Question 1

How is Elo calculated?

Accepted Answer

Expected score = 1 ÷ (1 + 10^((opponent − you) ÷ 400)); new rating = old rating + K × (actual score − expected score), with a win counting 1, a draw 0.5 and a loss 0. At 1500 against 1600 the expected score is 0.36, so a win with K = 32 adds 32 × 0.64 ≈ 20.5 points.

Question 2

How much is a 100-point Elo gap worth?

Accepted Answer

A 100-point gap gives the stronger side about a 64% expected score. With K = 32 a win earns them about 11.5 points and a loss costs about 20.5; the weaker side gets the mirror image. At 400 points the expectation is 91%, and beating a much stronger player can be worth almost the whole K-factor.

Question 3

How does the Elo formula work?

Accepted Answer

The expected result comes from the rating gap on a logistic curve, and the change equals the K-factor times the difference between actual and expected results.

Question 4

What is the K-factor?

Accepted Answer

The maximum rating change per game. Forty for beginners, twenty to thirty-two for ordinary players, ten for the strongest.

Question 5

Why is beating a weak player worth so little?

Accepted Answer

Because it was expected. If the system puts your chances at 90 percent, a win confirms what it already knew and barely moves the estimate.

Question 6

What does a 200-point gap mean?

Accepted Answer

The stronger player is expected to score about 76 percent. At K = 32 a win earns them roughly 7.7 points and a loss costs 24.3.

Elo Rating Calculator

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