Thank you for pointing this error out that is located in the Frequently Asked Questions. You are correct and ICC needs to change the answer to reflect what is actually used and if anyone who read these posts wants to verify how a USCF online tournament (any type) is rated, then just go the USCF’s website and call them or email them. The USCF will tell you how they rate any of their online tournament and they probably are not aware of the factual error that ICC has, accidentally I’m sure and things happen but facts are stubborn things and for whatever reason ICC has factually incorrect information in their Frequently Asked questions.
The mistake pointed out in the first post is accurate and I can second that because I looked at the FAQ referred to along with the most current official USCF document that explains in precise detail how ratings are formulated. This includes online ratings and those that have never played in an official USCF event is explained here: http://glicko.net/ratings/rating.system.pdf
The USCF does not use any rating a player has that is generated only from ICC play and absolutely nowhere will you find this to be true when you read the official document from the US Chess Federation itself. I urge anyone reading these posts to verify what is said by calling or emailing the USCF and you will obtain accurate information.
I know from personal experience and recently playing in my first online USCF tournament how my rating was initially formulated in order to be placed in the proper category of players. Per the rules established by the USCF itself (call them and ask), if you have even a provisional standard USCF “Standard” rating (mine was based on five games from long ago and I had no rating in any other category other than “standard” and just as the USCF rules state, when I registered for an online USCF tournament (quick chess….and I had no previous USCF rating in this category), the rules state that your provisional rating will be used and that was exactly the way it worked. By the rules as stated in official USCF documents and not anywhere else.
The USCF does not ask nor do they consider any rating that is only ICC or from other sites. These are not official insofar as the USCF does not recognize ratings that are only from ICC games. That is a fact and the FAQ are incorrect.
Folks, do not trust everything you read but do some simple fact checking. Hopefully, this error will be corrected on the ICC’s FAQ page.
