♟️ CHESS IS WAR GRADES 🥋
| Grade | Belt Color | Chess.com min rating | Chess.com Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRADE 1 | WHITE | — | — |
| GRADE 2 | YELLOW | 600 | 7% |
| GRADE 3 | ORANGE | 800 | 25% |
| GRADE 4 | GREEN | 1000 | 42% |
| GRADE 5 | BLUE | 1200 | 52% |
| GRADE 6 | PURPLE | 1400 | 70% |
| GRADE 7 | BROWN | 1500 | 77% |
| GRADE 8 | BLACK | 1700 | 90% |
Percentile: The percentage of players whose rating is lower than yours.
🥋 GRADE 8: BLACK BELT – OCHO aka Advanced Chess Warrior (Elite 10%)
When you reach GRADE 8: BLACK (minimum 1700 ELO), you’ve earned your Ocho (8 in Spanish) title. This means you’re not just a player — you’re an Advanced Chess Warrior, a tactician, and a serious threat on the board. You’re in the Elite 10%.
Then at this level, Dans for each 100 ELO points achieved.
🥋 From Black Belt to Dan Ranks
Once you reach GRADE 8, Ocho, the climb to excellence continues.
For every additional +100 ELO points, you earn a Dan Rank, just like in martial arts.
🧠 Example:
- 1800 ELO = Black Belt, 1st Dan
- 1900 ELO = Black Belt, 2nd Dan
- 2000 ELO = Black Belt, 3rd Dan
- 2100 ELO = Black Belt, 4th Dan
- … and so on
Each Dan Rank represents a new level of mental sharpness, experience, and psychological warfare.
Chess rating percentile table
The table below shows chess rating percentiles for Chess.com, Lichess, FIDE and USFC ratings.
| Chess rating (elo) | Chess.com percentile | FIDE percentile | Lichess percentile | USFC percentile |
| 2000 to 2099 | 98% | 90% | 99% | 96% |
| 1900 to 1999 | 96% | 84% | 99% | 94% |
| 1800 to 1899 | 94% | 77% | 98% | 91% |
| 1700 to 1799 | 90% | 70% | 96% | 87% |
| 1600 to 1699 | 84% | 61% | 94% | 82% |
| 1500 to 1599 | 77% | 52% | 90% | 77% |
| 1400 to 1499 | 70% | 47% | 84% | 72% |
| 1300 to 1399 | 61% | 42% | 77% | 67% |
| 1200 to 1299 | 52% | 37% | 70% | 62% |
| 1100 to 1199 | 47% | 25% | 61% | 57% |
| 1000 to 1099 | 42% | 15% | 52% | 52% |
| 900 to 999 | 37% | 7% | 47% | 48% |
| 800 to 899 | 25% | 3% | 42% | 43% |
| 700 to 799 | 15% | 1% | 37% | 37% |
| 600 to 699 | 7% | 1% | 25% | 31% |
Percentile: The percentage of players whose rating is lower than yours.
| RATING | WHO / WHAT | NOTES / TITLE |
|---|---|---|
| 4043 | Stockfish 17 | Strongest chess engine in the world (est.) |
| 2882 | GM Magnus Carlsen (peak) | Peak FIDE rating (May 2014) |
| 2500+ | Grandmaster (GM) | FIDE title — requires norms and rating |
| 2400+ | International Master (IM) | FIDE title — lower than GM |
| 1200 | A good chess rating on Chess.com | Intermediate level / CIW Grade 5 Blue Belt |
| 650 | Average rating on Chess.com | Among casual/new players (mainly rapid/blitz) |
| RATING (ELO) | LEVEL |
|---|---|
| < 800 | Novice |
| 800 – 1099 | Beginner |
| 1100 – 1399 | Intermediate |
| 1400 – 1699 | Advanced Intermediate |
| 1700 – 1999 | Advance |
| 2000 – 2299 | Expert |
What is a Good Chess Rating?
GM Hikaru Nakamura — widely considered the second-strongest player in the world after GM Magnus Carlsen — has said that 1200 is a solid target for new adult players. In a video, he recommends this rating goal to a 30-year-old beginner, explaining that 1200 represents a level well above complete beginners, yet remains achievable for casual players who are consistent.
He also notes that the average skill level in chess has risen significantly in recent years due to the widespread use of AI engines, YouTube, and online tools, making it easier to improve quickly. As a result, a 1200 rating today reflects stronger play than it did a decade ago.
Approximately 30 millions people in the world have a chess rating of 1200 or more on Chess.com. That’s about 50% of all chess players, and about 0.5% of all people on earth. To stay true to the chart above, at 1200 you’re better than 52% of all players on Chess.com.
