Chess Scotland Noticeboard

DMB · King Joined: 08 Mar 2007 Posts: 267

Conversion of English (ECF) grades to Scottish (CS).

The English federation have revised all their grades to counter what they perceived as deflation. These "New Grades" are all higher than the existing "Standard Grades".

For many years an acceptable conversion formula was ECF *8+600 = CS. So a 100 ECF became 1400 CS. Since we believed that ECF grades were broadly in line with CS via the standard *8+600 we have had to devise a new conversion formula for use when New ECF grades are officially published in July 2009.

The new formula will be ECF X 10 +180. So a new ECF grade of 100 will convert to 1180 CS.

Thanks to Andy Howie, Heather Lang, Alex McFarlane and Robert Lothian for devising the new formula.

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Which grade is used for English visitors?

If an English visitor to a Scottish tournament has a FIDE grade the CS grading system will use that first regardless of the level of the ECF grade. (Tournaments can use whichever grade they like for entry requirements but the CS grading system will use FIDE).

Note that several English visitors already have an official CS grade which is published in the grading list. eg the recent Borders Allegro Minor entry problems could have been resolved by looking up the existing list.

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Which grade is used for opponents when playing outside Scotland?

1) If the player has a CS rating use that first.

2) If no CS rating use FIDE. FIDE Ratings Look-up - http://ratings.fide.com/

3) If no CS or FIDE rating use ECF (English). ECF Ratings Look-up (ECF Rapidplay grades will be ignored.) - http://grading.bcfservices.org.uk/

4) Game is ignored if no CS, FIDE or ECF.

Irish or Welsh grades may be used for some junior team events.

DMB · King Joined: 08 Mar 2007 Posts: 267

After the change in how we convert ECF to CS grades we have fielded a few comments that we are making it more difficult for Scots to win prizes when they compete in English events.
What the comments really mean is that some players are annoyed that they are not being allowed to compete in events where they are too strong.

However the ECF still say on their website that the old conversion method applies. So it may be that depending on what conversion method is used by the congress you can still shark some rating restricted events if that is your main intention.

It was the ECF who changed the way they computed their grades. CS has applied broadly the same calculation methods for at least 30 years. The ECF changes were significant and could not be ignored. The alternative would be to not use any outside data or to treat all ECF vistors as unrated until such time as they get a CS grade. Continuing with the existing conversion factor was not an option.

You can see how Scots performed when they compete in UK events by comparing what they actually scored compared to what they were expected to score. Using the new conversion factor Scots are not scoring significantly less than expected using the new formula - in fact the evidence of the last two seasons suggest they are gaining points when playing in English events. However this might simply be that you have a biased sample of keen improving players willing to travel who will be outscoring because they are getting better rather than because the conversion factor is wrong.

robin moore · King Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 164

Dougie, the point you make about improving players willing to travel is certainly true in my opinion. The main problem I have found when discussing the grading situation in England for us Scots is that there is simply a lack of consistency. The English tournament organiser may choose to allocate you to a section by one of three methods.

1. He uses your existing ECF grade

2. He uses the old conversion formula

3. He uses the new conversion formula.

You can imagine how annoying it can be if more than one of these options are applied at the same tourney, i.e whichever method gives you the highest ECF grade. I can remember in the last few years when many individuals and groups from Scotland made their way down the M6 to the Blackpool congress as an example looking forward to playing in one of the middle to bottom sections. Some did ok, some not so good. Do you know how many Scots are entered in the bottom 3 sections at Blackpool this year at the time of writing? 1.

Pat McGovern · Bishop Joined: 10 Jan 2011 Posts: 24 Location: saltcoats

the inconsistancy, thus unfairness, has put many scottish players off playing over the border.