Week 8: my first time at 1000 Elo in chess, for exactly one game
On February 28, 2024, after game #232, my rapid rating read 1001. It was the first time I'd reached 1000 Elo in chess, and it lasted exactly one game. The whole week (February 26 to March 3) was my best since week 1: 37 games, 20 wins, 16 losses, 1 draw, and 903 → 982 (+79). Here's what that week looked like from the inside, and why "reaching 1000" didn't mean my chess had changed much.
The week in numbers
| Games | 37 (#215–#251) |
| Rating | 903 → 982 (+79) |
| Wins / losses / draws | 20 / 16 / 1 |
| As White | 9 W, 8 L, 1 D |
| As Black | 11 W, 8 L |
| Longest winning streak | 4 (#229–#232) |
| Highest rating this week | 1001 (after game #232) |
| Average accuracy (Stockfish) | 77.9% |
| Blunders | 71 |
| Blunders per game | 1.9 |
| Losses after being ≥80% winning | 8 of 16 |
| Most played openings | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Chigorin Variation (5); Indian Game (4); London System (3); Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Variation (3); Bishop's Opening Boi Variation (3) |
The 1000 moment came at the end of a four-game win streak on Wednesday (games #229 to #232), finished by a checkmate with my rook on g3 as Black against MenkdeTenk (968). The next two games were losses and I was back at 985. I never touched 1000 again that week and finished at 982.
What changed compared with earlier weeks? Less than the rating suggests. My accuracy (77.9%) was in the same range as weeks 1 to 6. I still made 71 blunders, almost two per game. Eight of my 16 losses came after I had been at least 80% winning. The difference was Black: 11 wins and 8 losses, the most wins with Black in any week so far. I also beat RikardQV three times out of three, twice with Black. One opening still went badly: the Bishop's Opening against my ...e5, three games and three losses.
Three king moments
The engine's flagged positions this week all come down to king safety, mine or my opponent's. Two of them happened four minutes apart against the same opponent. Evaluations are from White's side.
Game #215: castle, and the pin disappears
With Black against Laid_Akermi (947) I was clearly better (-3.08) on move 7. My knight stood on e4, on the same file as my king on e8, with White's queen on e2 behind it. I played the pawn to d5 to support the knight. The engine shows why that's not enough: f2–f3 attacks the knight, which can't step away without exposing my king, and the evaluation swings to +1.36. Castling takes the king off the e-file and keeps me clearly better.
White didn't find f3, and the game turned into a back-and-forth that I won by checkmate.
Game #216: the trade that helped Black
Against angelmariabecerrilandres (1074) I had White and was winning (+3.74). Black's king was on f8 with a rook on g8. The engine wanted my knight on h4, toward that side of the board. I played it to d4 instead, offering a knight trade. After the trade Black's bishop could reach h3, next to my king, attacking the pawn on g2 with my rook behind it. The evaluation fell to +0.89.
Black's reply was another mistake and I won. Four minutes later we played again, colors reversed.
Game #217: walking my king forward
This time White sacrificed a bishop on f7 on move 4 and I took it with my king, so I was a piece up (-6.13) with my king on f7 and White's knight giving check from g5. I played the king forward to g6, attacking the knight. The engine wanted the king back to g8, where it's safe and I stay winning. On g6 the king was exposed: White's queen came to g4, and four moves later the knight jumped from g5 to e6, uncovering the queen's check on my king while attacking my queen on d8. I lost the queen and resigned a move later.
The lesson of the week
When you're a piece up, the king's job is to hide, not to fight. In game #217 I had a winning position and gave it back by moving my king toward the action; in game #215 one castling move would have solved the only problem I had. The 1000 milestone felt like progress, but these games show the same beginner habits as week 1. What reaching 1000 Elo in chess actually meant for me: I was winning more of the games where my opponent blundered last, not making fewer blunders myself.
