A FIDE rating is a single number meant to represent your playing strength, computed from the results of your FIDE-rated games against other rated players.
Three separate ratings, not one
FIDE tracks Classical, Rapid, and Blitz ratings independently based on the time control played:
- Classical: longer time controls (typically 90+ minutes with increment). The rating most people mean by "FIDE rating" with no qualifier.
- Rapid: shorter games, roughly 10-60 minutes.
- Blitz: fast games, typically under 10 minutes.
A player can have a strong Classical rating and no Blitz rating at all (or vice versa) simply from never having played enough rated games of that type.
Roughly reading the number
Ratings are relative, not absolute -- a 1500 beating a 1600 is a normal, unsurprising result, while a 1200 beating a 2000 is a major upset. There is no single global "skill tier" table; how a given number feels varies somewhat by federation and region.
Where it comes from
Your rating changes after every FIDE-rated game you play, based on the result and your opponent's rating at the time. See how to register for a FIDE-rated tournament for what it takes to start building one.