Frequently Asked Questions
What are Live Ratings?
Live ratings are real-time updates of chess ratings for top players. They are typically updated within one minute after a game finishes, provided the game is part of a major tournament. Live ratings are based on official FIDE ratings, which are updated monthly.
Why is the website called "2700chess"?
A rating of 2700 is widely regarded as the benchmark for the world’s elite chess players.
Sometimes the last move in a game is a strange King move like Kd4, Ke5, or similar. Why is that?
This happens when the arbiter places the King(s) in the center after the game ends. Occasionally, this occurs before the official result is recorded, causing the final move to appear as an unusual King move.
I believe a player has a 2700+ rating, but I can’t find them on the list of top players. Why?
This may be because the player’s rating is inactive, meaning they have not played any games in the selected format within the past year.
I can't find my favorite player. Why?
First, type the player’s name in the Search field on the main page. This searches within the Top 100 players or the Top 50 Women’s players.
If you don’t find them there, try the All FIDE Players menu. You can also set the Activity filter to “Both” to include active and inactive players.
It’s possible the player’s rating has dropped out of the Top 100 or Top 50. If you still believe they should be listed, please contact us via email.
I have a FIDE rating but can’t find myself in the “All FIDE Players” list. Why?
You may not have played recently, causing your rating to become inactive. To see inactive players as well, select “Both” in the “Activity” filter and press Enter.
How can I find out which players have been most recently updated?
You can track recent updates by:
• Following players with a live 2700+ rating in our daily pairings table.
• Clicking the magnifying glass icon next to each player’s entry for detailed info.
• Checking the round number in the Current Events list.
• Sorting or filtering by the red lens icon, or viewing extra statistics tooltips above lenses (this feature is available for supporters).
What do the "i" and "unrat." symbols mean?
The "i" symbol indicates an inactive rating. Players with inactive ratings (who have not played any games in the last year) are excluded from ranking lists.
"unrat." means the player does not yet have a rapid or blitz rating, whether active or inactive.
Why are some games unrated in rated matches?
Once a player wins a match, any subsequent games played are typically unrated. However, if both players and the arbiter agree beforehand, all games may be rated regardless of the match outcome.
How can I find my favorite players' games?
You can find games by your favorite players and possibly even your own by visiting 2700chess.com/games and typing a player's name. You can also search for games directly from the main page.
Do you have keyboard shortcuts for the chessboard?
Yes. While viewing live or finished games, you can use these shortcuts: • A to autoplay / B to toggle bar evaluation / F to flip the board / S to toggle Stockfish analysis on or off • Arrow keys: Left — move backward / Right — move forward / Up — to the start of the game / Down — to the end of the game • T to show opponent’s threats
What features are available when I’m reviewing a game?
Quite a few.
You can see the player's exact age at the time of the game. The national flag shown represents the federation the player currently represents or last represented, which may differ from the flag under which they played the game.
Available features include:
• Analyzing the game with a chess engine
• Moving pieces freely from any position
• Adding comments
• Playing a training game against the computer from any position
• Saving your analysis or training games to your personal library
• Viewing head-to-head results between the players
• Comparing their rating charts
• Downloading or printing the game
Each game also has a unique URL, such as:
2700chess.com/game/capablanca-alekhine-r1-buenos-aires-1927-09-16
This format allows you to quickly see who played, where, and when.
Daily Email Notifications
Stay up to date with daily emails about your favorite players’ live ratings, world rankings, and available game links.
To subscribe, go to Settings > Email Rating Notifications and select your preferred players from the dropdown menu. You will then receive regular updates—like having your own personal chess news briefing every day!
Playing vs Computer
You can play against the computer at 2700chess.com/play-computer using various difficulty levels and game variants, including Standard, Fischer Random, and custom positions (Your FEN), with strengths ranging from 1300 to 3000 Elo.
You can also start a training game from any position in our chess database. For the best experience, especially at higher difficulty levels, we recommend using a desktop computer, as it processes positions faster.
What can I store in My Library?
Once registered, you will have a personal library on 2700chess where you can save your favorite games, favorite players, games played against the computer, your analyses, and uploaded games.
Records
You can view the highest official FIDE ratings of all 2700+ players at 2700chess.com/records. The page also includes the Top 50 players for any month since June 1967, along with historical greats and their virtual ratings as calculated by Professor Arpad Elo.
