Is a 1600 chess rating good?
A 1600 rating is higher than 56.8% of active Lichess blitz players, 65.2% of rapid players and 46.4% 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 1600 rating good in blitz, rapid and bullet?
In blitz a 1600 rating sits above the middle: it is higher than 56.8% of the 345,715 active blitz players, and 43.2% are rated 1600 or higher.
The same number ranks differently in each time control because each one has its own pool of players. A 1600 rating ranks highest in rapid (65.2%) and lowest in bullet (46.4%).
| Time control | Higher than | Rated 1600 or higher | Median rating | Active players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blitz | 56.8% | 43.2% | 1530 | 345,715 |
| Rapid | 65.2% | 34.8% | 1445 | 201,221 |
| Bullet | 46.4% | 53.6% | 1640 | 169,583 |
| Classical | 55.5% | 44.5% | 1560 | 12,241 |
How far is 1600 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 1600 that is 195 points up, 410 points up and 775 points up.
| Position | Blitz | Rapid | Bullet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 25% | 1795 (195 points up) | 1705 (105 points up) | 1945 (345 points up) |
| Top 10% | 2010 (410 points up) | 1910 (310 points up) | 2200 (600 points up) |
| Top 5% | 2135 (535 points up) | 2025 (425 points up) | 2345 (745 points up) |
| Top 1% | 2375 (775 points up) | 2240 (640 points up) | 2625 (1025 points up) |
How many Lichess players are rated 1600 or higher?
On 1 September 2026, 149,494 blitz accounts, 70,123 rapid accounts and 90,822 bullet accounts were rated 1600 or higher. In the 1600 to 1699 band alone there were 33,312 blitz accounts, 9.6% of the blitz total.
What do the ratings around 1600 look like?
Between 1500 and 1700 the share of blitz players a rating is higher than runs from 46.8% to 66.4%. The ladder below shows 1300 to 1900 in the three largest time controls.
| Rating | Higher than, blitz | Higher than, rapid | Higher than, bullet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1300 | 28.5% | 36.3% | 23.1% |
| 1400 | 37.3% | 45.7% | 30.3% |
| 1500 | 46.8% | 55.3% | 38.1% |
| 1600 | 56.8% | 65.2% | 46.4% |
| 1700 | 66.4% | 74.5% | 55.0% |
| 1800 | 75.4% | 82.8% | 63.4% |
| 1900 | 83.2% | 89.4% | 71.4% |
How can a player rated 1600 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 1600 or higher?
On 1 September 2026, 43.2% of active Lichess blitz players, 34.8% of rapid players and 53.6% of bullet players were rated 1600 or higher. These are Lichess players only, not all chess players.
Is 1600 a good rating for a beginner?
Lichess starts every new account at 1500 in each category (Lichess FAQ, read 2026-10-20), so 1600 is above the starting rating. In blitz it is higher than 56.8% of active players, which is a better guide than the number alone.
Is a 1600 Lichess rating the same as 1600 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 1300 chess rating good?
- Is a 1400 chess rating good?
- Is a 1500 chess rating good?
- Is a 1700 chess rating good?
- Is a 1800 chess rating good?
- Is a 1900 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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