Member of the USCF Ratings Committee

Well, it is official. Ratings of chess players will never be the same, now that I've been appointed to the USCF Ratings Committee.

USCF Title Norm Calculation Spreadsheet

I've created an Excel spreadsheet that figures out whether one's performance in an event will garner one a USCF title norm. The USCF title norm system will be implemented soon, and when it is, you can see whether or not you will gain a norm from an event.

The spreadsheet has been checked by the chair of the USCF ratings committee, Mark Glickman, and is posted on his website. You can access it here.

Feel free to download it and use it. Should you have feedback, please leave me a comment here, or email me at...

bioniclime [at-sign] gmail [dot] com

Thanks! I hope it works for you.

Lawsuits at the USCF

I suppose it had to come to this. With all the vitriol and bile that were splashed throughout the elections of the United States Chess Federation, a lawsuit is clearly the most logical and obvious consequence in the USA's litigious society.

How unfortunate. With the popularity of scholastic chess, the scholarships given at major research universities, and the recent unification and reaffirmation of the world championship title, you would think these people would have better things to do.

Read all about it, here. Then, if you really want to depress yourself, try browsing the USCF forums (you have to be a USCF member to get to the USCF issues forum, which has the most combat).