After its initial launch in April 2022, it took some time for the MCF Registration and Rating system to be active and accessible to everyone. Now that most issues have been resolved, those who have participated in local MCF events such as the NYCC and MCC events last year will now have their local ratings available in the portal. Organizers can also download the rating file – tailored according to Swiss Manager format, for them to use in their tournaments. While the rating system will calculate the rating for all players, only those with MCF ID will be reflected in the calculation. For those who are not registered with MCF, their rating points will default back to their current FIDE rating, or if they do not have a FIDE Rating, the rating will revert automatically to Unrated.

For now, the cost to register will be maintained at RM20 for 2 years although initially, the registration fee is supposed to be raised to RM50 in 2023. There is also NO COST for organizers to use the rating system, but the TUN file submission must be made within one week after the event concludes. Currently, the rating system only works for individual events. Rating calculation for Team events is currently being explored.

MCF had targeted 1,000 players to sign up by July 2022 but as of today, only 840 players are listed on the list. With the Scholastic event scheduled to be held later this month, the registration portal has seen a sudden increase in registration in the last one week. MCF expects to hit the 1,000th player sometime within the first quarter of 2023 once the organizers started to use the MCF rating list more regularly.

Compare to the previous rating list which ended in 2017, MCF had more than 33,000 players registered but only 8,000 players were regulars or active members within the local circuit, with another 3,000 players who are foreigners or expatriates. The current and improved system is better than the older list as the database is more structured, automated, and accessible to everyone.

To register as an MCF registered player, please go to https://rating.malaysiachess.my/register.aspx

To check your name and registration number, you can use the search function by clicking on the “RATING LIST” option at the top of the page. You can either download the entire rating list or type your name in the Search box to find your rating details.