Yahoo's chess opponent assignment is very slow and weird when compared with chess.com, lichess.org, SparkChess, or FICS. I would observe any of these and see how their methods could be adapted to Yahoo.

For one thing, you automatically match me to an opponent when I sign in. I do not have the option to choose a game with the computer or a different opponent. Most of the opponents are asleep at the switch and I have to wait for three or four minutes to be able to get away from the inert opponent. It would be better if you had a list of people seeking a match and you could choose or not choose someone from the list. The time spent waiting for an opponent to wake up and respond to the game challenge has got to be shortened. On chess.com it's 24 seconds. On Yahoo you have to wait 30 seconds before a SECOND timer takes hold, and that one goes on for two minutes before you're finally able to choose a different game.

I am also tired of winning game after game after game and seeing my rating go up by one point per game, if that, while a single loss cuts my rating by 23 points. That is so lopsided it's ludicrous. For some reason I'm rated 2200 versus the computer but the maximum rating I get against live opponents is 1999. Which is it? 2200 or 1999?

Thank you.

No Man