|
Yorkshire
Chess Association |
Last update: |
|
|
What
about Ungraded Players? |
|
Ungraded is not the same
as Zero-Graded
There is no connection
whatsoever between a player being ungraded and a player having a grade of
zero. Players with a zero grade have
demonstrated that they are very, very, very weak. (See Zero
and Negative Grades?)
Ungraded players are ones whose strength has not been measured, and
might prove to be weak, average or strong.
(See How Grades
are Calculated regarding the grading of games involving ungraded
players.)
The Complete Beginner
A complete beginner will not
have a grade to start with. Also a
complete beginner will probably be noticeably weak. A complete beginner probably has a playing strength of less than
100 and so would not be out of place in the under-100 section of a congress.
The Temporarily Inactive
Player
However, a reasonably competent
player who for some reason has missed a season or more of chess might well
cease to have a grade while retaining a playing strength of well over 100. Thus when they returned to regular play they
might be out of place in the under-100 section of a congress, but of course the
congress organiser would not necessarily know their strength was above 100.
Treatment of Ungraded
Players Entering a Congress
There is a definite
possibility of an ungraded player winning a congress section from which the
player's previous grades would have barred him. Such an occurrence would be viewed as unfair by most people. For this reason it is sometimes the practice
to state on a congress entry form that in grade-restricted sections ungraded
players will not be eligible to win place prizes, and will not be eligible for
grading prizes in any section. This can
be justified by saying that an under-100 (for instance) section is limited to
players who are DEMONSTRABLY WEAKER THAN 100.
The current grade is usually the basis for this, though sometimes
congress organisers accept previous results as evidence of strength, or will
accept a note from a local grader.
Without such evidence an ungraded player has not demonstrated his
eligibility for the section.
"Ungraded"
Prizes
To allow ungraded players to
enter congresses and have a chance of winning a prize, even if barred from
place prizes and grading prizes, some congresses award an token
"ungraded" prize for the highest placed ungraded player in the lowest
section.