1. What is the ELO Ratio?

The ELO ratio compares two ELO ratings (R1 and R2) by dividing one by the other. It's a dimensionless value that shows the relative strength between two ratings in the ELO system, commonly used in chess and other competitive games.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the simple ratio formula:

Where:

• \( R1 \) — First ELO rating (points)
• \( R2 \) — Second ELO rating (points)

Explanation: The ratio directly compares the two ELO ratings, with values greater than 1 indicating R1 is stronger than R2, and values less than 1 indicating the opposite.

3. Importance of ELO Ratio

Details: The ELO ratio helps quickly assess the relative strength between two players or teams. It's particularly useful for tournament seeding, handicap systems, and analyzing competitive balance.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both ELO ratings as positive numbers. The calculator will compute their ratio, which is dimensionless (has no units).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is considered a significant ratio difference?
A: In chess, a ratio of 1.5 or more typically indicates a substantial skill difference where the higher-rated player is heavily favored.

Q2: How does this relate to expected win probability?
A: While the ratio shows relative strength, the full ELO system uses rating differences (not ratios) to calculate expected win probabilities.

Q3: Can this be used for team ratings?
A: Yes, the ratio works the same way for individual or team ELO ratings.

Q4: What's the range of meaningful ratios?
A: Practical ratios typically range from about 0.2 to 5.0, as extremely mismatched opponents rarely compete.

Q5: Does this work for different ELO systems?
A: Yes, as long as both ratings come from the same ELO system (same scale and calculation method).