Chess Performance Rating Calculator
Compute your tournament performance rating from your score and the average rating of your opponents using the linear (400-point) method.
How it works
Performance rating = average opponent rating + 400 × (wins − losses) ÷ games
A performance rating expresses how strong you played in a single event, independent of your current published rating. The linear approximation used here adds 400 points for every net win per game to the average strength of your opponents — so beating equal opposition outright would rate you 400 points above them, while an even score rates you exactly at the field’s level. It is the same quick method organisers use to see whether a player over- or under-performed.
Worked example
Scoring 6 out of 9 against an average opponent rating of 1500: net wins = 2×6 − 9 = 3, so performance = 1500 + 400 × 3 ÷ 9 = 1500 + 133 = about 1633.
Frequently asked questions
How is “wins minus losses” found from my score?
Since a draw is half a point, wins minus losses equals twice your score minus the number of games. Scoring 6 in 9 games works out to 2×6 − 9 = 3 net wins, whatever mix of draws produced it.
Is this the exact FIDE performance rating?
FIDE uses a table based on your percentage score, which curves at the extremes. The linear 400-point method here matches it closely in the normal range and is far easier to compute by hand.
What if I win or lose every game?
A perfect or zero score pushes the linear formula to average ± 400, which is a reasonable cap. The table-based methods treat clean sweeps as “rating unbounded”, but ± 400 is the standard practical stand-in.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.