Charts
We provide rating charts for top players from 1971 to today, including unofficial data starting in 1967. You can view a player’s history anytime they appeared in the top 100. Each chart point shows detailed info on hover, and players can be compared using various filters.
Is it possible to check the highest rankings and ratings a player has ever achieved?
Yes. Hover your mouse (or tap on tablet/mobile) over the rating columns (classical, rapid, blitz) to see pop-up info about a player’s highest ratings. To check best rankings, do the same on the Rank (#) column—note that you need to be logged in to see this.
How can I check a player’s performance in their current or finished tournament?
Click the magnifying glass next to the player’s name to view their performance at the top of the popup. This works for all top players we cover in live ratings, including Women, Juniors, Girls, Rapid, and Blitz sections. We use FIDE’s performance formula, detailed in Table 8.1a of the https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/B022017
Can you tell me about Chess Leagues?
Chess Leagues are team events held within a country. They may span several months with a few rounds each month, often played on weekends. Sometimes, they occur daily like regular tournaments. Unlike individual tournaments, players are not required to participate in every round.
What formula does FIDE use for calculating rapid and blitz ratings?
FIDE now uses the same formula for rapid and blitz ratings as for standard ratings. The development coefficient (K) was 20 until September 30, 2022, and changed to 10 starting October 1, 2022.
What is the formula for calculating Live Ratings?
Live Ratings use the same formula as FIDE’s official ratings. For more details, visit the https://handbook.fide.com/
Why do some players have different K values (the development coefficient) for their rated games? How do I know which "K" I should use?
According to regulation 8.3.3 of the https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/B022022
K = 40 for a player new to the rating list until they have completed events with at least 30 games.
K = 20 as long as a player's rating remains under 2400.
K = 10 once a player's published rating has reached 2400 and remains at that level subsequently, even if the rating drops below 2400.
K = 40 for all players until the end of the year of their 18th birthday, as long as their rating remains under 2300.
The game started but player two did not make a move. Is the game rated?
Games where one player does not make a move are not counted, regardless of the reason. Only games where both players have made at least one move are rated. Such unfinished games are recorded as +:- or -:+.
I saw the result recorded as 0:0. How is this possible?
A 0:0 result means the game was played, but both players violated tournament rules. For example, if both agreed to a draw before the minimum required number of moves, the game result is invalid. Instead of ½:½, the game is recorded as 0:0 for tournament and rating purposes.
I saw the result recorded as 1/2:0. How is this possible?
This result means player A had only a lone king (insufficient material to checkmate), while player B had enough material to win. However, player B’s cell phone made a sound, causing them to forfeit the game. For rating purposes, the result is recorded as ½:0.
Why are some players’ names in bold in the Finished Events list?
Players' names are bolded when they win or share first place in an event or are part of the winning team.
Do you plan to release an app for iOS and Android?
Not at the moment. However, 2700chess.com has a responsive design, so you can add a shortcut from any mobile browser directly to your Home Screen. This creates a convenient "2700" icon for quick access to our site.
What is the criterion for a player to be listed as a Junior?
We track live ratings for the Top 20 Juniors (under 20) worldwide. According to FIDE, Juniors are players who are under 21 and who will not turn 21 during the current year. For example, in 2022, Juniors were born in 2002 or later; in 2025, Juniors are born in 2005 or later, and so on.
Do you have the Endgame Tablebase?
Yes. When there are 7 or fewer pieces (including Kings) on the board, the "Endgame Tablebase" button appears above the Stockfish analysis field. It is available on both the live games page and the played games review page.
How can I switch off the animation or use the old main table UI?
Go to Profile > Settings and choose the options you prefer.
Please note: the “12 m” column shows a player’s ranking change over the last 12 months, while the “Delta” column shows the rating change during the same period.
In the Old UI, does sorting columns by Rapid or Blitz ratings produce the same result as clicking the Rapid or Blitz tabs?
No. In the old table UI, clicking a column sorts players within the currently active tab (Classical, Rapid, or Blitz). For example, if the Classical tab is open, clicking the Rapid column will show rapid ratings only for those classical players listed. Clicking the Rapid or Blitz tab, however, displays the best players in that format regardless of their classical ratings. Selecting the Top 100 tab then shows the top 100 players in Rapid or Blitz.
You can also sort players in any format by Name, Country, ranking changes, rating points gained or lost, or Age.
I have an idea to make 2700chess better.
If you have suggestions to improve 2700chess or notice any mistakes, please email us at
[email protected].