Is a 1100 chess rating good?
A 1100 rating is higher than 13.8% of active Lichess blitz players, 19.8% of rapid players and 11.1% of bullet players, measured on 1 September 2026. The median blitz rating is about 1530. Lichess ratings are a separate scale from FIDE and chess.com ratings.
Is a 1100 rating good in blitz, rapid and bullet?
In blitz a 1100 rating sits in the lower quarter: it is higher than 13.8% of the 345,715 active blitz players, and 86.2% are rated 1100 or higher.
The same number ranks differently in each time control because each one has its own pool of players. A 1100 rating ranks highest in rapid (19.8%) and lowest in bullet (11.1%).
| Time control | Higher than | Rated 1100 or higher | Median rating | Active players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blitz | 13.8% | 86.2% | 1530 | 345,715 |
| Rapid | 19.8% | 80.2% | 1445 | 201,221 |
| Bullet | 11.1% | 88.9% | 1640 | 169,583 |
| Classical | 7.5% | 92.5% | 1560 | 12,241 |
How far is 1100 from the top 25, 10 and 1 percent?
The top 25 percent of blitz players start at about 1795, the top 10 percent at about 2010 and the top 1 percent at about 2375. From 1100 that is 695 points up, 910 points up and 1275 points up.
| Position | Blitz | Rapid | Bullet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 25% | 1795 (695 points up) | 1705 (605 points up) | 1945 (845 points up) |
| Top 10% | 2010 (910 points up) | 1910 (810 points up) | 2200 (1100 points up) |
| Top 5% | 2135 (1035 points up) | 2025 (925 points up) | 2345 (1245 points up) |
| Top 1% | 2375 (1275 points up) | 2240 (1140 points up) | 2625 (1525 points up) |
How many Lichess players are rated 1100 or higher?
On 1 September 2026, 297,960 blitz accounts, 161,385 rapid accounts and 150,839 bullet accounts were rated 1100 or higher. In the 1100 to 1199 band alone there were 23,071 blitz accounts, 6.7% of the blitz total.
What do the ratings around 1100 look like?
Between 1000 and 1200 the share of blitz players a rating is higher than runs from 8.4% to 20.5%. The ladder below shows 800 to 1400 in the three largest time controls.
| Rating | Higher than, blitz | Higher than, rapid | Higher than, bullet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 800 | 2.0% | 4.5% | 1.4% |
| 900 | 4.4% | 8.0% | 3.2% |
| 1000 | 8.4% | 13.1% | 6.4% |
| 1100 | 13.8% | 19.8% | 11.1% |
| 1200 | 20.5% | 27.4% | 16.5% |
| 1300 | 28.5% | 36.3% | 23.1% |
| 1400 | 37.3% | 45.7% | 30.3% |
How can a player rated 1100 improve?
At this level most games turn on loose pieces, so the quickest gains tend to come from tactics practice and a blunder check before every move. Reviewing your own lost games shows which kind of mistake repeats.
A first lesson with George Li starts from your own games and ends with a written study plan.
How were these percentiles measured?
Accounts that played a rated game on 1 September 2026, counted once per time control at the rating after their last game, bots left out. The hub page explains the method in full.
Frequently asked questions
What percent of chess players are rated 1100 or higher?
On 1 September 2026, 86.2% of active Lichess blitz players, 80.2% of rapid players and 88.9% of bullet players were rated 1100 or higher. These are Lichess players only, not all chess players.
Is 1100 a good rating for a beginner?
Lichess starts every new account at 1500 in each category (Lichess FAQ, read 2026-10-20), so 1100 is below the starting rating. In blitz it is higher than 13.8% of active players, which is a better guide than the number alone.
Is a 1100 Lichess rating the same as 1100 on chess.com or in FIDE ratings?
No. Lichess says its ratings cannot be compared with those of other sites or organizations, so this site publishes no conversion.
Sources
- Lichess open database, standard rated games (CC0), file for September 2026, read 2026-10-22
- Lichess FAQ, read 2026-10-20
- Lichess: Chess rating systems, read 2026-10-20
Related guides and tools
- Is a 800 chess rating good?
- Is a 900 chess rating good?
- Is a 1000 chess rating good?
- Is a 1200 chess rating good?
- Is a 1300 chess rating good?
- Is a 1400 chess rating good?
- Lichess blitz rating distribution
- Lichess rapid rating distribution
- Lichess bullet rating distribution
- Lichess classical rating distribution
- Average chess rating and a good chess rating
- Chess ratings explained
- How to get a FIDE rating
- Book your first lesson
Last updated 2026-10-22.
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