"David Ames" writes:

Acvcording to my past understanding, USCF rating of events required
100% USCF membership. Why should USCF rate the Olympiads, if USCF
membership is not required, and if no TD certifies the results to USCF
for rating purposes?

The USCF already allows several exceptions to the membership requirement.
For example, foreign titled players (GM, IM, WGM, WIM) may play in USCF
rated events without being USCF members.

Full rating of the Olympiads, though possible if full crosstables can
be obtained, is not what the new USCF policy (EB 06-009) requires.

It only applies to 'US players, US residents and USCF members' in eight
named events and any USCF members in other foreign FIDE rated events
if rating of that event is requested in advance and a $25 fee paid.

EB 06-009 further states: "A formula provided by the USCF Ratings Committee
will be used to adjust the ratings, and another to convert FIDE ratings
into USCF ratings. It is expected that ratings adjustment will be based
on a K factor of about 80% its usual value, causing ratings to change
about 80% as fast as usual"

The Ratings Committee has a formula for adjusting USCF ratings based
on FIDE events using the data from that event once it is rated by FIDE.
However, that formula uses a 50% K factor, and the Ratings Committee
chair does not feel modifying that formula to 80% is appropriate, due
to two concerns:

(1) the FIDE-USCF difference for individual players varies greatly, and
(2) the summary information that FIDE provides per 3-month period collapses
over individual game results, adding extra uncertainty given the variable
FIDE-USCF conversion.

The FIDE-to-USCF conversion formula was updated by the Ratings Committee
last year based on a study of the ratings of players who are active in
both USCF and FIDE rated events.

Here is a link to a chart that the Ratings Chair, Prof. Mark Glickman,
prepared showing players with both USCF and FIDE ratings:

http://math.bu.edu/people/mg/ratings...onvert2005.pdf

The current FIDE-to-USCF conversion formula is as follows:

For FIDE ratings below 2200, the initial USCF rating is the same as the
FIDE rating.

For FIDE ratings between 2200 and 2600, the initial USCF rating is
FIDE + (FIDE-2200)/8.

For FIDE ratings of 2600 or higher, the initial USCF rating is FIDE + 50.
(This is what the old conversion formula used for all FIDE rated players.)

For FIDE ratings higher than 2150, the initial USCF rating is treated
as if it is a provisional rating based on 10 games. For FIDE ratings
of 2150 or lower, it is treated as if it is a provisional rating based on 10
games.
--
Mike Nolan