How to Join CCRL as a Tester

CCRL (Computer Chess Rating Lists) accepts new testers through its forum: sign up there and contact an existing member. The practical barrier is not a form or an application fee — it is vouching. CCRL states that, for security, it only accepts testers who are already known to the community or who are vouched for by trusted members. If you are an unknown newcomer, your realistic path is to become known first: participate in the forum, share testing work, and let a current tester get familiar with you before asking for an introduction.

What CCRL Is Looking For

CCRL was formed in 2006 by Graham Banks, Ray Banks, Sarah Bird, Kirill Kryukov, and Charles Smith. Its currently active testers include Graham Banks, Gabor Szots, Shaun Brewer, Basti, Andres Valverde, and Mattia Giambirtone. The group describes itself as computer chess enthusiasts who enjoy engine testing, and says the hobby became more meaningful by combining results as a group.

Two points from the site matter if you are considering joining:

• Testers choose what and how to test. CCRL follows general testing guidelines, but individual testers decide their own approach — some use systematic methods, others prefer tournaments.
• CCRL does not judge engine originality. Inclusion or exclusion in the lists does not imply endorsement or rejection, and viewers are expected to form their own opinions.

That second point is worth internalizing before you contribute: your job as a tester is to produce games and results under a stated method, not to rule on whether an engine is derivative.

Steps to Join

1. Sign up on the CCRL forum. This is the entry point named on the site.
2. Contact a member. Reach out to an existing tester — ideally one whose testing style resembles what you want to do.
3. Establish familiarity or get vouched for. Because of the security rule, expect this to be the deciding factor. If you have no prior presence, contribute visibly on the forum first.
4. Agree on what you will test. Since testers set their own scope, be ready to describe your hardware, time control, book, and whether you plan systematic matches or tournaments.

What Testing Actually Involves

Understanding the standard setup helps you judge whether you can contribute meaningfully.

A few operational details from the methodology page:

• Early ratings may fluctuate, so a new contributor's first results should not be treated as settled.
• LOS (Likelihood of Superiority) statistics show the probability of an engine outperforming the one below it.
• All games are downloadable by engine, month, or ECO code.
• Clicking an engine name reveals opponents, homepage links, and comparison tools.
• The openings report shows ECO stats, draw rates, and White win percentages.
• Lists are sortable by column, and the separate lists (40/15, Blitz, Chess960, 40/2, Archive, Chess324, DFRC) are updated independently.

CCRL also recommends consulting other rating lists for broader context — a useful reminder that a single list is not the final word.

Common Sticking Points

• Assuming a signup is enough. The forum account is necessary but not sufficient; the vouching requirement is the real gate.
• Expecting a fixed testing protocol. Guidelines exist, but method is left to the tester, so you will need to define and document your own.
• Treating inclusion as approval. CCRL explicitly does not endorse or reject engines, and does not assess originality.
• Overreading early numbers. Ratings for engines below 100 games are not saved, and early ratings can move.

If your goal is simply to use CCRL data rather than produce it, the rating lists, statistics, and downloadable games are open to view — joining as a tester is only necessary if you want to contribute results to the group.