USCF/FIDE ratings

[dietchess99]

I am reposting here a question that came up on another chess website posted by a NM who is not a current member and played tournaments in Portugal.

I recently noticed that my uscf rating had changed due to some events I had played in Portugal ! I was astonished and so wrote an email to the USCF to see if this were some sort of mistake. Their reply said they had started doing this in 2008 due to the directions of their policy board !? What kind of nonsense is this ?! I am not even a current member of the USCF and yet my uscf rating changes when I play in fide events abroad ?! Does this make any sense to anyone? It certainly makes none to me.

and later

While I understand this line of reasoning, it makes no sense for several reasons. If a player has both a fide rating and a uscf rating ( as I do ) I always thought that the higher of the two would be used in a US event, am I wrong ? I also already have a rating floor which is 2000, so unless my fide rating goes high enough to change that floor whats the purpose of uscf rating my fide rated games ? What really bugs me is that they rate my games, when I prefer they wouldnt and when I play in a uscf event in the US they do NOT rate my games without me paying an additional “rating fee per game” OR renewing my uscf membership… am I the only one seeing something wrong with this picture ? Will I one day receive a bill from the uscf for my fide games they are now rating ?!

I can think of some answers but I am puzzled how tournaments abroad find their way into the USCF ratings. I would appreciate if someone is able to answer.

[nolan]

Please see the topic on this issue (USCF Rating Foreign Tournaments) in the All Things Chess Forum.