Is a 1700 chess rating good?
A 1700 rating is higher than 66.4% of active Lichess blitz players, 74.5% of rapid players and 55.0% 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 1700 rating good in blitz, rapid and bullet?
In blitz a 1700 rating sits above the middle: it is higher than 66.4% of the 345,715 active blitz players, and 33.6% are rated 1700 or higher.
The same number ranks differently in each time control because each one has its own pool of players. A 1700 rating ranks highest in rapid (74.5%) and lowest in bullet (55.0%).
| Time control | Higher than | Rated 1700 or higher | Median rating | Active players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blitz | 66.4% | 33.6% | 1530 | 345,715 |
| Rapid | 74.5% | 25.5% | 1445 | 201,221 |
| Bullet | 55.0% | 45.0% | 1640 | 169,583 |
| Classical | 68.0% | 32.0% | 1560 | 12,241 |
How far is 1700 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 1700 that is 95 points up, 310 points up and 675 points up.
| Position | Blitz | Rapid | Bullet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 25% | 1795 (95 points up) | 1705 (5 points up) | 1945 (245 points up) |
| Top 10% | 2010 (310 points up) | 1910 (210 points up) | 2200 (500 points up) |
| Top 5% | 2135 (435 points up) | 2025 (325 points up) | 2345 (645 points up) |
| Top 1% | 2375 (675 points up) | 2240 (540 points up) | 2625 (925 points up) |
How many Lichess players are rated 1700 or higher?
On 1 September 2026, 116,182 blitz accounts, 51,387 rapid accounts and 76,349 bullet accounts were rated 1700 or higher. In the 1700 to 1799 band alone there were 31,117 blitz accounts, 9.0% of the blitz total.
What do the ratings around 1700 look like?
Between 1600 and 1800 the share of blitz players a rating is higher than runs from 56.8% to 75.4%. The ladder below shows 1400 to 2000 in the three largest time controls.
| Rating | Higher than, blitz | Higher than, rapid | Higher than, bullet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| 2000 | 89.3% | 94.1% | 78.7% |
How can a player rated 1700 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 1700 or higher?
On 1 September 2026, 33.6% of active Lichess blitz players, 25.5% of rapid players and 45.0% of bullet players were rated 1700 or higher. These are Lichess players only, not all chess players.
Is 1700 a good rating for a beginner?
Lichess starts every new account at 1500 in each category (Lichess FAQ, read 2026-10-20), so 1700 is above the starting rating. In blitz it is higher than 66.4% of active players, which is a better guide than the number alone.
Is a 1700 Lichess rating the same as 1700 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 1400 chess rating good?
- Is a 1500 chess rating good?
- Is a 1600 chess rating good?
- Is a 1800 chess rating good?
- Is a 1900 chess rating good?
- Is a 2000 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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