish an annual rating list. This list includes every player who participated in a rated event during the past year.

The cutoff for each monthly list is 11:45 PM Central Time on the third Wednesday of the month before the list is released. Events rated by that deadline are included in that month’s ratings list.

Even if a player does not appear on the most recent list, their last published rating is still valid—even if it was published years ago. This is the “Once Rated, Always Rated” rule.

Deviations exist between live rating values and supplement may differ due to regular re-rates.

 

Why do I have a quick rating if I’ve never played quick chess? 

Under US Chess rules, any event with a time control between Game/30 and Game/65 (meaning each player has 30–65 minutes total, including increment or delay) is automatically rated in both regular and quick chess.

This is not optional. All events in this time range are dual-rated, even if they are not labeled as “quick chess.”

Time control rules have changed over time, so players and tournament directors should refer to the current US Chess rulebook and updates for the most accurate information.

 

How are the ratings on the MUIR Member Rating Profile used? 

Official Monthly “Supplement” Ratings – are the locked in values from the 1st through the last day of a given month; they are the ones you see on a public search, are the ones at the top of a MUIR profile page, and are the ones used to determine section and prize eligibility as well as used for pairing at most tournaments. The ratings indicated fall under the following categories:

US Chess OTB Rating Categories

Regular (OTBR): Slower, classical games, typically 30 minutes or more per player.

Time Control: G/30 and longer.

Quick (OTBQ): Fast games, often called "Action" chess.

Time Control: Games lasting between 10 and 30 minutes per side (e.g. G/10;d0, G/30;d0)

Note: Dual rated events include any event between 30min and 65min and effect both the OTBR and OTBQ systems.

 

Blitz (OTBB): Rapid games, even faster than Quick.

Time Control: Games often five minutes or less (typically 3 to 10 minutes).

 

US Chess Online Rating Categories

  1. Online Regular (OLR): Slower online games.
  2. Online Quick (OLQ): Intermediate speed online games.
  3. Online Blitz (OLB): Fast online games.

 

Time Control Examples & Definitions

G/30: Game in 30 minutes, meaning each player has 30 minutes to complete the game.

G/25;d5: Game in 25 minutes with a 5-second delay per move.

G/25+5: Game in 25 minutes with a 5-second increment per move.

Delay/Increment: Rules 5E and 5F in the US Chess Rulebook define how clocks are set for these controls.

 

What is my current actual rating?

You are wanting to look at your “Live” rating, which is the value of your rating which changes from event to event, as soon as the rating report is processed. To see that, you need to click on the “Tournament History ALL” at the right side of the page.

 

Why did not my rating not go down after my last tournament? 

“Rating Floor” (the value below which your rating cannot fall) every player has a rating floor in every category.

The Rating Floor, won’t change from the low 100s until you reach an Established rating of at least 1400. At that point, your highest rating will be rounded down to the nearest 100 point level, subtract 200 points, and that will be your new rating floor. (so after you reach 1400, your floor will be 1200 this goes up to 2100 as the highest occurring floor by earned peak rating). This is in place so that players cannot artificially lower their rating to play in lower sections in attempts to win prize money. As there are not significant prize money awards in <1000 sections, there are not floors for those rating bands.

The highest rating floor is 2200 and can only be obtained by achieving the Original Life Master Title. This title is earned by playing 300 games keeping your standard rating over 2200 non-sequentially.

 

What does the letter/number after N: mean on a crosstable? 

This is part of the Norms Based Title system.

The letter/number following ‘N:’ on a crosstable shows what norm performance level was achieved at that event. In essence, norms are achieved when a player scores more than one point above what a player at that norm level would have been expected to score. (This means, incidentally, that it is mathematically impossible to earn a norm in an event unless you score at least 1.5.)

N:S means senior master performance level (2400)
N:M means master performance level (2200)
N:C means candidate master performance level (2000)
N:1 through N:4 means level 1 through 4 performance level, respectively (1800, 1600, 1400 and 1200)

Norms performance levels are computed independently of the awarding of titles, so someone who has, for example, the Candidate Master title (C) could still be listed at having performed at a Level 1 or lower level in subsequent events as well as at a level higher than the highest norms-based title he or she has earned to date.

Performance levels and titles are only computed after an event has been rerated at least once, so they may take a week or so to show up for an event. Titles at the Candidate Master Level or higher have ratings requirements in addition to the requirement to earn five norms, so those titles may not be earned and awarded until after the ratings requirement has been met.

