Finnish dictionary and new ratings

We’ve also changed the way ratings are calculated. Previously it was possible to lose rating even when winning a game. The way the rating algorithm worked, a higher rated player had to beat a lower rated player by a certain margin in order to gain rating points. Otherwise he or she would actually lose points, while the lower rated player that lost the game would gain points.In retrospect we’ve found this to be a bad idea for several reasons. For one thing it feels unfair to lose rating points when you win a game. Another problem with the old algorithm was that it was too sensitive. A single loss could mean losing hundreds of rating points. With the new rating algorithm (based on the ELO rating system) you’ll never lose rating points if you win. We’ve also made it less sensitive so that a single win or loss doesn’t result in a huge change in your rating.

We’ve recalculated everybody’s rating history using the new algorithm, so you’ll likely find that your rating has changed quite a bit. But so has everybody else’s rating, so it should be completely fair.