From 1200 to 1500

Hi everyone!

I’ve recently set a goal for myself: to reach a chess rating of 1500. Right now, my actual chess rating is 1214 SSB (Swiss chess federation), my Chess.com rating is 1146, and my Lichess rating is 1421. I play more often on Lichess, but I’m determined to improve across all platforms

Why 1500?
To me, 1500 is more than just a number; it’s a mark of solid understanding in chess. Players at this level think strategically, minimize mistakes, and can handle complex positions. I know getting there won’t be easy, but I’m motivated to make steady progress.

My Current Training Plan
Here’s what I’m doing to work towards my goal:

Solve tactical puzzles on Chess.com or Lichess to improve my calculation skills.

Play one rapid game (10|0 or 15|10) and analyze it afterward to learn from my mistakes.

Focus on openings I use frequently, aiming to understand typical plans and ideas instead of just memorizing moves.

Practice basic endgames, like king-and-pawn and rook-and-pawn scenarios, to improve my conversion skills in winning positions.

Watch instructional videos or study materials(GM games and Chess.com/lichess Studies) to improve my strategic understanding.

Game Analysis:

After every game, I use tools like Chess.com’s Game Review or Lichess analysis to identify critical mistakes and missed opportunities.
I track recurring errors and focus my training on fixing them.

Challenges I’m Facing
Blunders: I occasionally lose focus and make simple tactical errors(I dont just hang pieces), especially under time pressure.
Opening Preparation: I know the basics, but I’m still refining my understanding of the middle games that arise from them.
Rating Fluctuations: Progress feels slow at times, and it’s easy to get frustrated with rating swings.

Why I’m Sharing This
I know many of you have gone through similar journeys, and I’d love to hear your advice. What strategies worked for you when trying to improve your chess skills? How did you overcome plateaus and stay motivated?

Thx for the read.
(First post btw)

Hey there.

All the best with your goal!

I am rated over 2400 online (https://www.chess.com/member/ppandachess). I created a free course that will teach you a training plan to improve. Feel free to check it out: https://www.panda-chess.com/daily-improvement-plan

I'd focus on chess.com rating. Lichess is inflated. As for your improvement. You sound like you're doing everything right. I'm sure you will get to 1500 if you stick to your plan. Something that helped me was Gothams how to win at chess series on YouTube. I would watch him play against various different skill levels and I picked up some tips and tactics. Try to get good at end games too. A lot of my wins come from end games because as an opponent starts to lose they will try to trade out of it. Getting better at endgames gave me the confidence to not care if I trade queen's.

And try not to tilt. I have on multiple occasions dropped 200 elo by playing while mad about previous games. Take a step back. Have a night off. Just get your mindframe right whenever you play.

I remember doing the same kind of thing, you've definitely got a good plan in place. Something that really helped for me was absorbing ALL the information. I was constantly watching YouTube videos, looking at aim chess and chess mood, and doing puzzles and lessons whenever possible. There's definitely a chance of information overload though, so take this path with caution if you want to pursue it. Otherwise, good luck!

"I know many of you have gone through similar journeys, and I’d love to hear..". In my case, I used to train 3-6 hours a day when I was on your level. I used chess books I did not like online tactics trainers. I did not watch chess videos. These days I do not do chess training anymore. I just play for fun, and try to remember all the chess stuff that I did for several hours.

1700 felt hard bro.

My comment was gone. I am putting it again..

You said you will be solving tactics and do basic endgames. That is a great idea. Just choose the correct materials for you and do it consistently every day. You will be amazed how easy it to be 1700. In terms of openings, I memorize openings. Many coaches will not recommend memorizing, but I did it anyway because I liked it.

1700 to 2000 is the hard part.

Yes. I'm considering joining a chess club now. Learn from players in real time where I can discuss moves and tactics with them. Although I've never read a chess book so might be a good idea to do that too.

Yes, precisely. Read chess books that strong players used to read. It is good to ask.

Any books that you would recommend? I'm 1700 on here and I consider myself to have a decent understanding of chess.

Good Chess Books for Beginners and Beyond...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/good-chess-books-for-beginners-and-beyond

Nice

Russbell to the rescue.

Thanks

I made a club btw dedicated to getting 1500 elo

https://www.chess.com/club/road-to-1500-and-beyond/join/cddb10

I would maybe drop 15|10 and play more blitz / bullet. The only way to get better at playing with time pressure is to play low time controls. This will also improve your focus issue, as you don't have the luxury of time to not focus in a 3 minute game as opposed to 15. You will also be exposed to more positions and scenarios as you can fit in more blitz / bullet games in your day than rapid games. I would also recommend maybe subscribing to Agadmator on youtube, he does daily full game analysis of top players. It is a good place to find inspiration and expand your scope and thinking of what is even possible in chess. Also don't fixate on rating numbers as a marker of growth. Every time you try out something new you learned (be it a positional or tactical idea) you are bound to screw it up and lose rating. However just because you lost rating doesn't mean overall you haven't grown as a player. Also don't pigeon hole yourself, try out new things often instead of fixating on memorizing particular openings or lines. The fear of looking stupid hampered my own growth the most out of anything.

wow I hope you get there man keep up the good work and dont give up on your dreams