Getting a USCF rating


How many games do I have to play over the board to get a USCF rating? Also I'm assuming the preliminary stuff is just making an account and signing up for a membership.

Yes. Become a member and all the other bookkeeping stuff.

Yes. Become a member and all the other bookkeeping stuff.
Thanks for the help. Looking forward to playing in a USCF tournament sometime in 2021.

There should be a how to video somewhere on how to get started and playing in tournaments. There should be a video on uschess.org somewhere on their site. Not surprised if they don't.

US Chess does have online ratings and has since 2015. Can't get titles that way or get an OTB rating but you certainly can play official rated games online, including on chess.com.

US Chess does have online ratings and has since 2015. Can't get titles that way or get an OTB rating but you certainly can play official rated games online, including on chess.com.
Does my online USCF rating affect how I am placed in tournaments (who I play, what side I play)? Or would they treat me as an unrated player?


Though there tournaments US citizens can travel to in Serbia that are FIDE rated and Serbia (For now) is open to US citizens

US Chess does have online ratings and has since 2015. Can't get titles that way or get an OTB rating but you certainly can play official rated games online, including on chess.com.
Does my online USCF rating affect how I am placed in tournaments (who I play, what side I play)? Or would they treat me as an unrated player?
If you have an Online rating a TD could assign you a rating for their events, but that's at their discretion for US Chess events.
I've been playing chess for a few months now, and I want to try and get a USCF rating and begin climbing up the ladder so I can eventually play in international tournaments with a FIDE rating. I was looking online and I understand that I have to purchase a USCF membership, but I don't know how to get a rating after that. Do I just get one, or do I have to play in tournaments? Also, how can I sign up for these tournaments? The USCF website wasn't very helpful with that. Thanks in advance to whoever helps me out.