 

USCF Rating Classifications

Senior Master: 2400 & up

Master: 2200-2399

Expert: 2000-2199

Class A: 1800-1999

Class B: 1600-1799

Class C: 1400-1599

Class D: 1200-1399

Class E: 1000-1199

Class F: 800-999

Class G: 600-799

Class H: 400-599

Class I: 200-399

Class J: 199/below

 

I just played in my first rated event, am I rated now? If not, how soon will I have a published rating? 

You must play at least 4 rated games in a rating system before a published rating is created.

Even after those games, you are still considered “unrated” until your rating appears in an official monthly rating list (the supplement). US Chess publishes a new rating list every month, and events must be processed before the cutoff date to be included. Because of processing time, your first event may not appear right away.

Once your rating is published, your first 25 games are considered “provisional.” This means your rating is still stabilizing and will show a slash format, such as 1018/16, where the number after the slash shows how many games your rating is based on.

 

Why doesn't my tournament record include an event I played in? 

1. A rating report for the event was not sent in by the Tournament Director. If it is not listed in the MUIR system two weeks after the event, contact the TD or the sponsoring Affiliate or club to see if the event was submitted for rating.

2. The rating report has been received but has not yet been rated, usually because there were problems with the details, such as missing or invalid membership ID's.

3. The rating report was received and rated but there was an incorrect ID for you. Try searching for the event by tournament name or sponsoring Affiliate using the MUIR system. If you can find the event but it does not show that you played in the event, contact the TD or sponsoring Affiliate.

 

There is an error in a rated tournament how can I fix it? 

To correct a US Chess crosstable error, contact the Tournament Director (TD) or the sponsoring affiliate to submit the correction, as US Chess typically does not accept corrections directly from players. The TD should email corrections to Click here to show email address with the event ID number, player ID numbers for specific changes.

Steps to Correct a Rated Tournament Crosstable Error:

  • Contact the TD: The fastest method is having the TD who ran the event submit the correction.
  • Provide Necessary Details: Ensure the TD has the 12-digit Event ID, event name, section name, and player ID numbers.
  • What if the TD is unreachable? If you cannot reach the TD, you may try emailing Click here to show email address, though they will likely need to confirm the information with the TD.
  • Timeline: Corrections can take a week or longer to process and appear in the MUIR system.

 

Why isn’t my published rating the same as my post-event ratings?

A published rating list is a snapshot of player ratings at a specific cutoff time (currently around 11:45 PM Central Time on the third Wednesday of the month before the list is released). It reflects the best available data at that moment.

Your post-event rating from a tournament may later change because of updates and recalculations. This can happen if:

  • Earlier events were not yet received or rated when the list was created
  • Results were corrected after submission
  • Events were processed out of order and later reorganized

When this happens, US Chess does not go back and change the already published rating list. Instead, ratings are corrected through a process called rerating.

Rerating means events are reordered in proper time sequence and recalculated with any corrections applied, as if all events had been received in the correct order and with no errors. This can change both pre-event and post-event ratings for affected tournaments.

Rerating is done regularly, and a full rerating is also performed before each new monthly ratings list is generated.

 

How do I renew my US Chess membership? 

Please visit the  https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chess

 

How do the top 100 lists work? 

To appear in US Chess Top 100 rankings, a player must have a established (26 rated games) US Chess rating. Also, to be eligible in a rating category they must have tournament activity in the past calendar year.

These are national rankings. All US Chess members are eligible, including those living outside the United States or registered with another federation under FIDE.

Player demographics (age, gender, and state) are taken from US Chess membership records. Members can update this information by logging into their profile at https://new.uschess.org/login using the verify demographics option. For assistance, contact Click here to show email address.

Top 100 lists are published between the 15th – 18th of the month using supplement rating and players age as of the 1st.

 

How do rankings work? 

Rankings include percentile information. For example, the top 5% are shown as the 95th percentile, and the top 0.1% are shown as the 100th percentile.

Rankings are based on official monthly ratings, which are updated when each new rating list is published. Rankings may change during the month due to updates in membership status or demographic information (such as birthdate or address).

 

What do all the result codes in a crosstable mean? 

Here's a list of the result codes currently in use:

W A win for this player
LA loss for this player
DA draw for this player
UThis player was not paired in this round
BA full point bye
HA half-point bye
FA forfeit loss
XA forfeit win
ZA forfeit draw
  
 Special Use Codes
NA win for this player (but not a loss for the other player)
SA loss for this player (but not a win for the other player)
RA draw for this player (but not a draw for the other player)
IGame In Progess (will be used for correspondence events only)

Note: The N, S and R codes are used by TDs for unusual circumstances, resulting in the players being assigned results for ratings purposes that are not consistent with each other, such as a win for one player and a draw for the other player.

 

What if my question isn't answered here? 

 

Please report corrections to this document to Click here to show email address  Thank you!