Rated games

Rated games are the main way to play for money in IQPIC tokens and earn with Chess (as well as Capital Chess, Swedish, and Tetris) on platform iqpi.io. These are online duels with a Buy-in entry fee: the winner receives the opponent’s tokens on their balance, the loser gives them up; then IQPIC can be withdrawn via Balance management.

Below — how the mode works, how it differs from “just rating” and prize tournaments, how to create a game “for money,” and where to see the result.

What a rated game is

When creating a game, the interface has two types:

Unrated game — practice and social play. The IQPIC balance does not change via an entry fee.
Rated game — a duel with a Buy-in entry fee in IQPIC tokens. After the game, participants’ balances update by the result.

Rated mode is available in iqpi.io games that support creating a room with an entry fee, including:

Chess;
Capital Chess;
Swedish (Bughouse) — Buy-in at match level;
Tetris and Tetris: Attack (vs an opponent, not solo).

Games vs a bot / solo mode do not support Buy-in.

Do not confuse three different “ratings”

What	What it means for you	Where you see it
Rated game	A game with an IQPIC entry fee	Game creation, lobby lists, Buy-in column
IQPIC balance	Your tokens: fees, winnings, transfers, withdrawals	Account header, `/lk/balance`
Game rating and level	Skill score for the game type and level progress	Profile, leaderboard, game result

Cash/token winnings come from Buy-in, not from the skill-rating number.

How a rated game differs from a tournament

A rated game is a separate duel (or Swedish match) with its own Buy-in between the players at the table.
A tournament is a bracket or Swiss event; entry fees and the prize pool follow tournament rules. Tournament games are counted separately from “regular” rated games in rewards and some stats.

Details on prize tournaments and systems — in Prize tournaments, Creating a tournament, and neighboring “Tournaments” articles. Here we cover rated duels only.

What you need to play for money (IQPIC)

An account on iqpi.io and sign-in to the personal account.
An active balance — without it, “Rated game” is unavailable (the UI shows “Unavailable when balance is inactive”). If you try to play without topping up, the system asks you to top up.
Enough IQPIC for the Buy-in amount (the creator and everyone who sits at the table).
For Swedish — enough fee for everyone who takes a slot in the rated match.

You can top up, withdraw, and transfer IQPIC tokens — described in Balance management. For “Chess for money online with withdrawal” you need an active balance, a rated game with Buy-in, then a withdrawal from /lk/balance.

How to create a rated game

Regular duel (Chess, Capital Chess, Tetris, Tetris: Attack)

Open the account and go to creating the game you need (from /lk home or the games catalog).
In “Game type”, choose “Rated game”.
Set time, win conditions, and other game settings.
Enter Buy-in in the IQPIC field. Nearby you see USDT and GRAM (ex TON) guides at the current rate — for convenience; IQPIC is what is charged and credited.
Check the “Maximum” hint: you cannot set more than your level limit or more than your current balance.
Create the room and wait for an opponent (or invite via challenge / link — depending on access mode).

If Buy-in is not set, creating a rated game will not succeed: the system asks you to enter the entry fee.

Swedish (Bughouse)

Create Swedish: /game/create/swedish.
Enable rated mode and set Buy-in.
In the lobby, all participants must have at least the fee on their balance.
The fee is accounted for at the level of the whole match, not a single board.

Formats, reserve, and drop details — in Swedish.

How Buy-in works

1v1 duel

Both players have the same Buy-in (set by the room creator).

After the game:

on a win, your IQPIC balance increases by the fee amount;
on a loss, the balance decreases by the fee amount;
on a draw, the IQPIC fee is not redistributed (balance by Buy-in does not change).

In practice the winner’s gain comes from the loser: in operation history this shows as a linked transfer between players.

If the balance is very low, the system may limit further charges (protection against going “below zero” under iqpi.io service rules).

Swedish (team match)

Pot = fee × number of participants.
The winning team splits the pot.
Losers lose the fee.
On a match draw, Buy-in is not redistributed.

What is not Buy-in

Changes to skill rating after a game (a separate “strength” scale).
Tournament entry fees and prizes.
Donations, gifts, affiliate credits — other operation types.

Fee limit and level

Maximum Buy-in depends on:

your level;
the platform setting “max fee per level” (default 50 IQPIC per level);
and your current balance.

Final ceiling: no more than (limit × level) and no more than balance. That number appears in the “Maximum” hint when creating.