All games this week
| # | Date | Colour | Opponent (rating) | Result | Opening | Accuracy | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 215 | Feb 26 | Black | Laid_Akermi (947) | Win | King's Fianchetto Opening | 69.8 | game |
| 216 | Feb 26 | White | angelmariabecerrilandres (1074) | Win | Indian Game | 91.0 | game |
| 217 | Feb 26 | Black | angelmariabecerrilandres (1079) | Loss | Giuoco Piano Game | 56.5 | game |
| 218 | Feb 26 | White | x-8638214844 (975) | Win | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Chigorin Variation | 90.2 | game |
| 219 | Feb 26 | White | K-M-f (1102) | Draw | London System | 84.7 | game |
| 220 | Feb 26 | White | uzbecu (915) | Win | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Variation | 83.9 | game |
| 221 | Feb 26 | Black | abubkr58 (954) | Win | Giuoco Piano Game Giuoco Pianissimo Variation | 82.1 | game |
| 222 | Feb 26 | Black | RikardQV (942) | Win | King's Pawn Opening King's Knight Variation | 86.5 | game |
| 223 | Feb 26 | Black | Willikeller (985) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Variation | 83.4 | game |
| 224 | Feb 27 | White | gemillio (954) | Win | London System | 96.5 | game |
| 225 | Feb 27 | White | dorianherreraa (1059) | Win | Indian Game | 78.3 | game |
| 226 | Feb 27 | Black | TANKPINOU (972) | Win | Slav Defense | 78.4 | game |
| 227 | Feb 27 | White | fdsetretresttgfdgsd0 (1130) | Loss | Indian Game | 80.1 | game |
| 228 | Feb 27 | Black | D3wa_dewi (1104) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening | 55.0 | game |
| 229 | Feb 28 | Black | IgorM1964 (1113) | Win | Giuoco Piano Game Giuoco Pianissimo Variation | 96.7 | game |
| 230 | Feb 28 | Black | RikardQV (978) | Win | Scotch Game | 70.2 | game |
| 231 | Feb 28 | White | RikardQV (970) | Win | Queen's Pawn Opening Accelerated London System | 94.0 | game |
| 232 | Feb 28 | Black | MenkdeTenk (968) | Win | King's Pawn Opening King's Knight Variation | 89.3 | game |
| 233 | Feb 28 | White | Njushka76 (1026) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening Horwitz Defense | 44.7 | game |
| 234 | Feb 29 | White | drvedu (992) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Chigorin Variation | 71.9 | game |
| 235 | Feb 29 | White | menace_to_sobriety (998) | Win | Queen's Pawn Opening Horwitz Defense | 87.0 | game |
| 236 | Feb 29 | Black | AikoAikoAllDay (997) | Loss | Center Game Accepted Paulsen Attack | 74.8 | game |
| 237 | Feb 29 | White | Paihlanxii (973) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Chigorin Variation | 82.9 | game |
| 238 | Feb 29 | Black | charro1961 (1145) | Loss | Bishop's Opening Boi Variation | 50.3 | game |
| 239 | Feb 29 | White | celo84 (1009) | Win | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Chigorin Variation | 87.3 | game |
| 240 | Feb 29 | Black | ARTUR0529 (1029) | Loss | Bishop's Opening Boi Variation | 71.1 | game |
| 241 | Mar 1 | Black | qwescr1 (984) | Win | Ruy Lopez Opening Cozio Defense | 93.4 | game |
| 242 | Mar 1 | White | oOoBOOMoOo (1032) | Loss | London System | 73.1 | game |
| 243 | Mar 1 | Black | guitoufox (1004) | Win | Slav Defense Modern Quiet Schallopp Defense | 83.6 | game |
| 244 | Mar 1 | White | Anixamander (1073) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening | 62.6 | game |
| 245 | Mar 2 | White | TarsuJan2022 (1034) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Chigorin Variation | 76.9 | game |
| 246 | Mar 2 | Black | William2180 (1068) | Win | Vienna Game Max Lange Defense | 85.3 | game |
| 247 | Mar 2 | White | William2180 (1058) | Win | Indian Game | 87.3 | game |
| 248 | Mar 2 | Black | minhbaozer (1148) | Loss | Bishop's Opening Boi Variation | 49.8 | game |
| 249 | Mar 2 | Black | Victorpmr1 (1151) | Loss | King's Pawn Opening | 79.5 | game |
| 250 | Mar 3 | Black | capulincolorao (971) | Win | Vienna Game Anderssen Defense | 81.0 | game |
| 251 | Mar 3 | White | Savanik1980 (996) | Loss | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Variation | 73.6 | game |
Previous: week 7, the accuracy paradox. Next: week 9, the first week finishing above 1000. The whole climb is on the journey page. Want your own king-safety moments found for you? Here's how the analysis works.
Frequently asked questions
How many games does it take to reach 1000 Elo in chess?
It took me 232 rapid games on Chess.com: I started at 631 on January 10, 2024 and first reached 1001 after game #232, on February 28, 2024.
Can you reach 1000 Elo while still blundering a lot?
Yes. In the week I first reached 1000 I made 71 blunders in 37 games by Stockfish's count, and lost 8 games after the engine had given me at least an 80% winning chance.