FIDE rating list from CFC's website

[Rene Preotu]

The FIDE ratings in the CFC's database are messed up.



A small example below:

[Bob Armstrong]

FIDE Ratings on CFC Member’s Rating Page

The FIDE ratings in the CFC's database are messed up.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1403[/ATTACH]

A small example below:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1404[/ATTACH]

Hi Rene:

Here is a report on this issue, in my upcoming newsletter to GTCL CFC Members:

FIDE Ratings on CFC Member’s Rating Page

There has been a problem with amending the FIDE ratings on a player’s CFC rating page, when FIDE publishes the new monthly rating list. Apparently this is to a high degree a manual operation in the job description of the CFC Executive Director, Michael von Keitz. But there has been a lag (sometimes of about three months, according to one CFC member post on the CMA chess discussion board, Chesstalk). Before that post, I had already drawn two instances of wrong FIDE rating on a player’s CFC rating page, to the attention of the E.D.. I had asked for clarification of the process required, and why this job description task was getting bogged down. I received no reply before I brought this issue to the CFC Governors’ Discussion Board. I requested that this function be automated, so that it did not require any E.D. labour. I was given two different answers on this:

1. this is a very difficult programming issue and will be very costly (by a GTCL CFC Constituent, who wants to remain anonymous, with whom I have been discussing this – he maintains the link to FIDE ratings is sufficient, and the member should just click on the link if they want to know the CFC member’s FIDE rating; he sees no need for it to be on the CFC member’s personal rating page, if this would cost CFC $$);
2. it is a simple programming issue that even basic programmers can do cheaply (a past CFC President, who does do programming).

I have asked the executive to provide me with confirmation that this is a relatively simple thing to accomplish, and that I be advised what the cost would be.

Bob Armstrong, GTCL/Ont. CFC Governor

P.S. If you would like to receive my free monthly newsletter, Monthly CFC Report (from the GTCL perspective), just e-mail me: bobarm@sympatico.ca

[Kerry Liles]

Re: FIDE Ratings on CFC Member’s Rating Page

To link to a player's FIDE rating, all that is required is a URL like this:

http://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?event=2606771

(of course, each URL would be customized to use the player's FIDE ID number - the one above is for Eric Hansen)

It is ludicrous to somehow copy the FIDE ratings manually into the CFC database - a dynamic link to the player's FIDE card is
pretty much all that would be useful. In any case, there are links to download ALL of the FIDE ratings as a txt file:

http://ratings.fide.com/download.phtml shows all the possible downloads and

http://ratings.fide.com/download/players_list.zip is a (presumably permanent) link to the current ratings list

- parsing that file and feeding into the CFC database cannot be that difficult unless one does it by hand.

[Bob Armstrong]

Re: FIDE Ratings on CFC Member’s Rating Page

To link to a player's FIDE rating, all that is required is a URL like this:

http://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?event=2606771

(of course, each URL would be customized to use the player's FIDE ID number - the one above is for Eric Hansen)

It is ludicrous to somehow copy the FIDE ratings manually into the CFC database - a dynamic link to the player's FIDE card is
pretty much all that would be useful.

Hi Kerry:

I view the personal player rating page as a service CFC provides to its members.

As such, I would like CFC to provide relevant information to the member on his/her rating page, and one of those pieces of information that should immediately be visible on the page should be the player's FIDE rating, plus a link to that player's FIDE rating page.

Secondly, the updating of the FIDE rating every first of the month (when FIDE revises its lists), should automatically trigger the updating of the FIDE rating on the player's CFC rating page. I would like this feature, if the cost to CFC of automating it is not too high. I see this as an expenditure of CFC funds on a benefit to members.

I'd be pleased to hear any more comments on what I'd like to achieve.

Bob A, GTCL/Ont. CFC Governor

[Pierre Denommee]

Re: FIDE Ratings on CFC Member’s Rating Page

It is far from being ludicrous. If two players have the same name, the arbiter has no way to know how to match the player with his CFC rating. For example, suppose that we have the following players

John Doe CFC 1900,
John Doe FIDE 1904
John Doe CFC 1908,
John Doe FIDE 1910 .

What is the FIDE rating of the John Doe who has a CFC rating of 1900? The CFC Office knows that.

http://ratings.fide.com/download.phtml[/url] shows all the possible downloads and

http://ratings.fide.com/download/players_list.zip is a (presumably permanent) link to the current ratings list

- parsing that file and feeding into the CFC database cannot be that difficult unless one does it by hand.

