How does my puzzle rating work?
How your puzzle rating is calculated on Endgame Society, where it starts, and how it differs from your game rating.
Your puzzle rating is a single number that tracks how good you are at solving tactics. It starts at 1200 and changes after every puzzle.
Puzzle ratings use the Elo system with K=32 — the same formula used for chess ratings worldwide.
Result What happens --- --- Solved correctly Your rating goes up. The harder the puzzle vs. you, the bigger the gain. Failed Your rating goes down. Failing a puzzle far below your rating costs the most.
A typical swing is 5–25 points per puzzle, depending on the rating difference between you and the puzzle.
- Your rating: 1500 - Puzzle rating: 1700 - You solve it → expected score 0.24, gain ≈ +24 points . - You fail it → expected score 0.24, loss ≈ -8 points .
The system rewards you more for solving things above your level and punishes you less for missing them — that's why grinding hard puzzles is the fastest way up.
- Using no hints = normal rating change. - Using a hint = the puzzle still counts, but rating change is reduced. - Giving up / showing solution = counted as a fail.
Puzzles aren't timed. Take as long as you need — your rating only depends on whether you find the right moves, not how fast.
The closer the puzzle is to your rating, the smaller the swing. If you keep getting puzzles in your exact range, you'll see ±5–15 point changes. That's the engine working correctly, not a bug.
- Why isn't my puzzle streak counting? - Why did my rating drop a lot after one game?
The Endgame Society help center covers accounts, memberships, ratings, gameplay, and troubleshooting. If an article does not answer your question, our team replies to support tickets directly.