Level grows from wins in rated games (progress “to next level” is counted by wins). The higher the level, the higher the allowed Buy-in ceiling.

Rewards for rated win streaks (5 / 10 in a row, 100 games, etc.) are described in Rewards; tournament games do not count toward those streaks.

How to find a rated room

In waiting and active game lists, look for:

rated / unrated marker;
the Buy-in column (fee in IQPIC);
opponents’ rating / balance — to judge risk.

List filters and sorting help you pick rated games with a fee. Before joining, make sure your balance covers Buy-in.

What happens after a game

The result window opens: win / loss / draw.
For a rated game, the change in IQPIC balance is shown (and skill rating / level change may appear separately).
The operation is recorded in balance history.

Where to see earnings

/lk/balance — IQPIC operation history: fees, winnings, transfers, charges (see also Balance management).
Played-game history — in the personal account (game history section).

Game records show the amount change, operation type, and related opponent / room.

Skill rating: briefly

After rated and tournament games, the game rating for the chosen discipline (Chess, Capital Chess, Tetris, etc.) updates. This is a strength score, not a “wallet.”

A win raises skill rating, a loss lowers it; draws follow other rules.
The size of the change depends on both players’ strength.
On the leaderboard and in the profile, look at this figure when comparing “who is stronger.”

Key point: money/tokens = Buy-in and IQPIC balance; skill is about strength progress.

Fair play

Fair-play control applies in a game: do not leave the game window without need. Leaving the tab may show an anti-cheat warning asking you to return to fair play.

Capital Chess also makes engine “hints” harder via special piece-value rules — details in that game’s article.

Account use rules and iqpi.io limits are in the user agreement. For disputed charges or suspected fraud, contact support.

Balance inactivity

On platform iqpi.io there may be a monthly token charge for long inactivity. To avoid losing balance for no reason, keep using rated games or track account activity.

The exact amount and conditions may be clarified in profile hints and on the balance page.

Typical scenarios

A. First “Chess for money” game

Top up your IQPIC balance.
Create Chess → “Rated game” → set a small Buy-in within “Maximum.”
Wait for an opponent, play the game.
Open /lk/balance and check +/− on the operation; withdraw if needed.

B. Open rated table with a high fee

Make sure your level and balance allow the needed Buy-in.
Create a room with the chosen fee.
Watch the waiting list / share the link.
Do not sit at the table if you are not ready to risk the full fee amount.

C. Rated Swedish

Create a match with a fee.
Fill the roster; everyone must have enough Buy-in.
The team result decides who splits the pot and who loses the fee.

FAQ

Why can’t I choose “Rated game”?

Balance is inactive or rated mode is unavailable. Top up the balance and refresh the page.

Why won’t the room create?

Buy-in is missing, the fee is above “Maximum,” not enough IQPIC, or you chose bot/solo mode where the fee is forbidden.

Why didn’t the balance change after a draw?

By design: on a draw, Buy-in is not redistributed.

Skill rating went up, but IQPIC didn’t — is that normal?

Yes, if the game was unrated or without monetary redistribution. Skill and balance are different things.

Where do I withdraw winnings?

First tokens are on the IQPIC balance; withdrawal and exchange — in Balance management (and related deposit/withdrawal screens).

Do tournaments count toward level and rated-streak rewards?

For many rewards and win streaks, tournament games do not count. Follow reward descriptions in the profile.

Can I play rated vs a bot?

No. Buy-in for computer play and Tetris solo is disabled.

Cheat sheet

Action	Where
Create a rated duel	Create game → “Rated game” → Buy-in
Create rated Swedish	`/game/create/swedish` → rated + fee
See fee ceiling	“Maximum” hint when creating
Top up / withdraw	Balance / deposit–withdrawal section
Win/loss history	`/lk/balance`
Rules for a specific game	“Games” section articles

Useful Help links

Balance management — top-ups, withdrawals, transfers.
Prize tournaments — earning via tournaments.
Chess, Capital Chess, Tetris, Tetris: Attack — game rules.
Swedish — team Buy-in and formats.
Rewards — achievements for win streaks.

This article describes the rated-games user scenario on platform iqpi.io at the time of publication. Limit amounts and platform fees may be clarified in the UI and settings. Base URL for Help links: APP_URL from backend .env + /help/{slug} (no locale).