Hi. I just discovered the anlytics, and something struck me: I lose points the most against much weaker opponents, and win them the most against stronger opponents. How it's this?
Link to the analytics:
lichess.org/insights/LichesGetStitche5/ratingDiff/opponentStrengthThe analytics are averages, and you tend to lose to weaker players often enough that your average point total against them is negative. Similarly, your performance against stronger players is good enough to give you a positive average total against them.
The magic of averages...
It is a common trend.
Against stronger players people tend to play better.
Against weaker players people tend to be less focussed.
I think part of it has to do with how the rating algorithm allocates points. If you lose against a player rated, let's say, 400 points below you, then you're going to lose somewhere in the order of 20 points of ELO. But if you win against such a player, you're going to gain maybe 1 or 2 (or 0!) points. The opposite is true against stronger players: You gain more for wins than you lose.
Now, theoretically, this is all supposed to balance out... you should be winning against that player 400 points below you 19 times out of 20 so you end up neutral over time, but this requires you to play many, many games against much lower rated players to account for every loss, which doesn't always happen... and at this rating difference even draws are negative score for you. I think in Classical you can probably maintain this sort of ratio, but in blitz or especially bullet, there's enough variability in how games can proceed that a lower rated player could end up flagging you more often than your ELO might predict (this is especially true if you berserk on short time controls).
Thank you all for the answers : )