Master Chess
Chasing 2000. Rapid games, monthly rating snapshots, and a tactical study plan to keep improving.
♟ Current Rating
1142 RAPID
Intermediate — Chess.com Rapid
Playing 10–15 min Rapid games. Win rate around 40–50%. Solid foundations in place — the main gains now come from tactics training and cutting down on blunders. Next milestone is cracking 1200.
Goal: 2000 rating · Time control: Rapid (10–15 min) · Chess.com profile ↗
📊 Monthly Rating Log
♟
How to log: Chess.com Stats page ↗ At the end of each month, record your Rapid rating from the Chess.com stats page. Note games played and win rate. Aim for at least 20–30 games per month for a meaningful rating.
May 2026
Baseline recorded · Win rate ~40–50% · Rapid 10–15 min
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Jun 2026
Tactics puzzles daily · Cut blunders below 2 per game
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Jul 2026
Solid openings as White & Black · Basic endgames
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Aug 2026
Game analysis habit · Review 2 losses per week
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Sep 2026
Milestone — Club Player level · Positional awareness
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Oct 2026
Middlegame planning · Piece coordination
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Nov 2026
Advanced tactics · Rook endgames · Deeper opening prep
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Dec 2026
Year-end review · Set 2027 roadmap to 2000
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Update each row at month-end. Record your Rapid rating, games played, and one thing you improved on that month.
📚 Study Plan — 1142 → 2000
Phase 1 · Now → Sep
1200–1400
Tactics daily · Cut blunders · 2 solid openings · Basic endgames
Phase 2 · Oct → Dec
1400–1600
Middlegame planning · Positional play · Rook endgames · Opening theory
🎯 Long-term Goal
2000
Candidate Master territory · Deep opening prep · Advanced endgame theory
Daily Commitment
20–30 min
Puzzles every day. 2–3 Rapid games on weekdays. Deeper sessions on weekends.
MondayTactics
Puzzles — 15–20 min
- Chess.com daily puzzles
- Focus: forks & pins
- Aim for 10+ puzzles solved
TuesdayPlay
Rapid games — 2–3 games
- Think before every move
- Check for opponent threats first
- No fast blitz — keep it slow
WednesdayOpenings
Opening study — 20 min
- Learn one opening line at a time
- Chess.com opening explorer
- Drill with practice match
ThursdayTactics
Puzzle Rush — 10 min
- Timed puzzle burst
- Focus: discovered attacks & skewers
- Review any you got wrong
FridayPlay + Review
Play then analyse
- 2 Rapid games
- Run computer analysis on 1 game
- Find the key mistake (not just blunders)
WeekendDeep Work
Deep session — 1 hr
- Endgame practice (King + Pawn, Rook)
- Watch a GM game analysis video
- Play 1 longer game (15+10)
- Record monthly rating (1st weekend)
1142→1200: Stop hanging pieces · Check for captures before moving · Solve 10 puzzles daily
1200→1400: 2 opening lines solid (White & Black) · Basic K+P and Rook endgames · Weekly game analysis
1400→1600: Positional thinking · Pawn structure · Piece activity · Deeper middlegame plans
1200→1400: 2 opening lines solid (White & Black) · Basic K+P and Rook endgames · Weekly game analysis
1400→1600: Positional thinking · Pawn structure · Piece activity · Deeper middlegame plans
🛠 Resources
Free
Daily tactics puzzles rated by difficulty. The single best thing you can do at 1100–1400. Aim for 10–15 puzzles daily — consistency beats intensity.
Free
Unlimited free tactics training with a rating system. Great complement to Chess.com puzzles. Also has excellent free study tools and opening explorer.
Free
Levy Rozman breaks down games, openings, and concepts for improving players. His "guess the move" videos are excellent for pattern recognition at the 1000–1500 level.
Free
GM Daniel Naroditsky plays from 600 Elo explaining every decision out loud. Watching games at your rating level narrated by a GM is one of the most efficient ways to improve.
Free
Explore opening theory and see win rates at your level. Pick 1 opening as White (e.g. London System) and 1 as Black vs e4 (e.g. Sicilian) and drill them until automatic.
Free
Focused tactical training with detailed difficulty ratings. Good for identifying weak tactical pattern areas — sorts puzzles by motif (pins, forks, discovered attacks).