Ratings Overview

TournaChess integrates with USCF (US Chess), FIDE, and NWSRS (Northwest Scholastic Rating System) to bring official ratings, membership validation, and results export into your tournament workflow. It can also pair a section on players' Chess.com and Lichess ratings, for events that are not submitted for official rating at all. Each rating system has its own detailed guide -- this page covers the shared concepts: rating types, results export, and common questions.

Rating Types

Every section in a TournaChess tournament has a rating type that determines how ratings are used for pairings, display, and results reporting. Configure it in the Rating systems panel at the top of the section’s Ratings tab. Use Add rating system to build the list, choose the subtype or category in each row, and remove all systems for an unrated section. The list saves with the section. A single tournament can mix rated and unrated sections to accommodate different player groups.

Unrated

No rating requirements and no results submission. Players do not need a USCF or FIDE ID to register. This is the right choice for casual club nights, scholastic fun events, or any situation where official ratings are not needed.

USCF-Rated

Official USCF ratings are used for pairings and displayed throughout the tournament. When players register with a USCF ID, TournaChess automatically looks up their current rating. After the tournament, you can export results in USCF format for submission to US Chess. Players should have an active USCF membership to participate in USCF-rated sections, except JTP sections marked Primary (P) or In-school JTP (J), where registration requires a valid ID but not paid membership. See the USCF Integration guide for details.

FIDE-Rated

FIDE ratings are displayed and used for pairings. Players register with their FIDE ID, and TournaChess retrieves their FIDE standard, rapid, or blitz rating depending on the section's time control. After the event, you can export results in TRF16 format for submission to your national federation. See the FIDE Integration guide for details.

NWSRS-Rated

NWSRS ratings are used for pairings and displayed throughout the tournament. When players register with an NWSRS ID, TournaChess looks up their current rating from the local NWSRS database. NWSRS-rated sections are designed for events in the Pacific Northwest region where players are tracked in the Northwest Scholastic Rating System. Despite its name, NWSRS tracks both scholastic and adult players. See the NWSRS Integration guide for details.

Online-Rated

Ratings are pulled from players' Chess.com and Lichess.org accounts and used for pairings, seeding, and display. You choose an ordered list of rating sources -- for example Chess.com Rapid, then Lichess.org Rapid -- and each player's rating is the first source in that list they actually have a rating in. Online-rated sections are not submitted to any federation, so no USCF or FIDE ID is needed. See the Online Ratings guide for details.

USCF+FIDE Dual-Rated

Both rating systems are active in the same section. TournaChess retrieves and displays both USCF and FIDE ratings for each player. You can configure which rating system the Swiss pairing algorithm uses for seeding -- USCF or FIDE -- on a per-section basis. The default for dual-rated sections is USCF. See the FIDE Integration guide for details on dual-rated configuration and export.

USCF+NWSRS Dual-Rated

Both USCF and NWSRS ratings are active in the same section. TournaChess retrieves and displays both ratings for each player. These sections use NWSRS for pairing seeding. See the NWSRS Integration guide for details.

Tip: Rating type is set per section, not per tournament. This means you can run an Open section as USCF+FIDE dual-rated, a Scholastic section as NWSRS-rated, an Online section paired on Chess.com ratings, and a Beginners section unrated, all within the same tournament.

Results Export

After your tournament is complete, TournaChess generates export files that you can submit to the appropriate rating organization for official processing. The available export formats depend on the section's rating type.

Export Formats

USCF Export -- DBF files in a ZIP archive, the standard format for the USCF online submission portal. See the USCF Integration guide.
SJSON Export -- A file format that SwissSys can load. Used for USCF+FIDE dual-rated validation and for submitting results to NWSRS. See the FIDE Integration and NWSRS Integration guides.
TRF Export -- TRF16 (Tournament Report Format), the standard for FIDE tournament reporting. See the FIDE Integration guide.

Finalized arena sections with a USCF rating source support USCF Export. Their completed games are automatically arranged into report rounds, without changing arena standings. Arena SJSON and TRF exports are not supported. See arena export details.

How to Export

Open your tournament. The Actions menu is the same on every tab, so it does not matter which one you are on.
Choose Actions → Export → Export Results.
Select which rated sections to include.
Choose your export format.
Click Export. You will download one or more files, depending on the format chosen.

What's Included in the Export

Every export file contains:

Tournament information: Event name, dates, location, USCF affiliate ID, and organizing officials (chief TD, assistant TDs).
Section details: Section names, time controls, rating systems, number of rounds played, and scholastic level indicators.
Player records: Names, rating IDs (USCF, FIDE, and/or NWSRS depending on section type), pre-tournament ratings, state of residence, and provisional status.
Round-by-round results: For each round, the opponent's pairing number, the player's color (white or black), and the game result (win, loss, draw, bye, forfeit, or unplayed).
Scores and statistics: Total scores, tie-break values, performance ratings, and estimated post-event ratings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change a section's rating type after players have registered?

It is best to set the rating type when creating the section. Changing the rating type after players have registered may cause inconsistencies with rating data and membership validation. If you need to make a change, review all registrations afterward to ensure the data is complete and correct.

USCF Integration -- Rating lookups, membership validation, rating calculations, and USCF event import.
FIDE Integration -- FIDE ID validation, titles, compliance, and dual-rated events.
NWSRS Integration -- Scholastic ratings for the Pacific Northwest.
Getting Started -- Learn how to link your USCF and FIDE IDs to your TournaChess profile.
Creating Tournaments -- Detailed tournament configuration options including sections, entry fees, and rating setup.

Where a tournament rating came from

An info icon next to a USCF, FIDE, or NWSRS rating on the registrations table explains a manually entered rating (including a spreadsheet fallback) or an unrecorded source. Automatic lookup results need no exception icon. This includes a USCF lookup that confirms the player is Unrated for the section; an unsuccessful lookup does not confirm Unrated. The icon works with a click, tap, or keyboard; source is not conveyed by color.

Older ratings whose origin was not recorded show Not recorded. These ratings remain available for the tournament. An ID or a match with the player’s current rating does not establish where a tournament rating came from. Copying a tournament’s roster preserves the recorded origin.

Directors can select Refresh player ratings directly from the source explanation when a lookup is available for that player. This refreshes the player’s ratings from all configured sources and can replace a manual rating. A returned federation rating records Automatic lookup, even when the number is unchanged. A successful USCF refresh also records a confirmed Unrated result when the tournament rating is empty, repairing an older entry whose source was not recorded. If a lookup returns no rating and preserves an existing value, it also preserves that value’s recorded origin. Clearing a rating clears its recorded origin.

Still have questions? Visit our Contact page to get in touch with TournaChess support.