Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why Hasn’t My Rating Updated Yet?

Many parents and players notice something like this:

My current rating is 1120. Why does the tournament registration page still show 1028?

This is completely normal. US Chess maintains two different ratings:

Published Rating

The official monthly rating used by many tournaments and pairing programs.

Current (Live) Rating

A continuously updated rating that changes as recently rated tournaments are processed.

Example

• Published Rating: 1028
• Current Rating: 1120

Both ratings are correct—they are simply updated on different schedules.

How Published Ratings Work

US Chess publishes official rating lists once per month.

• The cutoff is usually the third Wednesday of each month.
• Only tournaments rated before that cutoff are included.
• Many tournament registration systems use the published rating list.

As a result, your current rating may already have changed while your published rating remains the same until the next monthly update.

Final Tip

If your current and published ratings do not match, don’t worry. This is very common, especially for active tournament players. If you’re unsure which rating a tournament uses, contact the tournament organizer.

2. Why Doesn’t the US Chess Crosstable Match the Final Standings?

Sometimes players notice something confusing after a tournament:

The tournament awarded me 2nd place, but the US Chess crosstable shows me below another player.

This is also completely normal.

What Is a Crosstable?

A crosstable is the official US Chess tournament record. It includes:

• Players in the section
• Ratings
• Opponents played
• Round results
• Final scores

The primary purpose of the crosstable is rating calculations and record keeping—not displaying official prize standings.

Why Does the Order Look Different?

US Chess first sorts players by total score.

When multiple players finish with the same score, the crosstable often orders them by post-event rating rather than the tournament’s official tiebreak system.

As a result, players with identical scores may appear in a different order than the tournament’s final standings.

What About Tiebreaks?

Tournament organizers may use various tiebreak systems, including:

• Modified Median
• Solkoff
• Cumulative
• Head-to-Head
• Performance Rating

Because US Chess does not always reproduce these tiebreak calculations in the crosstable, the displayed order may differ from the official standings.

Example

Two players both finish with 4/5.

• Player A wins 2nd Place on tiebreaks.
• Player B wins 3rd Place on tiebreaks.

The US Chess crosstable may still list Player B above Player A. This does not affect prizes, trophies, ratings, or the official tournament results.

Final Tip

For official standings, always refer to:

• The tournament’s final standings
• Results posted by the organizer
• Awards announced at the tournament

The US Chess crosstable is primarily intended for ratings and historical records.