New ELO-FIBS Rating System Now Live
- Matt Hakimi
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Today we're launching a smarter, fairer way to measure players' skills on Backgammon Cash. We've switched to the FIBS ELO rating system - the gold standard used by competitive backgammon platforms worldwide.
Why We Made This Change
Our previous system treated all wins equally. Beat a beginner? Gain 5 points. Beat a grandmaster? Gain 5 points. This created a broken ranking system where players' rating points were inflated higher simply by playing more games, not by demonstrating superior skill.
The new system solves this. Your rating now reflects who you beat, not just how many games you win. Defeating higher-rated opponents earns you significantly more points. Beating weaker opponents earns you less. This accurately portrays your skill relative to the competition.
What's Changing
Old system: Win = +5 points, Gammon = +10, Backgammon = +15 (regardless of opponent strength)
New system: Rating changes based on the skill difference between you and your opponent. The bigger the upset, the bigger the point swing.
How It Works (Simplified)
The system calculates an "expected outcome" based on rating difference. When the underdog wins, both players see large rating changes. When the favorite wins, changes are smaller.
Example 1 - Underdog Victory (Large Swing):
Player A: 1,500 rating (underdog)
Player B: 1,954 rating (favorite)
Player A wins
Result: Player A gains approximately +18 points, Player B loses -18 points. The upset victory is rewarded heavily.
Example 2 - Favorite Victory (Small Swing):
Player A: 2,300 rating (favorite)
Player B: 1,550 rating
Player A wins
Result: Player A gains approximately +3 points, Player B loses -3 points. Expected outcomes produce minimal change.
Want the technical details? The complete FIBS formula is explained here
What This Means for You
Your current rating is preserved. You start exactly where you left off. However, your rating will adjust more quickly over the first few weeks as the system normalizes to reflect your true skill level relative to your opponents.
If you've been beating mostly weaker opponents, expect your rating to stabilize lower. If you've been competing against top players, expect to climb faster.
Coming Soon: Skill-Based Matchmaking and Performance Ratings
This rating system lays the foundation for an even bigger improvement launching soon: Performance Ratings and intelligent matchmaking that pairs you with opponents of similar skill. Soon, players will be able to see their lifetime Performance Rating and our matchmaking system will use this data to optimize matchups between players within the same skill tier.
TL;DR:
Your rating will now be measured according to your skill level relative to your opponent's. Existing player ratings will remain in place but will experience larger shifts over the first matches played due to an acceleration period that is meant to help normalize scores quicker.
This Ratings system update is just one of many updates that we have planned to enhance Backgammon Cash play experience. We are excited to continue rolling out new features to our community - please reach out to us if there are any features or changes that you think would improve the game.
-The Backgammon Cash Team
