ECF ratings since 2020
The English Chess Federation used three-digit grades for decades. In 2020 it replaced them with four-digit ratings that work in the same way as Elo ratings, so a rating now looks like 1642 rather than 155. English club and congress games, including league matches, are rated by the ECF.
The ECF keeps separate ratings for standard play and for rapidplay. Each player has an ECF code, printed on the rating list, which leagues and congresses use to submit results.
FIDE ratings
FIDE, the international federation, rates games played in FIDE-rated events under its own regulations. There are three lists: standard, rapid and blitz. Your FIDE ID identifies you on all three. Since March 2024 the lowest published FIDE rating is 1400.
How fast a FIDE rating moves depends on its K-factor: 40 for new players until they have 30 rated games and for players under 18 rated below 2300, 20 for most players, and 10 once a player has reached 2400.
Where to look yours up
| Rating | Where | You need |
|---|---|---|
| ECF | The ECF rating database, ecfrating.org.uk | Your name or ECF code |
| FIDE | ratings.fide.com | Your name or FIDE ID |
| Lichess | Your Lichess profile | Your username |
| Chess.com | Your Chess.com profile | Your username |
How often they change
Both the ECF and FIDE publish rating lists every month. A game counts towards a list once the event has been submitted and processed, so a congress in the last week of the month may only show on the list after next. Online ratings change after every game.
Converting between them
ECF and FIDE ratings are calculated from different pools of games, so the same player often has two different numbers, and online ratings are different again. Rough conversion tables circulate, but none is exact. Plyfolio never adds ratings together or converts one into another: each system has its own track.
Keeping your own history
Rating sites show your current rating; the history behind it is easy to lose. Keeping your own is simple: when a new list comes out, write down the date and the number. In Plyfolio, that is one dated entry on the right track, and the chart moves.
Each game you record also keeps both players' ratings on the day, so a win against a 1900 player still says 1900 when they are 2000 next year.
General information, written 4 November 2026. Rating rules are set by the ECF and FIDE and change; check the ECF website and the FIDE Handbook (rating regulations) for the current rules. Plyfolio is not connected with either federation.