♟️GRADE 5: BLUE on the Chess Is War scale. 👍
ELO converter across Chess.com, FIDE, and Lichess
A good general rule of thumb:
-
✅ Lichess ratings are usually ~400 points higher than Chess.com (especially in Blitz/Rapid)
-
✅ FIDE ratings are typically ~200 points lower than Chess.com for serious players
It won’t be exact for everyone, but it’s accurate enough for most casual-to-intermediate comparisons.
For deeper knowledges about Chess Rating.
♟ Why Are Chess Ratings Different Everywhere?
Chess ratings aren’t universal — they vary depending on the platform or organization. While most systems are based on the Elo formula, the starting ratings, calculation methods, and player pools all differ.
For example, online platforms like Chess.com and Lichess attract casual players, while FIDE and USCF (which govern official over-the-board tournaments) have more serious, competitive environments. Naturally, your rating on each system will reflect those differences.
🧠 What Is Your “Real” Chess Rating?
Many new players want to know their “real” rating, but the truth is — there is no single, official rating that applies everywhere. Your Chess.com rating doesn’t directly convert into a FIDE or Lichess rating. Each system is self-contained.
Some people argue that online ratings matter less than over-the-board (OTB) ratings, but that’s debatable. Yes, online games come with unique factors like disconnections or distractions — but those same risks apply to both players. So your online rating still reflects your skill, just in a different context.
♟️ What Is Elo?
Elo is a rating system developed by Arpad Elo to calculate the relative skill levels of players in zero-sum games like chess.
It’s officially used by FIDE — the International Chess Federation — to rate players in over-the-board (OTB) tournaments.
🌍 FIDE Elo = The Official Standard
| System | Rating Name | Used For |
|---|---|---|
| FIDE | Elo | Real-world, rated tournaments |
- Starts at ~1000 Elo
- Must play in FIDE-rated tournaments to earn a FIDE rating
- Titles like FM, IM, GM are based on FIDE Elo
💻 Online Platforms Use Their Own Systems
| Platform | Rating System | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chess.com | Glicko (modified) | Separate ratings for Blitz, Rapid, Bullet, Puzzles |
| Lichess | Glicko-2 | Generally more inflated than Chess.com |
| Others (CT-ART, Chessable, etc.) | Custom/Training ratings | Not comparable to Elo |
These ratings look like Elo, but they are not FIDE Elo and use different math behind the scenes.
⚠️ Why the Confusion?
- All these systems use similar-looking numbers (e.g. 1500, 2000), but:
- You can be 1800 on Lichess
- But only 1500 FIDE
- Your online rating ≠ your real-world rating
FIDE Elo = real-world official chess rating
Chess.com / Lichess ratings = online-only, non-transferable, often inflated
📊 How Ratings Compare Across Systems
🔁 Chess.com vs Lichess
- Lichess ratings are about 400 points higher than Chess.com.
- Why? Lichess starts new players at 1500, while Chess.com starts them at 1200.
🌍 Chess.com vs FIDE
- Chess.com ratings are roughly 200 points higher than FIDE.
- Over-the-board players are typically more disciplined and focused, so the competition is stronger.
🇺🇸 Chess.com vs USCF
- Expect Chess.com ratings to be 100–200 points higher than USCF ratings.
- USCF includes scholastic and adult tournaments with more serious preparation.
🧠 Lichess vs FIDE
- Lichess ratings are often 500–600 points higher than FIDE ratings.
- That’s mostly due to inflated starting ratings and a softer overall player pool.
🎮 Online vs Over-the-Board (OTB)
- Online ratings tend to be higher — usually by a few hundred points.
- OTB events require effort, travel, and concentration, so the average competitor is more dedicated.
⏱️ How Ratings Vary by Time Control
⚡ Blitz vs Rapid
- Your Blitz rating is often lower than your Rapid rating.
- Blitz attracts experienced, fast players. But if you think quickly, your Blitz rating might be higher.
🕐 Rapid vs Bullet
- Bullet players are often very strong, so new players will typically have a lower Bullet rating than Rapid.
🐢 Rapid vs Classical
- Classical chess has a much more serious and smaller player pool.
- Your Rapid rating may be 200–300 points higher than your Classical rating due to the intensity of long games.
As mentioned above, a good general rule of thumb:
-
✅ Lichess ratings are usually ~400 points higher than Chess.com (especially in Blitz/Rapid)
-
✅ FIDE ratings are typically ~200 points lower than Chess.com for serious players
It won’t be exact for everyone, but it’s accurate enough for most casual-to-intermediate comparisons.
🧩 Final Thought:
Your rating is only as “real” as the environment it represents. Whether online or over-the-board, what matters most is consistency, improvement, and the willingness to battle on the board — or the screen.
Personally, I use my Chess.com rapid chess rating as my “Elo“. And it’s probably the case for most serious chess players. Since, nowaday, everybody is online and Chess.com is the biggest and most popular chess website in the entire world.
PYGOD