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Checkers Ratings: Frequently Asked Questions

How many rating points does each Zone player begin with?
Everyone starts off with 1600 ratings points in rated rooms, except in rated Backgammon games. In Backgammon, everyone begins with 1500 rating points.

How are Checkers rating points calculated?
For Checkers, the Zone uses the Chess Rating formulas established by the U.S. Chess Federation (USCF). The USCF's rating system divides players up into three rating-point categories. The higher the point category, the lower the cap on points that players can earn from a given game.

For the formula and examples on how to calculate your Checkers rating points, click Checkers:Calculating Rating Points. For more information about the USCF rating system, please see the U.S. Checkers Federation's Web site.

How does a draw affect my Checkers rating?
If you and your opponent have reached a stalemate, you can offer a draw on your turn by clicking the Draw button. Your opponent will be prompted to accept or decline the draw. If your opponent declines the draw, you must continue the game. If your opponent accepts the draw, the game will end in a tie, and a tie rating will be calculated for both you and your opponent.

Are games played with computer players rated?
No. Games against computer players are not rated. You must not add or exchange any players during the course of a game if you wish the game to be rated. Let's take an example where in a card game there are four players and one of the players is a computer player. If the computer player is replaced by a new player, rating points will not be awarded to any players for that game.

What is an Incomplete?
In a rated game, you can get a win, a loss, a tie, or an incomplete. The Zone understands that any player, for various reasons, may sometimes be unable to complete the game, hence the name. You can receive an incomplete in two ways:
  1. If your connection to the Zone is dropped after the first legal move is made, the game's considered Incomplete. In Checkers, this means that if you quit or are dropped after rolling a die to see who goes first, your game is considered incomplete.
  2. If you ALT+TAB from a game and close the game room, the Zone will not be able to record your score, and you will get an Incomplete.
How are Incompletes calculated?
For every five incomplete games, your rating will decrease by the points you would have lost had you stayed in the games and been defeated, plus the average of those points as an additional penalty. So it's better to stay, complete a game, and lose than to leave early. Your rating points will thank you.

Here's the formula:

Incomplete penalty=     (cumulative points lost for games 1 through 5)     + (the average points lost for games 1 through 5)  
 
Can an Incomplete be removed from my record?
Yes, every time you complete 50 games (win, loss, or tie), an existing Incomplete will be removed from your rating record. You do not have to complete 50 games in a row, just a cumulative 50. No credits are given toward future Incompletes, however. In Age of Empires Expansion, it's the completion of 20 games, instead of 50, for an incomplete to be removed from your record.

How does an incomplete affect my record? Will I ever be penalized twice when an incomplete is removed?
No, the Zone ratings system does not double penalize players. In Zone ratings, you can never be further than five incompletes away from your next penalty. Let's look at the following example. If you have 10 incomplete games, then you are 5 incomplete games away from receiving another incomplete penalty. But let's say that during that tine period, you've completed 50 games and now have 1 incomplete removed from your record; that puts you at 9 incomplete games. The next time you get an incomplete, which puts you at 10 incompletes, you won't be penalized; instead, you'll be 4 incomplete games away, instead of 5, from receiving a penalty.

What happens when players have the same number of rating points?
When players have the same number of rating points, players will be ranked by random selection. For example, player A and B both have 1700 rating points. Player A is ranked 3rd and player B is ranked 4th. Players A and B will not have the same rank.

What happens to the game and my rating when a player has not made a move for an extended period of time?
If your opponent does not make a move in the appropriate time given, then you have the option to either leave the game and take a win (your opponent will get a loss) or wait for your opponent to make a move.




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