Chess.com rates you with the Glicko system and keeps a separate rating for bullet, blitz, rapid and daily chess, plus puzzles. Bullet is under 3 minutes, blitz is 3 to under 10 minutes and rapid is 10 minutes or more, counting the increment over about 40 moves. New accounts start at 400 or 800 depending on the skill level chosen, and move fast until the system is sure of your level.
This guide explains how each rating works and how to raise it. Check your own ratings on the RankSurge Chess.com stats page, which uses the official Chess.com Published-Data API. It is current as of October 2026.
How does Chess.com classify time controls?
| Rating | Time per player | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Bullet | Under 3 minutes | 1 | 0, 2 | 1 |
| Blitz | 3 to under 10 minutes | 3 | 0, 5 | 5 |
| Rapid | 10 minutes or more | 10 | 0, 15 | 10 |
| Daily | Days per move | 1 to 3 days a move |
Chess.com counts the increment as well as the base time. It assumes a 40-move game, so a 2 | 12 game counts as rapid: 2 minutes plus 12 seconds times 40 moves is 10 minutes, per Chess.com Help.
Why are my ratings different in each time control?
Each time control tests different skills. Bullet rewards speed and pattern recognition, rapid rewards calculation and planning, and daily lets you think for as long as you need. Most players are strongest in one time control, so it is normal for your rapid and bullet ratings to be hundreds of points apart.
How does the Glicko rating system work?
Glicko is a refinement of Elo that also tracks how certain the system is about your rating. When you are new or have not played for a while, that uncertainty is high and each game moves your rating more. As you play more games, the uncertainty shrinks and changes get smaller. New accounts can move around 100 points in one game, while established accounts usually move 5 to 10 points, per Chessiro.
What rating do new players start at?
A new Chess.com account starts at 400 or 800, depending on the skill level chosen when you sign up, per Chess.com Help. Your first games then move the rating quickly toward your real level.
How do Chess.com ratings compare with Lichess and FIDE?
Ratings are only comparable inside the same site and time control. Lichess starts players at 1500 and its numbers often run a few hundred points higher than Chess.com's for similar strength. FIDE ratings come from over-the-board tournaments with a stronger average pool, so there is no exact conversion.
How can you raise your Chess.com rating?
- Pick one time control to climb and play it most of the week.
- Play slower to improve faster. Rapid games give you time to calculate, and the habits carry over to blitz.
- Do puzzles daily. Tactics decide most games below 1500.
- Learn one opening per colour and review the games where you left it early.
- Review every loss. Find the first move where the evaluation dropped and why.
Keep reading: Chess.com stats explained and how to improve your Chess.com rating. Play on Lichess too? See the Lichess stats page, or browse every game in the Guide Library.
Check your profile: look up your username on the Chess.com stats page to see every rating, your win rate, puzzle scores, recent games and top openings, then compare yourself with a friend in AI Profile Pick. RankSurge is not affiliated with Chess.com.
Frequently asked questions
What rating system does Chess.com use?
Chess.com uses the Glicko system, a refinement of Elo that also tracks how certain it is about your rating. New or inactive players have more uncertainty, so their ratings move more per game. As you play more games, the uncertainty shrinks and each result moves your rating less.
What counts as blitz on Chess.com?
Blitz is any game with an estimated length over 3 minutes and under 10 minutes per player. Chess.com counts the increment by assuming a 40-move game, so 3 | 2 is blitz because 3 minutes plus 2 seconds times 40 moves is about 4 minutes 20 seconds. Games under 3 minutes are bullet and games of 10 minutes or more are rapid.
What is a good Chess.com rating?
It depends on the time control, because each has its own rating pool. Rapid ratings on Chess.com average roughly 600 to 800, so a rating above 1000 in rapid puts you ahead of most players. Compare yourself with players in the same time control, and track whether your rating rises over a month rather than over a day.
Why is my Lichess rating higher than my Chess.com rating?
Lichess starts every player at 1500 and uses a different rating pool, so its numbers often run a few hundred points higher than Chess.com's for similar strength. Ratings are only directly comparable within the same site and time control.