Changes in FIDE Title and Rating Regulations

[Bill Gletsos]

From the 1st July 2009 the following changes will apply to FIDE titles.

1) Only one player can having a rating uplift, instead of two.
2) The rating of the player uplifted has been reduced by 50 points. Hence the uplift for a GM norm is now 2200 (was 2250), IM norm 2050 (was 2100).
3) Performance requirements and requirements of the opponents’ ratings have been changed to even tens. i.e GM norm used to be 2601 performance, now 2600, minimum average rating of opponents used to be 2381, now 2380.
4) For any given title norm at least 1/3 of a players opponents must hold that title. i.e. For a GM norm 1/3 must hold GM title. Whilst in comparison to the old regulations this makes no change to a 9 round event, it would effect a 12 round event where 4 GM's would be required (see to be 3) However until the full regulations are listed it is whether it impacts events with 10 or 11 rounds will depend on whether requirement is rounded up or down. I suspect it will be up.
5) Only the following time controls are permitted for FIDE title events.

a) 90 minutes for 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for remaining moves, with an increment of 30 seconds per move, starting from move 1
b) 100 minutes for 40 moves, then 50 minutes for 20 moves, then 15 minutes for remaining moves, with an increment of 30 seconds per move, starting from move 1
c) 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move
d) 120 minutes for 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for remaining moves
e) 120 minutes for 40 moves, then 60 minutes for 20 moves, then 30 minutes for remaining moves
f) 120 minutes for 40 moves plus 60 minutes for remaining moves

The following will apply from 1st July 2009 for FIDE ratings.

1) The rating floor is reduced from 1400 to 1200.
2) The rating lists will be bi-monthly.
3) The K factor for players who have ever been rated above 2400 will increase to 20 from 10.
4) The K factor for all other players will increase to 30 from 15.
5) The K factor of 25 for those with less than 30 games is abolished.
6) The maximum rating difference of players in ratings calulations is increased from 350 to 400.
7) Closing date of tournaments to be rated on a list is seven days before the list date, except for official FIDE tournaments listed in the Handbook, which are rated even if they end on the last day before the list date.

The proposal was to award direct titles only in World and Continental Championships. According to existing rules 2/3 of the points in a sub-zonal tournament is sufficient for an IM title.
Honorary President Campomanes informed, that the old idea of FIDE was to, give a title to all winners of a zonal tournament. At that time only seven zones existed.
After a long discussion the chairman summarized, that zonal tournaments should be kept with a direct title, not sub-zonal tournaments. The 2/3-rule should be deleted.
This summary was recommended to the QC.

Titles coming from sub-zonal tournaments will be accepted until the current rules have been changed.

The possibility to have a IM/WIM title by applying the 2/3-rule in a zonal or subzonal should be restricted only to one not depending on whether the tournament was played as a round-robin or Swiss, only 2 FM/WFM titles.

From the above it appears that automatic zonal titles in sub zonals (Oceania Zonal) look like they may be no longer available, however wemay have to wait for the publication of the regulations to be certain.

[Kevin Bonham]

3) The K factor for players who have ever been rated above 2400 will increase to 20 from 10.
4) The K factor for all other players will increase to 30 from 15.

Pleased to see FIDE making its K factors more dynamic.

[eclectic]

will there be any changes to how long initial ratings blocks remain active?

[Bill Gletsos]

will there be any changes to how long initial ratings blocks remain active?

From the Qualification Commission minutes

It was decided that the rating of a new player is changed to be cumulative until the required number of nine games to have a published rating is reached.
Games of rated players against unrated players in a tournament are rated for rated players, provided that the unrated player plays at least 3 games against rated players in the tournament, scores at least half a point and has achieved performance that is at least the rating floor. These performance rating is used for calculating the new ratings for the rated players.
New player can achieve the nine games required in a period of two years.

[Bill Gletsos]

Pleased to see FIDE making its K factors more dynamic.

About time.

Good to see they have also reduced the cut-off for rating non FIDE events to 7 days prior to the list publication date.

[Desmond]

From the 1st July 2009 the following changes will apply to FIDE titles.

1) Only one player can having a rating uplift, instead of two.
2) The rating of the player uplifted has been reduced by 50 points. Hence the uplift for a GM norm is now 2200 (was 2250), IM norm 2050 (was 2100).

I would think (1) is going to make it a whole lot harder and (2) is not going to counteract that much, if at all.

[eclectic]

i meant to ask this before but what effect does the change in K factors have on those trying to eek past a certain rating for example david smerdon?

[Ian Rout]

i meant to ask this before but what effect does the change in K factors have on those trying to eek past a certain rating for example david smerdon?

On the one hand it helps since you only have to get past the limit once so if the amplitude of the swings is greater there's more chance of the upswing taking you past it. Moreover you will have to play fewer under-rated opponents as fast improvers will move quicker.

On the other hand if you are relying on beating over-rated downwardly-mobile players the above effect will be the opposite, though this doesn't apply in the case you have in mind.

So i'd say it should help, on first thoughts.

[Kevin Bonham]

On the one hand it helps since you only have to get past the limit once so if the amplitude of the swings is greater there's more chance of the upswing taking you past it.

And also some of the players who are looking for ratings points to get titles are genuinely underrated and hence will move up and get their titles faster

A likely effect of the new system is still further acceleration in the numbers of titled players but that's been a growing issue for decades with little attempt to control it.

[eclectic]

will events which are due to be rated for the july 1 2009 list be rated under the old or new system or will the new system apply to events played after july 1 2009?

[Bill Gletsos]

will events which are due to be rated for the july 1 2009 list be rated under the old or new system or will the new system apply to events played after july 1 2009?

I expect the July list to go down to the new limit of 1200, however as for the application of the new K-factors etc I expect they will only apply to events that start on or after 1st July 2009.

[Bill Gletsos]

FIDE have posted the new Title Regulations and the new Rating Regulations that come into effect from 1st July 2009 on their website.

One item that was not mentioned previously is that the time control of 90 minutes with 30 seconds cumulative increment for each move starting from first move is only valid for title events until 30th June 2010.

[Garvinator]

FIDE have posted the new Title Regulations and the new Rating Regulations that come into effect from 1st July 2009 on their website.

One item that was not mentioned previously is that the time control of 90 minutes with 30 seconds cumulative increment for each move starting from first move is only valid for title events until 30th June 2010.

What do fide define as title events?

[Bill Gletsos]

What do fide define as title events?

Events in which players can gain Title norms.

[Garvinator]

Events in which players can gain Title norms.

So looks like the 40 moves in 90 minutes, with 30 minutes to finish and 30 seconds increment from move one will be the minimum fide time control approved.

Talk about hard yakka for some events