What is a good chess rating? Averages on Chess.com, Lichess and FIDE
"Is 1200 good?" The honest answer is: it depends on where the 1200 comes from. A Chess.com 1200, a Lichess 1200 and a FIDE 1200 are three different things. Here's how to read your number.
Rating bands at a glance
These bands are a rough guide for online rapid and blitz. Treat them as neighbourhoods, not borders.
| Rating | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Under 600 | Learning how the pieces move and how to finish a game. Pieces get left hanging often. |
| 600–1000 | Knows the rules and basic checkmates. Games are decided by one-move blunders. |
| 1000–1400 | Sees simple tactics (forks, pins) for both sides most of the time. Openings have a plan. |
| 1400–1800 | Solid club player. Fewer outright blunders; games turn on calculation and endgames. |
| 1800–2000 | Strong club player. USCF calls 1800–1999 "Class A". |
| 2000–2200 | Expert. Few people who play casually ever get here. |
| 2200+ | Master territory. FIDE titles start at 2200 (Candidate Master), then 2300 (FIDE Master), 2400 (International Master) and 2500 (Grandmaster). |
Why Chess.com and Lichess ratings don't match
- Different starting points. Lichess starts every new player at 1500. Chess.com asks your level when you sign up and starts you lower or higher from that.
- Different player pools. A rating only means something relative to the people in the same pool. Chess.com has a huge casual player base, so its averages sit lower; Lichess numbers for the same player are usually noticeably higher.
- Different time controls. Your bullet, blitz and rapid ratings are separate. Most people are rated highest in the slowest format they play.
- Over-the-board is its own thing. FIDE ratings only count rated tournament games, and the lowest FIDE rating is 1400, so FIDE numbers aren't comparable with online numbers at all.
The fairest way to judge your rating is your percentile in your own pool. Lichess publishes live distributions for each time control on its rating distribution page; if you're above the middle of that curve, you're better than most people who play.
So what's a "good" rating?
For most adults who play for fun, being above the median of your pool is a good rating, and 1500+ on any major site means you play better than most people who know the rules. But "good" is more useful as a direction than a number: the right target is 100–200 points above where you are now.
The fastest climb at almost every level under 1500 is cutting one-move blunders. See how to stop blundering.
FAQ
Is 1000 a good chess rating?
On Chess.com, 1000 is above a large share of players. It means you know the rules and basic tactics and are ready to work on not leaving pieces undefended.
Is 1500 a good chess rating?
Yes. On most sites 1500 puts you comfortably ahead of the casual player base. On Lichess it's the starting rating, so check your percentile there.
How do I convert Chess.com to Lichess or FIDE?
There's no exact formula, because the pools are different. Compare percentiles instead of raw numbers.