How it worksClimb the ladder.
The ladder is simple: everyone shares one open board, plays someone close by, posts the result, and moves.
The climb
5 rules, one minute to read
Lower rank challenges up.
If you are ranked below someone, you are the challenger. The app figures this out automatically.
Stay within three spots.
Legal games count only if the two players are within three rungs of each other.
Win, you swap and climb.
If the challenger wins, they take the defender's spot. Everyone between them slides down one.
Draw slides you one step up.
A draw puts the challenger right below the defender. Everyone between drops one.
Lose and the board doesn't move.
If the defender wins, ranks stay exactly where they were. Try again after challenging someone else.
The app handlesQuietly, every time
- Checks the pairing.Only legal matchups are accepted. Illegal ones bounce.
- Moves the ladder.Ranks update the moment a parent posts a result.
- Tracks records.Wins, losses, and draws are kept per player.
- Blocks instant rematches.A challenger must play a different opponent before challenging the same person again. The defender has no such restriction.
- Keeps a quiet rating.A private rating runs under the hood for future seeding.
We handleThe human parts
- Playing the game.Pieces, clocks, and smiles are still an in-person thing.
- Black for the defender.The defender takes the dark side. A small tradition worth keeping.
- Disputes or edits.If something looks wrong, flag the organizer and we'll fix it.
Where games countChurch, home, school, online.
A real game between two ladder players counts the same wherever it is played. Report it and move on.