Elo rating: a practical example
In a simplified model, equally rated players each have an expected score of one half. A win scores one, a draw one half, and a loss zero. The rating change depends on the difference between actual and expected score and a development factor.
How to use the idea in your games
Keep the rating system, time control, and date attached to every number. A FIDE standard rating and an online blitz rating are not interchangeable measures.
A useful study question
Can you explain elo rating in your own words, identify it in a position, and describe when the idea does not apply? Test the explanation on a legal board before relying on it.
Connect the ideas
FIDE, Rating performance, Classical chess are useful next concepts. Follow the links to compare definitions and examples, then return to the complete chess glossary whenever an unfamiliar term appears.
Sources & further reading
References checked September 5, 2026. Linked services are independent of ChessRankings.com™.