Rated Event?

You have played a tournament at a real board that counts toward an official rating.

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You have played a tournament at a real board that counts toward an official rating.

What is a rated event?

A rated event is a tournament where every result goes on a rating list. Someone writes down each result, and after the last round the results are sent in. They go to FIDE or to a national chess federation. A federation is the group that runs chess for one country. Both count for this sticker, because when results go to one of them, the event is officially rated. Your results then turn into a number, which is your rating.

 

What is FIDE?

FIDE runs chess for the whole world, in about 200 countries. It started in Paris in 1924, and it writes the rules of chess. FIDE keeps one rating list for players from all those countries. The grandmasters are on that list, and your name can be too. Before a FIDE-rated tournament starts, the organizer, the person who runs it, signs it up with FIDE.

 

What is it like?

  • You play several rounds, often over a weekend.
  • Every game is played with a chess clock.
  • An arbiter, the chess referee, walks around and checks the rules.
  • Your opponents can be other kids, and they can be grown-ups.
  • You meet players from other clubs, and sometimes from other countries.

 

How do I find one?

Start by asking a grown-up who plays chess. After that, try your school, the library, or a club near you. Then read the tournament's notice, which says "rated" or "FIDE rated" when the games count. FIDE keeps a calendar of events at calendar.fide.com, and you can search it by country. Some rated events want you to be a member of a club or a federation. Ask about that when you sign up.

 

How you get the sticker

Your grown-up or coach checks it and hands you the sticker. Show them the results list, or your name on ratings.fide.com. When a national federation rated it instead, show them its results page. If you have no club, your grown-up at home looks at the list with you. Did you play a rated event before you had the passport? It still counts. Your rating number comes later, and it has its own stickers.