How much improvement to expect after almost four years of chess

When I first started playing chess, I remember seeing games by 2000+ rated players and wondering in awe as to how one can possibly get to that level. It looked impossible back then, like something only a few select genius achieve.

Now, 3.5 years since learning how to play. I am reflecting back at the progress I have made and what I have accomplished with my chess career and I figured I should make a post for those just starting out. It might be helpful to look at things from a different perspective.

Also, this is me just reflecting on what I have done.

Year 1:
I started chess October 31, 2018. I opened an account on lichess that same day. I had seen a friend play and I just wanted to learn how to play the game. Little did I know, I would fall in love with it.
I spent the first 3 months learning how to play. I was a fast and addicted learning so I pretty much had a rapid progress. I was 1100+ after 4 months which was insane thinking back now.
I mostly watched videos like john Bartholomew chess fundamental, climbing the rating ladder series, gingergm, stlouis Chess club e.t.c.
Solving tactics puzzles really played to my improvement in the first year. I was solving and playing a lot. I played about 1000+ games in the first year (rapid TC).

Year 2:
I had a series of tilt in the second year. I also realized an appetite blitz chess and played that mostly. I was about 1500+ rapid at this point.
Still the same method of studying. Videos mostly and experimenting with chessable for opening.
I studied a lot, just not as much as the first year as I rarely have time since I was in my second year of uni.
I realized blitz wasn't going to help improve a lot so I eventually stopped and stocked to rapid chess.

Year 3
I was averaging 1800+ at this point. I saw massive improvements as a result of studying games from the second year. I recognized and recall opening from games I had study. The most difficult part was crossing 2000+.
I beat sub 2000+ players easily but 2000+ just looked like that number I will never cross.
I did eventually cross it and I honestly don't know what to attribute that to since I wasn't studying as much as I used to.

Past few months.
I had a tilt after crossing 2100. That's actually as a result of my medical school professional exams and my state of mind. I realize chess can be brutal lol. I am mostly playing to have fun now. I don't care all that much about my rating since I know I am actually stronger that that.
As for studying, nothing much. Just Gotham chess videos which are just for entertainment and I also try to follow chess tournament live on YouTube. I know I should take my chess more seriously and I will eventually.

Future goal:
I currently have a goal of getting to 2200 rapid. The ultimate goal for me is 2500 as I believe I will be able to beat almost anybody at that level which is okay for me lol. I hope I get there eventually.

As to what I intend to do, I basically just want to play lol and have fun. When I get to 2200 then I will start studying endgames patterns. I don't know those lol.
I am staying away from opening studying so I play one or two same opening.
At my level, openings still aren't all that crucial.
I am probably doing something wrong so I would like to know what others think.

I should probably add, I am not trying to brag about my progress or anything like that. I just wanted this out there because it's something I always wondered starting out. Like what can you expect after X years of chess.

I'm not sure, but great progress!

Can you talk more about how you would approach studying your games?

@StratteraCapsules said in #3:
> I'm not sure, but great progress!
>
> Can you talk more about how you would approach studying your games?
Thank you.

Like I said, I mostly just watch chess videos for that. I also do chessable every now and then. Just the free courses on there.
Puzzles are also a part of that.
If you are talking about my own game, I basically analyze after every match.
I pretty much try and see what I could play better. I sometimes convince myself to do analysis without the engine but that's not what I do most of the time.

@TheKingClash said in #2:
> Players usually improve very quick at first, but after 1500, the average player improves by around 60 to 100 rating points per year. If you were 1100+ after four months, you have been improving around 300 points per year which is great! But you should probaby expect your rating improvement to slow down after 2200, since the strategies you need to beat higher rated players are often much more subtle, rather than the obvious tactics you used against low rated players.

Yeah, I figured that. I haven't made any significant progress in the past 6 months actually. Sometimes I actually think I might have plateaued but that's what I think every time I find improvement difficult until I hit another milestone so I can never be sure.

I don't expect to hit my goal anytime soon since I understand how the 2000+ is unlike the 1000+ in term of improvement.

Well to get to 2500 you will need plenty of openings so best start at them, rapid is made for openings. Progress in rating is directly win/loss so that all depends on who you play. If you only play people less than you you will grind upward and get to your level. Thus ratings are being falsely seen as power ratings but they are not. If I only play those high then me my rating my be low but my power would be higher, so ratings are for pros only; they are signs of who wins more.
You need a good tutor to judge your real growth all the great have many helping them.

im blitz rating better than you :D

weird brag, but ok. got your chess brag in, got your medical school brag in, got the I was better than them, i only lost because I didn't try to win excuse in.

> Future goal:
> I currently have a goal of getting to 2200 rapid. The ultimate goal for me is 2500 as I believe I will be able to beat almost anybody at that level which is okay for me lol. I hope I get there eventually.

there were

- 10000 1500 rated rapid players this week
- 5000 2000 rated rapid players this week
- 1800 2200 rated rapid players this week
- 172 2500 rated rapid players this week

at 2500, you'd be able to beat 383000 people out of 383,356

I don't think many GMs play rapid, but I'm guessing a rating of 2500 in rapid is at the level were you have a natural ability in chess plus it's your full time job and you're spending 8 hours a day studying.

even 2200 there are only 2000 players higher rated than you out of 383000. probably achievable for very talented part time chess people?

all guesses. it's a nice achievement you've made already for a part time player.

After 4 years I was barely able to walk and chew gum at the same time ...

@h2b2 said in #8:
> weird brag, but ok. got your chess brag in, got your medical school brag in, got the I was better than them, i only lost because I didn't try to win excuse in.
>
>
>
> there were
>
> - 10000 1500 rated rapid players this week
> - 5000 2000 rated rapid players this week
> - 1800 2200 rated rapid players this week
> - 172 2500 rated rapid players this week
>
> at 2500, you'd be able to beat 383000 people out of 383,356
>
> I don't think many GMs play rapid, but I'm guessing a rating of 2500 in rapid is at the level were you have a natural ability in chess plus it's your full time job and you're spending 8 hours a day studying.
>
> even 2200 there are only 2000 players higher rated than you out of 383000. probably achievable for very talented part time chess people?
>
> all guesses. it's a nice achievement you've made already for a part time player.

I clearly stated my reason for posting but if you think it's a brag then okay. Not like that removes anything from my goal for posting. Thanks for the compliment anyways