Playing level and ranks
Each rating maps to an estimated playing level — an empirical guide, not an official rank.
Besides the TTAR number, every player also gets an estimated playing level — a familiar label such as "first category" or "candidate master". It's a handy shorthand: a rank tells you who you're up against more clearly than a four-digit number.
The mapping between rating and level is empirical — derived from the accumulated statistics of real games, not from an official classification. In practice it turns out fairly accurate, but it gets more reliable the longer and more actively a community has built up its history of games.
While a player has played only a little (up to about 30 games, or before qualification is complete), the rating hasn't settled yet — it's too early to show a level, it would be random.
| Rating | Estimated level |
|---|---|
| 2500 and above | International Master of Sports |
| 2250–2500 | Master of Sports |
| 2000–2250 | Candidate Master of Sports |
| 1800–2000 | First category |
| 1600–1800 | Second category |
| 1400–1600 | Third category |
| 1200–1400 | Strong amateur |
| 1000–1200 | Amateur |
| below 1000 | Beginner |