The 1200 hump is not commonly regarded as sport's greatest obstacle, nor does passing it allow you to claim the title of a chess expert. Chess.com has chosen this as the starting mark because a reasonably talented beginner would achieve this easily.
The curious case of 1200: The Expert's rating
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I stay around 1200 in rapid and I suck. And the chess community doesn't even recognize players under 1600, they just call anyone under that class C. So I think you over estimate 1200
I guess you are talking about 2200?
Jenium wrote:
You started at 2200 when you made a account?
I guess you are talking about 2200?
i was able to start at 800 fwiw
micky1943 wrote:
Who in chess ever talks about the "1200 hump?" I've been around chess for a long time, and I've never heard anyone use that phrase.
Really?
The first hump in chess Imo is 1400.
When I started tournament chess in Israel the minimum rating was 1450 (in Israel). The minimum international rating was 2200, then it got lowered to 2000.
It took many many years before they finally created ratings from 1300 and up, and many many more years before the bar of the absolute minimum tournament rating (in Israel) got down to 1200.
FIDE now has 1000 ratings - but this is basically a beginner rating, nothing more. People who freely give away material without compensation can still get this rating quite easily.
Yes, really. I have to agree with several responses to your inquiry, Vladimir. Look at my rating; I am no "expert." And I would not refer to someone rated below 2100 as an "expert."
2000 isn't enough for expert anymore then?
It's even worse now - players can start at 1800 if they want to. I believe chess.com should make all players, even masters, start at 1200, and work their way to their appropriate ratings.
Not that much work - due to the Glicko Rd factor, the new player will get from 1200 to around 2000 in 3-4 games if he's that kind of a player.
Vice versa - the 1800-starter who can't really play will fall below 1000 in four games for the same reason.
micky1943 wrote:
Who in chess ever talks about the "1200 hump?" I've been around chess for a long time, and I've never heard anyone use that phrase.
I would imagine most everything he says you probably have never heard before. He can be very creative about what he makes up or believes in. Finding any truth in his comments is probably more of challenge than any ratings hump.
The most kids in german clubs start with a rating in the 800s or 900s. For them having a four digit rating ist the first great archivement. 1200 is not a great barrier for those who have a little bit talent and / or really work on chess but many are still below that after 5 years and sooner or later stop playing chess.
The barrier is a personal thing! I started aduld, had good training by playing stronger opponents in the club with always a good hint and earned around 1200 after my first rated tournament. After 9 tournaments i was over 1500, after 16 over 1600 and it took my 30 tournaments to first break through my personal barrier, the 1700. It has gone back to the 1600s and then the half way up to 1800, but now i'm back in the 1600s have to break that 1700 barrier again in tournament no. 50 or 51.
Somtimes have the luck to play and analyze with experts (above 2000) and even FIDE Masters. They know and see so much more then me, they are giants!
lfPatriotGames wrote:
micky1943 wrote:
Who in chess ever talks about the "1200 hump?" I've been around chess for a long time, and I've never heard anyone use that phrase.
I would imagine most everything he says you probably have never heard before. He can be very creative about what he makes up or believes in. Finding any truth in his comments is probably more of challenge than any ratings hump.
I am not sure what you mean.
solskytz wrote:
2000 isn't enough for expert anymore then?
Perhaps I should have said 1500. 
The 1200 hump, as it is commonly referred to in Chess, is the sport's greatest obstacle.
Achieving this rating is the equivalent of graduating from an Ivy league School. No, it does not yet mean that you have mastered this pastime of intuition and pattern recognition. It does on the other hand suggest that you are well on your way to achieve such accomplishments.
In other words by attaining the rating of 1200, you can claim the title of being a Chess expert, and deservedly so. The mark of 1200 separates the casuals from the serious. It is the dividing line between the average and the exemplary.
I write this today because I want to address Chess.com's peculiar approach to rating new users. Many of you know that upon opening a Chess.com account, one is immediately gifted the rating of 1200. This means that every new user is recognized as an expert. Of course most of these users end up going below the 1200 mark and lose the title almost immediately, after all they are beginners and not used to such high level Chess. Does anybody know why Chess.com has chosen 1200 as a starting point? After all it's not just an arbitrary number.