How do you think our ratings here at QA compare to others, such as USCF, FIDE, etc.? Is a 1700 player here at QA close to a USCF 1700? For example the USCF classifies players as shown below:
2400 and above: Senior Master 2200 - 2399: Master 2000 - 2199: Expert 1800 - 1999: Class A 1600 - 1799: Class B 1400 - 1599: Class C 1200 - 1399: Class D 1000 - 1199: Class E
I am sorry to say so but the ratings here on QA are way too high compared to CCLA, ICCF, IECG or any other national correspondence chess federation. The reason: if excluding some players from the normal rating calculation process as this is the case with established versus provisional players a slow but inevitable rating explosion will ensue. Because their rating will only raise or stay the same but never fall - for purely mathematical reasons! I understand the concern to protect the ratings of established players if playing against provisionals but the consequence will be inevitably an explosion of the ratings all together.
