# Week 5: how to go from 800 to 1200 in chess, while sliding back to 860 > 884 → 860 (-24) in 38 games, with nine losses in a row. What my own games say about how to go from 800 to 1200 in chess: blunders first. - URL: https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey/week-2024-w06/ - Updated: 2026-10-22 - Author: Ignacio Soler Week 5 (February 5–11, 2024) went backwards: **38 games, 14 wins, 24 losses, no draws, and my rating fell from 884 to 860 (-24)**. In the middle of it I lost **nine games in a row** (#158 to #166). That's a good moment to be honest about how to go from 800 to 1200 in chess, because this week shows exactly what was keeping me in the 800s, and it wasn't my openings. ## The week in numbers | | | |---|---| | Games | 38 (#138–#175) | | Rating | 884 → 860 (-24) | | Wins / losses / draws | 14 / 24 / 0 | | As White | 7 W, 11 L | | As Black | 7 W, 13 L | | Longest losing streak | 9 (#158–#166) | | Highest rating this week | 909 (after game #150) | | Lowest rating this week | 846 (after game #172) | | Average accuracy (Stockfish) | 77.0% | | Blunders | 78 | | Blunders per game | 2.1 | | Time control | 20 min (34), 15\|10 (4) | | Most played openings | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Chigorin Variation (6); Queen's Pawn Opening Chigorin Variation (4); Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Variation (3) | The rating curve tells the story: up to 909 after game #150 on Tuesday morning, then the streak from Tuesday night to Saturday, down to 846 after game #172, and a small recovery to 860. Seventeen of my 38 games were some kind of Queen's Pawn opening. As White, the games labelled Zukertort-Chigorin (1.d4 d5 with my bishop to f4 and knight to f3, against an early ...Nc6) went 5 wins and 1 loss. As Black, the games where White answered 1.d4 d5 with 2.Nc3 (labelled Chigorin Variation) went 0 for 4. The numbers that matter most for the 800-to-1200 question are the mistakes: 78 blunders, about two per game, 50 of them in the middlegame. In six of my losses (#138, #151, #153, #158, #170 and #175) the engine had given me at least an 80% winning chance. I wasn't losing because I didn't know theory. I was losing positions I had already won. ## Where the games turned Three moments, all from the first day of the week. Evaluations are from White's side, so a minus number is good for me when I have Black. ### Game #138: attacking a rook instead of giving check Against Chriso0989 (957) I had Black and was clearly winning (-3.39). White's rook had reached g7. I moved my queen to f8 to attack it. What I didn't check was that my own rook on e3 had no defender, and White had a queen check on g5 that also attacked it. They played it, took my rook, and the evaluation went to +3.68. > **Game #138, Black to move: my rook on e3 has no defender** > Position (FEN): `2rq4/pp2kpR1/3p3P/3p1Q2/3P4/2P1r3/PP6/1K6 b - - 2 30` > Played: Qf8 — Qf8 attacks the rook on g7, but Qg5+ hits my king and my rook > Better: Re1+ — Re1+, rook to e1 with check The engine's move was a check of my own: rook to e1. Checks come first because the opponent has to answer them. I [lost this game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100867414357) after 99 half-moves. ### Game #139: not taking back the pawn Against mannyb97 (890), Black, a Ruy Lopez, the position was dead level (0.00) after White's pawn captured on b6. The obvious move was to take it back with my a-pawn. I moved my bishop to b5 instead. The engine's punishment: the white pawn steps to b7 and attacks my rook in the corner, and White is completely winning (+6.59). My opponent didn't find that exact move, but I was worse from then on and [lost](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100874576539). > **Game #139, Black to move: a white pawn has just landed on b6** > Position (FEN): `r2q1rk1/p1p1n1pp/bPp2p2/2b1p3/4P3/3P1N1P/1PP2PP1/RNBQ1RK1 b - - 0 10` > Played: Bb5 — Bb5, a bishop move that leaves the pawn on b6 alive > Better: axb6 — axb6, pawn takes the pawn back ### Game #140: missing the pin With White against CuddlyBee (883) I was winning (+4.93). I put my queen on g5. The engine's move was bishop to a4, attacking Black's knight on c6 with the queen on d7 behind it. That's a pin: the knight can't move without exposing the queen. After my queen move Black could answer with a bishop move that attacks my queen, and the advantage dropped to +1.09. > **Game #140, White to move: Black's knight and queen are on the same line** > Position (FEN): `r3k2r/2pq1p2/p1nbp3/7p/1p1PP2B/2P5/PPBQ1P2/R3K2R w KQkq - 0 18` > Played: Qg5 — Qg5, an aggressive queen move that lets ...Be7 hit the queen > Better: Ba4 — Ba4 pins the knight on c6 to the queen on d7 I [won by checkmate](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100884794001) after Black blundered a move later, but the pin was the clean way. ## The lesson of the week All three best moves were *forcing* or *obvious*: a check (Re1+), a recapture (axb6) and a pin (Ba4). All three of my moves were "ideas": attack the rook, develop the bishop, bring the queen closer. At 800 I was skipping the simple question that comes before any idea: is there a check, a capture or a direct attack I should play right now? If there is, I play that first, and if the opponent has one, I deal with it first. That's my working answer to how to go from 800 to 1200 in chess: not more theory, but taking back pawns, giving the strong checks and noticing pins, consistently. The nine-game streak was nine games of doing that badly. ## All games this week | # | Date | Colour | Opponent (rating) | Result | Opening | Accuracy | Link | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 138 | Feb 5 | Black | Chriso0989 (957) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening Chigorin Variation | 76.5 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100867414357) | | 139 | Feb 5 | Black | mannyb97 (890) | Loss | Ruy Lopez Opening | 78.7 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100874576539) | | 140 | Feb 5 | White | CuddlyBee (883) | Win | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Chigorin Variation | 79.5 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100884794001) | | 141 | Feb 5 | Black | Gichuege (846) | Win | King's Pawn Opening King's Knight Variation | 89.3 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100887304367) | | 142 | Feb 5 | White | jaloycer (925) | Win | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Chigorin Variation | 90.1 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100888415365) | | 143 | Feb 5 | White | TarcizioBrazil (924) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Variation | 83.0 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100890110975) | | 