Trivia Question: What state has the highest average rating?

All Things Chess
1

Here’s a trivia question for you:

What state has the highest average rating for active players (since 1/1/2006) who are 20 or older?

What state has the lowest average rating?

2

Highest: New York
Lowest: Wyoming

This is not a knock on any state, just my guesses. Are you going to PM the answers so that I might edit my response to look smarter? :wink:

  • Enrique
3

hmm… this could be fun :slight_smile:

Highest: Arizona
Lowest: New Jersey

(two shots in the dark here; I’m hoping for the power of averages to have a small(er) sample size in Arizona while just having previous knowledge of there not being many scohlastic players in NJ)

4

Highest - Texas
Lowest - Alaska

Just a guess…

5

Highest: California
Lowest: Wyoming

Pretty sure Alaska isn’t the lowest of all; there’s too few active players, and the majority of those who play are B-rated or better (incredibly).

Another good question would be: Which state has the most (or the fewest) active players (of those who are at least age 20 and played since 1/1/2006)? California must have the most while Wyoming or Alaska has the fewest…

6

Several years ago there was an article in Chess Life (or maybe it was a state or regional mag) in which somebody had compiled a Bottom 100 list. Over half were from one state (maybe West Virginia or something like that). Later it turned out there was an extremely active scholastic organizer in that state, who was encouraging everybody to play in tournaments as soon as possible.

Bill Smythe

7

I’ll post the answers to the highest/lowest average adult rating in another few days.

California is split into two ‘states’ for USCF political purposes, Southern California and Northern California.

Looking at the expiration audit report from the end of September (available on the BINFO system, see page 5 for the ordered rankings by state), Texas has the most USCF members (including scholastic and youth members), New York is #2, Southern California #3, Illinois #4, and Northern California #5. However, if I combine the two state chapters for California, they’d be #1 in overall membership.

Wyoming is the smallest state, with 58 USCF members.

8

59 counting Marcus Roberts.

How could you forget?

9

Since he is listed under Wyoming on MSA, I’m sure he’s counted among the 58.

10

Forgot about California being split into two separate state entities. Can I change my guess for the highest average rating from California to New York?

11

I’ll play :slight_smile:

Highest: Massachusetts
Lowest: Mississippi

12

Ummmmm…the man said “players who are 20 years and older.” So the scholastic effect is not relevant to this trivia game.

Can’t wait to read the answer.

Highest: Texas or New York

Lowest: Arkansas or Mississippi

13

My guesses:

Highest - New York
Lowest - Idaho

14

OK, you’ve waited patiently (some more so than others), here are the top 6 and bottom 5.

This list only includes those who were USCF members as of 9/30/07, were 20 or older on 9/30 (or are in an adult membership category but without a birthdate) and who have been in at least one rated event since 1/1/2006:

Southern California 1657.7 Massachussetts 1641.3 New Jersey 1625.9 New York 1623.2 Connecticut 1620.1 Northern California 1617.3

If I group N Cal and S Cal together, the combined average is 1640.8, so MA would just beat them out. The 22 active players with military APO/FPO addresses have an average rating of 1649.3, so they’d qualify for 2nd place (or arguably for 1st place if I combine California.)

Hawaii 1418.3 Idaho 1404.9 Mississippi 1400.4 Kentucky 1392.4 Maine 1370.5

15

Sorry about that. :blush:

Which of the "Southern California"s should be “Northern California”?

Thanks for the trivia, it was very exciting!!!

  • Enrique
16

Oops, the 2nd one should be N. Cal. Fixed.

17

Looks like speed one and chess chick had the best guesses. Way to go!

I didn’t do badly, but I made two guesses for each. Couldn’t make up my mind. :unamused:

So…Maine’s at the bottom, but Alaska’s somewhere in the middle. So much for the “cold weather denizens play board games better” theory.

18

OK, here’s another question, also with two parts:

Rank the states in the top 6 and bottom 5 in terms of the number of active masters in them. (N-Cal and S-Cal are two separate states for this purpose.)

19

Wow! I never considered Hawaii or Maine.

Thanks nolan, that was fun guessing the highest and lowest state ratings’ averages.

20

interesting! I wonder what the standard deviations by state are?