Hello, Future Grandmasters! ♟️

Welcome to the Brain Chess Academy family! If you have been practicing regularly, mastering chess puzzles, and defeating opponents at local club tournaments, it is time to take things to the next level. Every serious chess player has one big dream — getting their very first FIDE Rating!

A FIDE rating is the biggest milestone in your chess journey. But what exactly is it, and how do you get one? Do not worry, kids! We are here to help you. Let's understand step-by-step how you can achieve this amazing goal!

Why is a FIDE Rating Important?

While increasing your rating on Lichess or Chess.com is a lot of fun, a FIDE rating gives you official, worldwide recognition. It shows the whole world exactly how strong of a player you are. If you want to become a Grandmaster (GM) or International Master (IM) one day, your journey officially starts with getting your first FIDE rating.

5 Steps to Get Your First Rating

1. Get Your FIDE ID First, you need a unique FIDE ID. You cannot create this directly on your own, but there is no need to panic! Our academy will fully support you in registering through the national chess federation. Once created, this ID stays with you for your entire chess life.

2. Play in FIDE-Rated Tournaments Not every chess tournament can give you a rating. You have to participate in officially recognized "FIDE-rated" events. Do not worry about finding them—we will regularly share a list of upcoming rated tournaments and their details with you so you never miss an opportunity!

3. Play 5 Games Against Rated Players To get your initial rating, you must play at least 5 games against opponents who already have a published FIDE rating. You can play these 5 games in a single tournament or across different tournaments (as long as they are within a 26-month period).

4. Score at Least 0.5 Points Just playing the games is not enough; you have to give it your best! You need to score at least 0.5 points (which means getting at least one draw) against those rated players. If you manage to secure a draw or a win, you take a big step toward getting rated.

5. Achieve a 1400+ Performance Rating According to the latest FIDE rules (updated in March 2024), the minimum possible FIDE rating is now 1400. This means your performance in those games against rated players must mathematically calculate to 1400 or higher. If you fall a little short, that is completely fine—we will just work harder and try again in the next tournament!

How Will We Help You?

At Brain Chess Academy, our main mission is to help you reach these goals! You will never feel alone because we are with you at every single step. In our classes, we will actively teach you:

• Handling Tournament Pressure: How to stay calm and avoid getting nervous during big matches.

• Time Management: How to use the FIDE digital chess clock properly so you never run out of time on the board.

• Solid Openings & Tactics: We will sharpen your chess skills to make you so strong that you can grab your first rating as quickly as possible.

So, kids, are you ready for this exciting new chapter in your chess journey? Keep practicing on the board, work hard, and leave the rest of the responsibility to us!

Let’s Make Your Chess Dreams a Reality!