Scholastic Rating Setup

The Scholastic rating system provides a simplified, positive-reinforcement approach to player ratings designed specifically for youth chess tournaments. Developed by Au Diapason in Canada, this system ensures that ratings never decrease, making it ideal for encouraging young players.

Overview

The Scholastic rating formula differs fundamentally from traditional chess rating systems:

• Ratings never decrease - Players can only gain points or maintain their current rating
• Not opponent-dependent - Rating gains are based on an absolute point scale, not opponent strength
• Grade-based initial ratings - Starting ratings assigned by educational level
• Positive reinforcement - Designed to encourage youth participation and improvement

This approach works well when opponent ratings are arbitrary, unreliable, or when the primary goal is to encourage youth participation rather than provide precise skill measurements.

Initial Rating Assignment

When players are new to the system, SwissSys assigns initial ratings based on grade level:

Configuration Dialog

Access the Scholastic rating setup dialog to customize point awards for your tournament.

Configurable Fields

Points for a win

• Default: 50 points
• Range: 0-200 points
• Awarded for each game won

Points for a draw

• Default: 25 points
• Range: 0-200 points
• Awarded for each game drawn

Participation points

• Default: 50 points
• Range: 0-200 points
• Awarded once per tournament for participating

Bonus points for perfect score

• Default: 50 points
• Range: 0-200 points
• Awarded only to players who win all their games

Rating Calculation Formula

The Scholastic rating system calculates new ratings using this formula:

NewRating = OldRating + (WinPoints × Wins) + (DrawPoints × Draws) + ParticipationPoints + (BonusPoints if perfect score)

Calculation Example

Consider a player with a rating of 800 who plays 5 games, winning 3, drawing 1, and losing 1 (using default point values):

NewRating = 800 + (50 × 3) + (25 × 1) + 50 + 0
NewRating = 800 + 150 + 25 + 50
NewRating = 1025

The same player with a perfect 5-0 score would receive:

NewRating = 800 + (50 × 5) + (25 × 0) + 50 + 50
NewRating = 800 + 250 + 0 + 50 + 50
NewRating = 1150

When to Use Scholastic Ratings

The Scholastic rating system is ideal for:

• Youth tournaments - Elementary and middle school events where positive reinforcement is important
• Scholastic leagues - Regular youth chess programs tracking progress over time
• Mixed-experience events - Tournaments with players of vastly different skill levels
• Unrated player sections - When most participants lack established ratings
• Recreational focus - Events prioritizing participation over competitive accuracy

Consider traditional rating systems (USCF, FIDE) when:

• Tournament results will be submitted to national federations
• Competitive accuracy is the primary goal
• Most players have established ratings
• Adult or serious competitive events

Accessing the Dialog

To configure Scholastic rating parameters:

Best Practices

Starting ratings: Verify that initial ratings are set appropriately for your player population. Adjust grade-level assignments if needed.

Point balance: Consider the ratio between win points and draw points. The default 2:1 ratio (50 for wins, 25 for draws) encourages decisive games while still rewarding draws.

Perfect score bonus: Set this high enough to be meaningful for strong players, but not so high that it creates excessive rating inflation.

Participation points: Use these to reward all players for competing, reinforcing positive engagement with chess.

Related Topics

• Post-Event Rating Formulas - Overview of all available rating systems
• Registration & Editing - Configure registration and rating settings
• Ratings Overview - Understanding different rating systems in SwissSys