Online Player Search
Search for players online using USCF or FIDE websites during registration. No database download required—just need internet access.
When to Use Online Search
Use online search when:
- You have stable internet at the tournament
- You need the absolute latest ratings
- Small tournament (under 50 players)
- Don’t want to download databases
Use downloaded databases instead when:
- Large tournament (100+ players)
- Internet is unreliable
- Need to work offline
- Want faster lookups
See Database Overview for database download options.
Searching USCF Players
Open Registration
Go to Players > Register players
Select Search Online Tab
Click the Search Online tab.
Choose USCF
Select USCF from the federation dropdown.
Enter Search Criteria
By Name: Type last name (e.g., “Smith, John”) By ID: Type 8-digit USCF ID (e.g., “12345678”)
Search and Load
Click Search or press Enter. Select the correct player from results and click Load.
What Gets Loaded
When you load a USCF player:
- Primary Rating: Regular, Quick, or Blitz (based on your tournament type)
- USCF ID and FIDE ID (if player has one)
- Membership expiration date
- State and Title (if any)
Searching FIDE Players
Open Registration
Go to Players > Register players
Select Search Online Tab
Click the Search Online tab.
Choose FIDE
Select FIDE from the federation dropdown.
Enter Search Criteria
By Name: Type last name, first name (e.g., “Carlsen, Magnus”) By FIDE ID: Type 7-8 digit FIDE ID (e.g., “1503014”)
International Names: Be careful with spelling. FIDE uses Latin alphabet transliterations.
Search and Load
Click Search or press Enter. Select the correct player and click Load.
What Gets Loaded
When you load a FIDE player:
- Primary Rating: Standard, Rapid, or Blitz (based on tournament type)
- FIDE ID and Federation (country code like USA, GER, RUS)
- Title (GM, IM, WGM, etc.)
- Birth year
USCF Live Ratings
USCF offers two rating sources:
| Type | Update Frequency | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Published Rating | Monthly (default) | Most tournaments |
| Live Rating | Real-time | Player played very recently |
Enabling Live Ratings
Open Registration Dialog
Go to Players > Register players
Select Search Online Tab
Click the Search Online tab.
Choose Tournament Rating Option
At the bottom of the dialog, check “Get most recent rating from USCF tournament history (post rerate)“
Review Warning
A warning dialog will appear explaining that the most recent rating may not be the player’s officially published rating.
Click OK to acknowledge the warning.
Important: The most recent rating from tournament history may not be the player’s officially published rating. This is not recommended for most over-the-board tournaments. Verify your tournament rules allow post-rerate ratings before using this option.
Online vs. OTB Tournaments
For online chess tournaments, USCF has separate online ratings.
Declare Tournament Type
When opening registration, SwissSys asks: “Is this an online tournament?”
Select Yes for online chess events.
Rating Loading Changes
- Online tournament enabled: Loads Online Regular/Quick/Blitz ratings
- Online tournament disabled: Loads OTB Regular/Quick/Blitz ratings
Change Later
Go to Options > Environment options… > Ratings tab and check/uncheck “This is an online tournament”
Troubleshooting
”Cannot connect to server”
Solutions:
- Check your internet connection
- Try accessing uscfchess.org or fide.com in a browser
- Check firewall settings (allow SwissSys internet access)
- Wait and retry (server may be temporarily busy)
“Player not found”
Common causes:
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Name misspelled | Verify spelling with player |
| Wrong federation | Try the other federation |
| Player not a member | They need to join USCF/FIDE |
| Incorrect ID | Double-check ID number |
Too many results
When searching common names:
- Add first name: “Smith, John” not just “Smith”
- Include middle initial if needed
- Use ID number instead
- Ask player for their rating/state to narrow results
Search is very slow
If online search is too slow:
- Check internet speed (may be too slow)
- Download a database instead (much faster for large tournaments)
- Use wired connection instead of WiFi
- Try during off-peak hours
Best Practices
Before tournament:
- Test online search to verify internet works
- Download database as backup
- Collect player IDs in advance
During tournament:
- Use ID search when possible (faster)
- Have database ready if internet fails
- Verify membership expiration dates
For large tournaments:
- Download database instead of using online search
- Use online search only for late arrivals
See Also
- Database Overview - Download databases for offline use
- Downloading USCF Database - Alternative to online search
- Downloading FIDE Database - Alternative to online search
- Register - Players Menu - Registration dialog reference
- Importing Players Overview - All import methods