Reach 1000 Elo in Chess

Proof required

Submit: (1) a screenshot of your Chess.com or Lichess puzzle history showing 200+ puzzles attempted, and (2) a brief note (100+ words) explaining what a fork, pin, and skewer are, with an example of each from a position you encountered in training.

What gets checked

• 200+ tactics puzzles documented — the screenshot must show at least 200 puzzles attempted from a tactics-focused section (Lichess 'Practice' or Chess.com 'Puzzles'), not general game playing
• Note distinguishes all three tactics correctly — a fork is a single piece attacking two opponent pieces simultaneously; a pin is a piece that cannot move without exposing a more valuable piece behind it; a skewer is the reverse (a higher-value piece is attacked, forced to move, exposing a lower-value piece behind it); these distinctions must be correct in the note
• Note includes an example from personal training — the example should describe a position the student actually encountered; a specific description ('my knight on e5 attacked both the queen on d7 and the rook on c4') is sufficient

Common mistakes

• Skipping tactics training and playing games only — players who only play games improve slowly because they encounter tactics reactively; the 200-puzzle milestone exists because consistent tactical training is significantly faster at building sub-1000 pattern recognition than playing games alone
• Doing puzzles on maximum time pressure without understanding the pattern — speed puzzles build reflexes but not conceptual understanding; do a mix of timed and untimed puzzles, and when a pattern is not recognised, study the solution before moving on
• Abandoning tactics training when accuracy is below 60% — accuracy below 60% early in tactics training is normal; it is a sign the training is challenging enough to be useful; continue at the difficulty level where failure is frequent

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Check the puzzle count in the screenshot — the total must reach 200; confirm the number shown is puzzles attempted, not just puzzles solved
• Read the note for correct definitions — verify the definitions of fork, pin, and skewer are accurate; a pin means the piece behind is more valuable; a skewer means the piece in front is more valuable (opposite of pin)
• Ask 'what is the difference between a pin and a skewer?' — this question specifically distinguishes the two concepts; a correct answer demonstrates genuine understanding rather than copied definitions

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Proof required

Submit: a screenshot of your Chess.com or Lichess profile showing at least 20 rated games played in your chosen time control, with the current rating displayed.

What gets checked

• 20+ rated games in a consistent time control — the screenshot should show at least 20 games in a single time control category; mixing time controls produces ratings that are not directly comparable
• Rating is no longer provisional — a rating showing '?' (provisional) means fewer than 15 games were played; the milestone requires an established rating, not a provisional one
• Profile shows username — the screenshot must include the Chess.com or Lichess username alongside the rating

Common mistakes

• Playing only bullet (1-minute) games to accumulate 20 games quickly — bullet chess rewards time pressure management more than chess understanding; the tactical patterns from tactics training are not applicable when there is almost no thinking time; use rapid or blitz time controls
• Abandoning rated games after losing the first several — new accounts consistently face inaccurate matchmaking for the first 5–10 games; losing early is expected and does not indicate tactics training has failed; continue until 20 games are complete and the rating has settled
• Playing rated games before completing tactics training — tactics training first, rated games second is the correct order; playing before fork/pin/skewer patterns are understood means the games are less instructive

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Confirm 20+ rated games in a single time control — the profile screenshot should show the game count for a specific time control; confirm the time control and the number of games played
• Check that the rating is no longer provisional — a '?' symbol means fewer than 15 games were played; ask for a screenshot after the 20th game is complete
• Ask about game analysis — 'have you been reviewing your games after playing them?' is a useful indicator of learning quality

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Proof required

Submit: (1) a Chess.com or Lichess profile screenshot showing a rating of 1000+ in the same time control used throughout training, and (2) a 50+ word reflection on what specific improvements brought you from your milestone 2 baseline to 1000 Elo.

What gets checked

• Rating is 1000+ in the consistent time control — the screenshot must show the same time control used in milestone 2; a 1000+ rating in bullet while training in rapid does not satisfy the milestone
• Reflection is 50+ words and specific — 'I got better at chess' does not pass; a passing reflection names something concrete: 'I stopped leaving my queen hanging by checking opponent threats before moving' or 'I started winning endgames by activating my king'
• Rating is from the same platform as milestones 1 and 2 — switching platforms is not permitted; Chess.com and Lichess ratings are on different scales (Lichess typically 200–300 points higher)

Common mistakes

• Reaching 1000 Elo in bullet while the training was in rapid — bullet and rapid are different skills and produce different rating trajectories; use the same time control throughout
• Burning out on rated games when near 1000 and stopping — reaching 950–980 and then losing several back to 920 is rating volatility, not regression; continue playing when close to the target
• Not reviewing games at 1000 attempts — at 950+ Elo, opponents also know basic tactics; progressing from 950 to 1000 requires positional understanding (piece activity, pawn structure, king safety) that tactics training alone does not build

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Confirm the 1000+ rating in the consistent time control — check that the screenshot time control matches milestones 1 and 2
• Ask for a second screenshot if the rating is exactly 1000 or just over — a single game spike to 1001 that then drops to 950 is not 'maintained at 1000'; a second screenshot 48 hours later confirming stability is good practice
• Read the reflection for specific improvements — 'I played more games' is not specific; 'I stopped blundering my queen because I always check for opponent attacks before moving' demonstrates genuine learning

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