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2009-08-19 Expert: Alexander Dinerchtein Rate: (3.1)  8 ratings

How to improve your KGS rating? One useful hint


Source: post by Robert Jasiek on GoDiscussions.com

The last time I became KGS 5d, I had to play hundreds of games, winning ca. 2/3. This time, becoming KGS 5d was much easier: 31 wins to 15 losses on some 3 days were sufficient to improve about 0.31 ranks. (On the previous 4 days, I played 2:0, 12:3, 14:11, 3:1.) The reason is, of course, that last time I had played a lot of games every day during the previous 180 days (the period during which the rating system takes into account prior games) while this time I played less and in particular during the previous 107 days only on 16 days at all.

So the easiest way to become stronger in the KGS rating system is NOT TO PLAY AT ALL, then win a few games.

This is to be expected since the rating system weighs previous games by the number of DAYS preceding the current day. As I suggested already earlier, the reasonable thing for the rating system to do would be to weigh previous games by the number of GAMES preceding the current game! Then no player would be punished for playing too many games on KGS. Currently the KGS rating system does exactly that. Punishing for playing a lot - absolutely stupid! One could understand the opposite, i.e., if the rating system punished for not playing enough games.

There are many reasons why the rating system is bad but this is one of the top reasons.

Alexander Dinerchtein: Yes, he is right. If you play lot of games every day, it's hard to get higher ranks. As an example you may see "artem92". He has nice winning percentage, but still stays on 7-dan.


Comments:

tunafsh
7k ( US ) 2009-08-20 09:08
how will you win after not playing at all?

rating freeze on KGS is a well known problem, but it is a special case. most people don't increase in rank because they're not good enough for the next rank yet.
nexik
2d ( PL ) 2009-08-19 05:08
the main problem is that people are not for ranking but ranking is for people, if must do so weird stuff for get your rank than ranking system is wrong!
tchan001
6k ( HK ) 2009-08-19 05:08
The fastest way to rise seems to be to play and win games where you offer handicap stones to appropriately leveled players. So if you think you are say 5d and your KGS rank shows only 3d, try playing games against 3d players while giving them 2 handicap stones. Win a couple of these and it seems KGS will adjust accordingly.
crocopfun
1d ( FI ) 2009-08-19 05:08
"So the easiest way to become stronger in the KGS rating system is NOT TO PLAY AT ALL, then win a few games."

become stronger != get higher rank.

It's easy to do your rank 9d. But what it give to you, if your real rank is 10k.
meuns
2k 2009-08-19 02:08
Yes, I remarked this "bug" when my internet connection was unusable.
mi1
3k ( EE ) 2009-08-19 02:08
Yes, but artem is 7d, he is litle bit weaker then usual 8d kgs player..

kghin also plays a lot and he is 7d, ant that's his actualy rank. No big difference in strenght between igs dans and kgs dans, but rank system is absolutely other. So both systems works well.


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