Is a 2200 chess rating good?
A 2200 rating is higher than 96.6% of active Lichess blitz players, 98.6% of rapid players and 90.1% 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 2200 rating good in blitz, rapid and bullet?
In blitz a 2200 rating sits in the top 5 percent: it is higher than 96.6% of the 345,715 active blitz players, and 3.4% are rated 2200 or higher.
The same number ranks differently in each time control because each one has its own pool of players. A 2200 rating ranks highest in rapid (98.6%) and lowest in bullet (90.1%).
| Time control | Higher than | Rated 2200 or higher | Median rating | Active players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blitz | 96.6% | 3.4% | 1530 | 345,715 |
| Rapid | 98.6% | 1.4% | 1445 | 201,221 |
| Bullet | 90.1% | 9.9% | 1640 | 169,583 |
| Classical | 98.8% | 1.2% | 1560 | 12,241 |
How far is 2200 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 2200 that is already there, already there and 175 points up.
| Position | Blitz | Rapid | Bullet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 25% | 1795 (already there) | 1705 (already there) | 1945 (already there) |
| Top 10% | 2010 (already there) | 1910 (already there) | 2200 (already there) |
| Top 5% | 2135 (already there) | 2025 (already there) | 2345 (145 points up) |
| Top 1% | 2375 (175 points up) | 2240 (40 points up) | 2625 (425 points up) |
How many Lichess players are rated 2200 or higher?
On 1 September 2026, 11,920 blitz accounts, 2,764 rapid accounts and 16,807 bullet accounts were rated 2200 or higher. In the 2200 to 2299 band alone there were 5,801 blitz accounts, 1.7% of the blitz total.
What do the ratings around 2200 look like?
Between 2100 and 2300 the share of blitz players a rating is higher than runs from 93.8% to 98.2%. The ladder below shows 1900 to 2400 in the three largest time controls.
| Rating | Higher than, blitz | Higher than, rapid | Higher than, bullet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 83.2% | 89.4% | 71.4% |
| 2000 | 89.3% | 94.1% | 78.7% |
| 2100 | 93.8% | 97.0% | 85.1% |
| 2200 | 96.6% | 98.6% | 90.1% |
| 2300 | 98.2% | 99.4% | 93.7% |
| 2400 | 99.2% | 99.8% | 96.2% |
How can a player rated 2200 improve?
From here, results depend more on opening preparation, endgame technique and converting a better position, and the gaps between players are narrow. A game-by-game review with a stronger player is the most direct way to find the weakness that is costing points.
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 2200 or higher?
On 1 September 2026, 3.4% of active Lichess blitz players, 1.4% of rapid players and 9.9% of bullet players were rated 2200 or higher. These are Lichess players only, not all chess players.
Is 2200 a good rating for a beginner?
Lichess starts every new account at 1500 in each category (Lichess FAQ, read 2026-10-20), so 2200 is above the starting rating. In blitz it is higher than 96.6% of active players, which is a better guide than the number alone.
Is a 2200 Lichess rating the same as 2200 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 1900 chess rating good?
- Is a 2000 chess rating good?
- Is a 2100 chess rating good?
- Is a 2300 chess rating good?
- Is a 2400 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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