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A game counts towards IGS ratings when it is a "rated" game. It's easier
to describe when a game is not rated. A game is NOT RATED if:
1) It is not on a 19x19 board; or
2) your opponent is not in the ratings system,
(either because he never entered the rating system, like
SOME "NR" players, all professional "p" ranked players,
and some "???" players - however, if an NR player or ???
player enters the ratings system even briefly, then games
later against that opponent will "count"); or
3) if the game is "free".
See also: help escaping
The idea of free games came to exist because IGS wanted to encourage
stronger players to teach weaker players, using either handicap or "even"
games. At first, if the game was NOT going to count, players had to remember
to make the game "free"; if the players forgot, then the "teaching" game
could accidentally affect the players' ratings.
The current system uses "default" settings, which can be changed by
using a toggle or switch. The defaults are:
A) If the difference in strength between the players is 3 stones or
less, the default setting is: the game is rated.
B) If the difference in strength is 4 stones or greater, then the
default setting is: the game is "free".
The default can be changed (from rated to free, or free to rated) by
either player typing "free" before the second move of the game. Both players
then get a message that the game will (or will not) count towards ratings.
You can check to see if a game is rated by typing "game <yourgamenumber>".
In the next-to-last column, you will see some letter(s). The most common are
"I" (=Go game using IGS rules) and "FI" (= Free game using IGS rules).
Completed games with less than 30 moves are free games.
See also: escaping free games
If this message is too long for your terminal, try: mail me freegame
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