now, a thought came to my mind, whats the difference of 2800elo vs 2600elo? on paper, thats 200elo gap but what makes 2600elo player weaker than 2800elo?
There is no difference. That could be the same player that progressed by winning their peers.
A rating is fundamentally a measurement of performance relative to a pool, not a direct measurement of chess ability or knowledge.
Rating gain does not balance with learning a new skill.
The 2026 open Candidates was classical chess, played over 14 rounds. The players entered with ratings ranging from 2698 to 2810, with an average of about 2749.
If one was known to be weaker like the op suggests, than there is no point to make a tournament.
https://www.chesspodium.com/tournament/fide-candidates-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com#:~:text=tournament%20performance%20rating
One 2600 candidate ended up 8th and the other 6th playing to draw all games.
One 2800 candidate came out 3rd and the other 5th.
The difference between a farmer and his animals.
'Around the low 2700s, my general estimation is that, it sounds strange to say, but it's generally not a very high level of chess.' - Awonder Liang
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