FIDE Ratings service removed?

[John Upham]

I've not been able to access

http://ratings.fide.com/ for the past couple of days.

Any FIDE type persons out there who can shed light on this?

As you can see, the above URL is being rerouted at the server conf level (rather than an HTML redirect) to

http://www.fide.com/

which suggests deliberate action rather than inhuman error

Perhaps someone can list the English (not British) insiders within FIDE? I'm aware of SR and David Jarrett : are there any more? (apart from GFW and PJBW)

[Alex Holowczak]

I tried to navigate manually from the FIDE homepage to the top players, and I got this 404 error.

[John Upham]

I tried to navigate manually from the FIDE homepage to the top players, and I got this 404 error.

I got that last night. Perhaps they have yet to run a link check on the site?

I'll spider the entire site and see what excitement I can download!

[Carl Hibbard]

Let me know as I may need to correct the link on the ECF grading site at the same time

[Roger de Coverly]

Pure speculation of course - but the ratings site may need to be duplicated after the FIDE board decided to parallel the introduction of more frequent lists and higher k factors.

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=5376

from which

4. Qualification Commission Chairman & FIDE Rating Administrator Mikko Markkula will produce a parallel list which uses the new K-factors (30 & 20) for tournament reports submitted from the rating lists starting 1 April 2008 till 1 July 2009. FIDE will publish 2 lists for 1 July 2009 - the normal list based on the K-factors being unchanged (25, 15 & 10) and a parallel list (known as the K-List) using the K-factors (30 & 20). The K-List will not be used but only as a comparison.

5. Until 1 July 2010, FIDE shall continue to publish two lists using the different K-factors. FIDE shall then review the 2 lists after 1 July 2010 – based on the recommendations of the Qualification Commission. FIDE would then decide whether to extend the trials, abort or to adopt the new K-factors with effect from 1 July 2011 as The Rating List.

[Justin Hadi]

It's back online now.

[E Michael White]

I've not been able to access http://ratings.fide.com/ for the past couple of days.

I have noticed this happen on previous occasions.

I am not saying this is the explanation but usually 3-4 weeks before a new rating list comes out, in this case 1 Jul 2009, the system goes offline for a couple of days and is then replaced, as now, by a version which shows current grades and expected changes as at the next rating list date. Around about 1 Jul 09 it is likely to go down again and then be replaced by the new list without the expected change. Why they dont get the new lists or expected changes up ready on a different URL and change the link and then reverse this back beats me, as the grades would only be offline for minutes.

[Carl Hibbard]

I've not been able to access http://ratings.fide.com/ for the past couple of days.

I have noticed this happen on previous occasions.

I am not saying this is the explanation but usually 3-4 weeks before a new rating list comes out, in this case 1 Jul 2009, the system goes offline for a couple of days and is then replaced, as now, by a version which shows current grades and expected changes as at the next rating list date. Around about 1 Jul 09 it is likely to go down again and then be replaced by the new list without the expected change. Why they dont get the new lists or expected changes up ready on a different URL and change the link and then reverse this back beats me, as the grades would only be offline for minutes.

Yes that is poor..

See if you spot the switch when I do the same to the ECF database

[Keith Arkell]

O dear - FIDE have now removed all their July calculations from their site!

My fear is that not only will they allow themselves to be bullied into dropping the planned K-factor 20 for +2400s by the elite who wish to remain the elite,but will even make matters worse by changing the maximum gap from the current 350 ELO points to 400. This would make it less likely strong players will risk their ratings playing in tournaments where there is the likelihood of playing eg low rated rapidly impriving juniors.Currently the strong player risks 8.9 points to gain 1.1 ; with a max gap of 400 the risk will be 9.2 to gain just 0.8! Anybody who wants to see integration between players of all strengths can see that this change would be a bad idea.

[Roger de Coverly]

O dear - FIDE have now removed all their July calculations from their site!

This might be related to

http://www.fide.com/component/content/a ... rd-meeting

from which

Following the recommendation of a meeting of experts, the PB decided to refer the K factor change back to the Committee with further studies to clarify all aspects and consequences of a possible change as the recommendation was not to change the K factor now.

It looks as if they may be dropping all the changes "agreed" at Dresden.

current 350 ELO points to 400

The July results had been processed as 350

[Tim Spanton]

O dear - FIDE have now removed all their July calculations from their site!

Doesn't this usually happen for a few days just before the new ratings come into force?

[Keith Arkell]

Thanks gents - easy to get jittery the way they keep chopping and changing!