What happens to my CSR if I stop playing?

If you stop playing for a period of time, your CSR does not automatically decrease simply because you are inactive.

What can decrease is the accuracy of your CSR, represented by the number of stars.

Why do my CSR stars go down when I haven't played?

The stars represent how confident the system is that your CSR accurately reflects your current playing level.

When you regularly play and new results are entered, the system receives recent information about your performance. When you stop playing, there is less recent information available.

As time passes without new results, the system gradually becomes less certain that your previous rating still represents your current level. Because of this, your CSR accuracy can decrease and you may lose stars.

This does not mean the system believes you have become a weaker player. It simply means there is more uncertainty around your rating because you have not played recently.

Does inactivity lower the actual CSR number?

No. Inactivity by itself does not subtract points from your CSR.

Your official CSR is based on the average of your last 12 T-CSR rating periods in which you played. Weeks where you do not play do not simply add a lower rating to that average.

For example, if you stop playing for several months, your CSR may remain at 1,600 while your accuracy drops from 4.5 stars to 3.5 stars.

The 1,600 represents the estimated skill level, while the stars represent how confident the system is in that estimate.

What happens when I start playing again?

Once you begin playing again, your new game results provide the system with current information.

Your accuracy can begin improving again as more results are recorded.

Because there is more uncertainty after a long period without playing, your first new results may also have a greater impact on your T-CSR than they would for a player with a very established, highly accurate rating.

Why does CompuSport do this?

A player's skill level can change over time. Someone who has not played for a long period may have improved, declined, or simply be playing differently than when their last results were recorded.

Reducing the confidence in an older rating, rather than automatically lowering the player's skill rating, allows new results to help establish the player's current level more quickly.

In short

CSR number = estimated playing level
CSR stars = confidence in that estimate

Not playing does not automatically lower your CSR number, but it can gradually lower the accuracy of the rating. Playing new games helps the system establish your current level and rebuild that accuracy.