How Ratings, Rankings, and Weekly Tournaments Work on Xiangqi.com

Xiangqi.com adjusts your rating using the ELO system after each rated 2-player online game, and the platform highlights players whose rating reaches the top 20 across the whole platform. Separately, the site runs free online tournaments in a Swiss system every week that you can join. These three features — rating, ranking, and tournaments — are distinct: rating changes come from rated games, ranking is a platform-wide standing, and tournaments are scheduled events you enter.

Rating: How Your Score Changes

Ratings on Xiangqi.com apply to rated 2-player online games. After you finish such a game, your rating is adjusted according to the ELO rating system.

• Input: a completed rated online game against another player.
• Action: the platform calculates the result under ELO.
• Expected result: your rating moves up or down based on that game.

Two practical points follow from the page evidence:

• The rating adjustment is described for 2-player rated games, so treat unrated or casual formats as separate from your rating.
• ELO is a relative system: your gain or loss depends on the rating of the opponent you faced, not just on whether you won.

The site does not publish the specific K-factor or the exact formula it uses, so don't assume a fixed number of points per win.

Ranking: What the Top 20 Means

When a player's rating reaches the top 20 across the whole platform, that standing is the ranking signal described on the site. In practice:

• Ranking is driven by rating, so it reflects sustained rated play rather than a single result.
• The page describes the top-20 threshold but does not detail how ties are broken or how often the leaderboard refreshes. Check the live site for the current standings rather than relying on assumptions.

Weekly Tournaments: Format and Entry

Xiangqi.com holds free online Chinese chess tournaments every week using the Swiss system, and the site invites players to check them out and participate.

A Swiss-system event pairs players with similar scores each round rather than eliminating anyone after a loss, so you typically play several rounds regardless of early results. The page does not specify round counts, time controls, or start times — confirm those on the tournament page before committing.

How the Pieces Fit Together

A sensible way to use the platform:

1. Practice first. Use the Play Computer feature, which offers 5 difficulty levels, to get comfortable before rated play. Level 1 is described as a good starting point for beginners.
2. Play rated 2-player games. Each completed rated game adjusts your ELO rating.
3. Review and improve. After a game, use the engine analysis feature to analyze and review it.
4. Enter the weekly Swiss tournament for scheduled competitive play.
5. Track your standing. Reaching the top 20 platform-wide is the ranking milestone the site describes.

Common Questions and Caveats

• Does every game affect my rating? The site ties rating adjustment to rated 2-player games. Untimed games are supported on the platform, but the page does not state whether untimed games are rated — check the game-creation options.
• Can I see the exact formula? No formula or K-factor is published; only that ELO is used.
• Are tournaments the same as rated games? The page describes weekly Swiss tournaments separately from the rated 2-player rating system and does not state whether tournament games affect ELO. Verify on the tournament page.
• Is there a cost? The site describes the platform, puzzles, and weekly tournaments as free; no pricing or payment details appear in the provided material.