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The Question mark?

#1

I sometimes see a question mark after someone has joined me for a game. What does the question mark signify? Ive seen players as high as 1750 with a question mark.

I sometimes see a question mark after someone has joined me for a game. What does the question mark signify? Ive seen players as high as 1750 with a question mark.
#2

It means their rating is provisional. If there are too few games played in a certain time control/variant, the rating is more volatile. When they play enough games (usually about 15-20), the rating stabilizes and the question mark is gone. In fact, you have it yourself in classical, blitz and bullet.

It means their rating is provisional. If there are too few games played in a certain time control/variant, the rating is more volatile. When they play enough games (usually about 15-20), the rating stabilizes and the question mark is gone. In fact, you have it yourself in classical, blitz and bullet.
#3

Hi @Etherglide!

That question mark means that the Elo rating is provisional. Ratings are considered provisional when their deviation is over 110 points. I'm not a mathematician nor an expert, but the deviation must be high when there are few games rated (the player is new to lichess or new to a kind of game --rapid, blitz, bullet...--) and presumably when the last games posed a high variation to the rating (I'm not sure about this last point, though).

Hope this helps!

Ninja'd by @OnlyStupidNamesLeft :P

Hi @Etherglide! That question mark means that the Elo rating is provisional. Ratings are considered provisional when their deviation is over 110 points. I'm not a mathematician nor an expert, but the deviation must be high when there are few games rated (the player is new to lichess or new to a kind of game --rapid, blitz, bullet...--) and presumably when the last games posed a high variation to the rating (I'm not sure about this last point, though). Hope this helps! Ninja'd by @OnlyStupidNamesLeft :P
#4

It is not only about the number of games. You can, in theory, play thousands of games and still have a provisional rating, if you only play opponents with ratings dramatically different from your own. It is possible to not have a provisional rating, and then play a game that causes your rating to lapse back into provisional status.

It has to do with the confidence in the rating. If a player has never, ever lost, but has exclusively played opponents 500 points or more below his apparent rating, then there can be no confidence that his rating is correct.

It is not only about the number of games. You can, in theory, play thousands of games and still have a provisional rating, if you only play opponents with ratings dramatically different from your own. It is possible to not have a provisional rating, and then play a game that causes your rating to lapse back into provisional status. It has to do with the confidence in the rating. If a player has never, ever lost, but has exclusively played opponents 500 points or more below his apparent rating, then there can be no confidence that his rating is correct.
#5

Here are two questions for anybody in the know:

Is it possible to shed you provisional rating without having both won and lost at least one game first?

If Glicko-2 were standard instead of ELO, would Carlsen have a relatively high RD because he is inevitably much higher rated than many of his opponents?

Here are two questions for anybody in the know: Is it possible to shed you provisional rating without having both won and lost at least one game first? If Glicko-2 were standard instead of ELO, would Carlsen have a relatively high RD because he is inevitably much higher rated than many of his opponents?

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