144 | Feb 5 | Black | Bhavesh1711 (1066) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening Accelerated London System | 87.0 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100890294793) | | 145 | Feb 5 | White | SLou_chess (870) | Win | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Chigorin Variation | 83.6 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100893345915) | | 146 | Feb 5 | Black | laddiehoward (1025) | Win | Giuoco Piano Game Giuoco Pianissimo Variation | 83.7 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100899890277) | | 147 | Feb 5 | White | Kevin-Barry-1 (1045) | Loss | Indian Game London System | 74.8 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100900975623) | | 148 | Feb 5 | Black | manfersosa (921) | Loss | Giuoco Piano Game | 62.2 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100906384849) | | 149 | Feb 6 | Black | ganjaOG (975) | Win | Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack Modern Variation | 89.5 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100917113723) | | 150 | Feb 6 | White | us2000ua (970) | Win | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Variation | 54.0 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100951390661) | | 151 | Feb 6 | White | leahucatalin (1027) | Loss | Indian Game | 73.6 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100952517105) | | 152 | Feb 6 | Black | Wazaroncek (888) | Loss | Ruy Lopez Opening Classical Defense | 86.3 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100956154405) | | 153 | Feb 6 | White | Khan_Solo1 (1004) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening Krause Variation | 75.2 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100966947309) | | 154 | Feb 6 | Black | Sr_Bandlerhill (880) | Win | Center Game Accepted Normal Variation | 83.8 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100971322961) | | 155 | Feb 6 | Black | zvizam (970) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening Chigorin Variation | 91.4 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100972533043) | | 156 | Feb 6 | White | NikP77 (907) | Win | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Chigorin Variation | 83.2 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100977802249) | | 157 | Feb 6 | Black | lenoncorrea (949) | Win | Ruy Lopez Opening Cozio Defense | 52.0 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100979097691) | | 158 | Feb 6 | White | osperdo (948) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening Accelerated London System | 77.1 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/100997058191) | | 159 | Feb 7 | Black | KAIchessGM (1007) | Loss | King's Pawn Opening King's Knight Variation | 71.5 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101033519921) | | 160 | Feb 7 | White | PJDLK (931) | Loss | Modern Defense with 1 d4 | 80.7 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101034804375) | | 161 | Feb 7 | Black | AnilRajappan (879) | Loss | Three Knights Opening | 67.8 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101062381335) | | 162 | Feb 10 | White | BigDawgDunn (956) | Loss | Dutch Defense | 70.7 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101316094191) | | 163 | Feb 10 | Black | dduijnisveld (996) | Loss | King's Pawn Opening | 59.4 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101316674111) | | 164 | Feb 10 | White | Jahedirfan (1044) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Chigorin Variation | 61.3 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101321015451) | | 165 | Feb 10 | Black | Jusso22 (1045) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening Chigorin Variation | 84.0 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101321466041) | | 166 | Feb 10 | White | Attilahu (861) | Loss | London System | 84.9 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101328647177) | | 167 | Feb 10 | White | Maremotum (859) | Win | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Chigorin Variation | 85.6 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101333033065) | | 168 | Feb 10 | Black | rkaraky (934) | Loss | King's Gambit Accepted King's Knight Gambit | 59.6 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101334725051) | | 169 | Feb 10 | Black | thatsWhatICallCheckmate (860) | Win | Ruy Lopez Opening Cozio Defense | 94.9 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101344972913) | | 170 | Feb 10 | White | Bob2576 (1055) | Loss | Englund Gambit Mosquito Gambit | 74.5 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101345533599) | | 171 | Feb 11 | White | vadiim13 (888) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Variation | 58.7 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101395266615) | | 172 | Feb 11 | Black | foroma (935) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening Chigorin Variation | 81.0 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101395426689) | | 173 | Feb 11 | Black | Dadsgame (845) | Win | Queen's Pawn Opening | 95.8 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101419399351) | | 174 | Feb 11 | White | Friendly101 (1006) | Win | London System | 88.6 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101425856905) | | 175 | Feb 11 | Black | whitemagic3 (996) | Loss | English Opening Caro-Kann Defensive System | 52.7 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/101431326931) | Earlier: [week 4, three queen mistakes](/journey/week-2024-w05/). Later: [week 6, when things finally went up](/journey/week-2024-w07/). The full diary is on [the journey page](/journey/), and you can [run the same review on your own games](/features/ai-chess-analysis/). ## FAQ ### How do you go from 800 to 1200 in chess? My games at 846–909 point to blunders first: I made 78 in 38 games, about two per game, and in six of my 24 losses I had been at least 80% winning. Fewer big mistakes would have done more than any new opening. ### How long does it take to go from 800 to 1200 on Chess.com? For me it was a long road: my rating passed 800 in game #3 and first reached 1200 in game #1,237, on December 24, 2024. This week, game #175, I was still at 860. ## Related - [From 631 to 1385: my chess journey in 2,117 games](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey.md) - [Week 4 (Feb 2024): three queen mistakes and a 5-game win streak](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey/week-2024-w05.md) - [Week 6 (Feb 2024): +53 with Bf4 setups and the Englund Gambit](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey/week-2024-w07.md) - [Free AI chess analysis of your games, explained](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/features/ai-chess-analysis.md)