Re: Chess Rating question, what does it mean?
it means if you are X points higher rated than your opponent, in the same rating system, in the long run you can expect to score f(X) points per game against him. Where a win is 1 point, a draw is .5 points, and f(X) = 1/(1 + 10^.025X).
Nothing more than that. There could be a new chess server opened tomorrow where I was rated 4500 and you were rated 4000, and the ratings would be just as consistent as if I was rated 1100 and you were rated 900. Also, in order to calculate a players rating accurately, he needs to play a large number of games against opponents of various strengths. The number required is less as the strength of the opponents approach his own strength.
You'll often hear a player tell yo, usually proudly "I am rated 1800" (or 1500, or 2000, or 2200). This doesn't mean anything without knowing what rating system he is referring to. It's a common error to the number is universal.
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