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Expert: Louis Lima - 10/25/2007


Question
Dear Mr. Lima,
I played some competitive chess many, many years ago and would like to get
back in to it.  At that time, I thought I was told that I was a "high B" player or
so.  Seems like that equated to a rating of around 1400.  Are there letter
designations anymore and, if so, does this sound about right?  Finally, if I
decide to play in tournaments again, would it be difficult to establish a
rating?
I applaud you for the detailed answers you provide to inquirers.  Thanks for
your time and good luck in your 2000 rating quest.

Answer
Dear Edward,

Thank you for the kudos, I've been steadily making progress and currently at 1800!

Letter designations are still in use. Class B player is designated for players rated 1600 - 1799. You can see all the designations by going to this link:

http://www.uschess.org/ratings/ratedist.php

The US Chess Federation began posting ratings around 1991. If you played after this year you should be able to see your results online http://www.uschess.org/msa/MbrLst.php -For example, here is my history:

http://www.uschess.org/msa/MbrDtlTnmtHst.php?12536215  

If they don't have your rating you should be able to get your rating quickly, I believe after you play 20 games, but I am sure they can find your old rating if you call the US Chess Federation.

Warmly,
Louis Lima

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Louis Lima

Expertise

I can answer questions on proper self-training and chess tactics, but feel free to ask me anything related to chess and if I cannot answer it I will tell you.

Experience

I am a category A player with a FIDE rating of 1963, and a USCF rating of 1965. I have several instructional chess videos at http://www.youtube.com/chesslearning and author a review column for http://www.chesscafe.com and teach a Sunday chess class to kids at Tzu-Chi Foundation's Chinese School.

Organizations
Nassau Chess Club, Queens Chess Club, Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research (SIETAR)

Publications
Mobility Magazine, Moving Forward Monthly, www.schemingmind.com, http://www.chesscafe.com

Education/Credentials
Masters degree in Organizational Psychology with a specialization in Training and Development.

Awards and Honors
51st Nassau FIDE Futurity 2009 (3rd Place) Queens July Open 2007 (1st Place) North American Open 2005 (3rd Place in the U1600 Section) 2nd FCC Winter Swiss 2009 (3rd Place) 32nd Freeport Spring Swiss 2006 (3rd Place) 9th Queens Teams Champtionship 2009 (3rd Place)

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