Is a 1200 chess rating good?
A 1200 rating is higher than 20.5% of active Lichess blitz players, 27.4% of rapid players and 16.5% 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 1200 rating good in blitz, rapid and bullet?
In blitz a 1200 rating sits in the lower quarter: it is higher than 20.5% of the 345,715 active blitz players, and 79.5% are rated 1200 or higher.
The same number ranks differently in each time control because each one has its own pool of players. A 1200 rating ranks highest in rapid (27.4%) and lowest in bullet (16.5%).
| Time control | Higher than | Rated 1200 or higher | Median rating | Active players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blitz | 20.5% | 79.5% | 1530 | 345,715 |
| Rapid | 27.4% | 72.6% | 1445 | 201,221 |
| Bullet | 16.5% | 83.5% | 1640 | 169,583 |
| Classical | 13.6% | 86.4% | 1560 | 12,241 |
How far is 1200 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 1200 that is 595 points up, 810 points up and 1175 points up.
| Position | Blitz | Rapid | Bullet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 25% | 1795 (595 points up) | 1705 (505 points up) | 1945 (745 points up) |
| Top 10% | 2010 (810 points up) | 1910 (710 points up) | 2200 (1000 points up) |
| Top 5% | 2135 (935 points up) | 2025 (825 points up) | 2345 (1145 points up) |
| Top 1% | 2375 (1175 points up) | 2240 (1040 points up) | 2625 (1425 points up) |
How many Lichess players are rated 1200 or higher?
On 1 September 2026, 274,889 blitz accounts, 146,035 rapid accounts and 141,562 bullet accounts were rated 1200 or higher. In the 1200 to 1299 band alone there were 27,545 blitz accounts, 8.0% of the blitz total.
What do the ratings around 1200 look like?
Between 1100 and 1300 the share of blitz players a rating is higher than runs from 13.8% to 28.5%. The ladder below shows 900 to 1500 in the three largest time controls.
| Rating | Higher than, blitz | Higher than, rapid | Higher than, bullet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| 1500 | 46.8% | 55.3% | 38.1% |
How can a player rated 1200 improve?
In this range the games that decide a rating are often won by the player who makes fewer mistakes under time pressure, so tactics, a small reliable opening repertoire and basic endgames carry the most. Review your losses to players near your own rating and ask which pattern keeps returning.
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 1200 or higher?
On 1 September 2026, 79.5% of active Lichess blitz players, 72.6% of rapid players and 83.5% of bullet players were rated 1200 or higher. These are Lichess players only, not all chess players.
Is 1200 a good rating for a beginner?
Lichess starts every new account at 1500 in each category (Lichess FAQ, read 2026-10-20), so 1200 is below the starting rating. In blitz it is higher than 20.5% of active players, which is a better guide than the number alone.
Is a 1200 Lichess rating the same as 1200 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 900 chess rating good?
- Is a 1000 chess rating good?
- Is a 1100 chess rating good?
- Is a 1300 chess rating good?
- Is a 1400 chess rating good?
- Is a 1500 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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