From: Larry Kaufman WIZARD NET> Date: 13 sep 1999 Subject: ShogiDojo ratings This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0010_01BEFDD3.66C0F100 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I thought I should warn players who wish to play on ShogiDojo that = the difference between their ratings and those of Europe/U.S. is much = greater than I originally thought. Although I have identified eight = players whose identity is obvious to me with ratings on ShogiDojo and on = either the European or American Elo systems, only one is established (30 = games) and two others have at least half that number of games. The = three differences are 156, 268, and 292 points for an average of 239, = the ShogiDojo rating always being lower. Moreover, the differences grow = with more games, as the initially inflated ratings of the westerners = (who start at their western grade) gradually drop. So it seems likely = that the true difference between the scales is about 300 points, which = is one and a half dan grades on both the ShogiDojo and American systems. = This does not mean that Western ranks are inflated, but rather that for = some reason the players on ShogiDojo underrate themselves when = registering. =20 It is important for us westerners to understand this so we will not = be discouraged by the awful ranks we are all getting on ShogiDojo. If = you add 300 points to your rating (once it is well established), you = will have an idea of your rank in either the West or in most Japanese = clubs. =20 Larry Kaufman, USSF Ratings Chairman =20 ------=_NextPart_000_0010_01BEFDD3.66C0F100 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

I thought I = should warn=20 players who wish to play on ShogiDojo that the difference between their = ratings=20 and those of Europe/U.S. is much greater than I originally = thought. =20 Although I have identified eight players whose identity is obvious to me = with=20 ratings on ShogiDojo and on either the European or American Elo systems, = only=20 one is established (30 games) and two others have at least half that = number of=20 games. The three differences are 156, 268, and 292 points for an = average=20 of 239, the ShogiDojo rating always being lower. Moreover, the = differences=20 grow with more games, as the initially inflated ratings of the = westerners (who=20 start at their western grade) gradually drop. So it seems likely = that the=20 true difference between the scales is about 300 points, which is one and = a half=20 dan grades on both the ShogiDojo and American systems. This does = not mean=20 that Western ranks are inflated, but rather that for some reason the = players on=20 ShogiDojo underrate themselves when = registering.

It is = important for us=20 westerners to understand this so we will not be discouraged by the awful = ranks=20 we are all getting on ShogiDojo. If you add 300 points to your = rating=20 (once it is well established), you will have an idea of your rank in = either the=20 West or in most Japanese clubs.

Larry = Kaufman, USSF=20 Ratings Chairman

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