[Roger Patterson]

Re: FIDE Ratings on CFC Member’s Rating Page

It is far from being ludicrous. If two players have the same name, the arbiter has no way to know how to match the player with his CFC rating. For example, suppose that we have the following players

John Doe CFC 1900,
John Doe FIDE 1904
John Doe CFC 1908,
John Doe FIDE 1910 .

What is the FIDE rating of the John Doe who has a CFC rating of 1900? The CFC Office knows that.

except that the program would not even look at the name. (looking instead at the FIDE ID in the CFC database). Sure, for new FIDE players with a new FIDE ID, those would have to be flagged for manual entry into the CFC database (once only)

[Bob Gillanders]

Re: FIDE Ratings on CFC Member’s Rating Page

I would like CFC to provide relevant information to the member on his/her rating page, and one of those pieces of information that should immediately be visible on the page should be the player's FIDE rating, plus a link to that player's FIDE rating page.

Bob, I think just the link to the players FIDE rating page is the best solution. The FIDE rating in the CFC database that requires constant updating should be left blank. Players can then easily click the FIDE link and get so much more information on their FIDE rating than we could ever provide. The simple solutions are often the best!

[Gordon Ritchie]

Re: FIDE rating list from CFC's website

What about the TD in a FIDE/CfC event. Typically, the open section in most EOCA events is double rated. This puts the onus on the tD to do the manual compilation.

[Bob Armstrong]

Re: FIDE rating list from CFC's website

What about the TD in a FIDE/CfC event. Typically, the open section in most EOCA events is double rated. This puts the onus on the tD to do the manual compilation.

It is an issue now on the confidential CFC Governors' Discussion Board, about a governor's assertion that in the last number of years, the number of Canadian organizers has dropped by about 1/3. The CFC must wrestle with how to reverse this trend. Is this one of those small situations, where a decision to put FIDE ratings immediately viewable on the CFC member rating page, would be a small step by CFC to show support for organizers?

Bob A

[Rene Preotu]

Re: FIDE rating list from CFC's website

What about the TD in a FIDE/CfC event. Typically, the open section in most EOCA events is double rated. This puts the onus on the tD to do the manual compilation.

In SwissManager you have the option to download the latest rating lists from FIDE and CFC

[Kerry Liles]

Re: FIDE Ratings on CFC Member’s Rating Page

It is far from being ludicrous. If two players have the same name, the arbiter has no way to know how to match the player with his CFC rating. For example, suppose that we have the following players

John Doe CFC 1900,
John Doe FIDE 1904
John Doe CFC 1908,
John Doe FIDE 1910 .

What is the FIDE rating of the John Doe who has a CFC rating of 1900? The CFC Office knows that.

Ask the player to give his FIDE number and look it up. When players register for tournaments, how are they identified?
THAT might be the problem.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: FIDE Ratings on CFC Member’s Rating Page

What's the CFC paying to have done accordng to the contract? Are they paying to have the pages updated with the FIDE ratings?

It's really as simple as that.

The members should be told.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: FIDE Ratings on CFC Member’s Rating Page

Bob, I think just the link to the players FIDE rating page is the best solution. The FIDE rating in the CFC database that requires constant updating should be left blank. Players can then easily click the FIDE link and get so much more information on their FIDE rating than we could ever provide. The simple solutions are often the best!

Even this simple change would require having the original contractor revamp the design. We are going to leave things as they are. FIDE ratings update once a month. Michael von Keitz has written a routine that should be able to update these on a more timely basis without as much manual input as was previously required. This was run a few days ago. The ratings should be up to date but there may be exceptions. If anyone is aware of a rating that is out of date let me know here.

[Alan Baljeu]

Re: FIDE Ratings on CFC Member’s Rating Page

Even this simple change would require having the original contractor revamp the design.

There's something wrong with that statement. The only change required should be to the webpage generation, inserting one column in a backend database, and typing a couple dozen FIDE ids.

Or what Michael has already done seems acceptable.

[Bob Gillanders]

Re: FIDE Ratings on CFC Member’s Rating Page

Even this simple change would require having the original contractor revamp the design.

Vlad, I have some good news and some bad news. :)

The good news: My proposal does not require any work at all. The link to FIDE website is already there. Look up your own rating, you'll see it "view this players FIDE rating" directly under your CFC rating.

The bad news: I tested the link. On several occasions it took me to the wrong person. :(