Step by step
FIDE's rating regulations have been in force since March 1, 2024. Here is what they say, in short.
| The event | It has to be registered with FIDE in advance. The federation of the country where it's played does that, not the player. |
|---|---|
| The games | At least five against opponents who already have a rating. Results from several events are added together, as long as they fall within 26 months. |
| The number | It has to be at least 1400. If it's lower, you're not on the list yet. |
| Your first event | If you score zero in your first event, it doesn't count at all. |
| The list | FIDE publishes a new list on the first day of every month. |
Your first rating is worked out from your opponents' ratings and how many points you scored against them. FIDE also adds two imaginary opponents rated 1800, against whom you're counted as having drawn. The first rating can be at most 2200.
After that, the number moves after every event. How that works is in how ratings are calculated.
Which games count?
Classical games. Under the 2024 rules, each player must have at least 60 minutes for a 60-move game, 90 minutes if either player is rated 1800 or more, and 120 minutes if either is rated 2400 or more. Since the autumn of 2025, FIDE has also tried shorter time controls in some major events, approved one at a time.
On November 13, 2026, FIDE announced a change that took effect at once. Now 60 minutes plus 30 seconds a move counts as classical for everyone, and 45 minutes plus 30 seconds may be used, among other places, in events where nobody is rated 2400 or more. The member federations are to discuss the change at an extraordinary meeting in December, so it may be adjusted again.
Rapid and blitz have their own rules and their own lists at FIDE, with separate ratings.
Your national federation
To be on FIDE's list, a player must be registered through a national federation that is a member of FIDE. Some countries have also had ratings of their own. Sweden, for example, had its own system until September 1, 2016, and has used FIDE's rating since.
And ratings online?
Chess sites have their own systems and their own numbers, and they can't be compared directly with FIDE's. That goes for the rating you get when you play online here too. What the numbers mean is under What is a good chess rating?
Sources
- FIDE: Rating Regulations, effective from March 1, 2024 (articles 0.2, 1.1, 7.1, 7.1.4, 8.2, 10.1)
- FIDE, November 13, 2026: Faster 60- and 45-minute time controls now eligible for ratings and norms; FIDE Council Resolution on time controls (FC 6030, 2026)
- FIDE, January 12, 2026: FIDE updates rating regulations to include faster time controls for major events
- Swedish Chess Federation: the pages on Elo rating and the LASK rating (read November 14, 2026)
The facts on this page come from the sources above and, where possible, were checked across several sources. Where the sources disagree, we say less or say what each one says. A number that is an estimate says whose it is, and a counted number comes with its date.
Updated November 14, 2026