[Chuck Kennedy]

Ratings are a zero sum calculation so there cannot be any ratings inflation overall. It will be interesting to see how much the SSA gets depressed as a result of home course knowledge. While some players may be able to boost their rating a little bit, in the case of Ams, it means they may be somewhat over rated and have to play in a higher division on weekend tourneys. So no advantage other than bragging rights.

In the case of some local pros trying to boost their rating playing in leagues, that will just mean they may be over rated when traveling and playing in bigger events. That's just more rating points for the top guys like Feldberg and Avery to snap up at those events to bring the local pro's rating back to earth.

In summary, there are some elements that could boost some ratings and some that might depress them. But with the zero sum ratings calculation their net impact will be minimal overall.