Is a 700 chess rating good?
A 700 rating is higher than 0.8% of active Lichess blitz players, 2.2% of rapid players and 0.5% 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 700 rating good in blitz, rapid and bullet?
In blitz a 700 rating sits in the lowest tenth: it is higher than 0.8% of the 345,715 active blitz players, and 99.2% are rated 700 or higher.
The same number ranks differently in each time control because each one has its own pool of players. A 700 rating ranks highest in rapid (2.2%) and lowest in bullet (0.5%).
| Time control | Higher than | Rated 700 or higher | Median rating | Active players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blitz | 0.8% | 99.2% | 1530 | 345,715 |
| Rapid | 2.2% | 97.8% | 1445 | 201,221 |
| Bullet | 0.5% | 99.5% | 1640 | 169,583 |
| Classical | 0.2% | 99.8% | 1560 | 12,241 |
How far is 700 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 700 that is 1095 points up, 1310 points up and 1675 points up.
| Position | Blitz | Rapid | Bullet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 25% | 1795 (1095 points up) | 1705 (1005 points up) | 1945 (1245 points up) |
| Top 10% | 2010 (1310 points up) | 1910 (1210 points up) | 2200 (1500 points up) |
| Top 5% | 2135 (1435 points up) | 2025 (1325 points up) | 2345 (1645 points up) |
| Top 1% | 2375 (1675 points up) | 2240 (1540 points up) | 2625 (1925 points up) |
How many Lichess players are rated 700 or higher?
On 1 September 2026, 342,895 blitz accounts, 196,803 rapid accounts and 168,706 bullet accounts were rated 700 or higher. In the 700 to 799 band alone there were 4,258 blitz accounts, 1.2% of the blitz total.
What do the ratings around 700 look like?
Between 600 and 800 the share of blitz players a rating is higher than runs from 0.3% to 2.0%. The ladder below shows 600 to 1000 in the three largest time controls.
| Rating | Higher than, blitz | Higher than, rapid | Higher than, bullet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 600 | 0.3% | 0.9% | 0.2% |
| 700 | 0.8% | 2.2% | 0.5% |
| 800 | 2.0% | 4.5% | 1.4% |
| 900 | 4.4% | 8.0% | 3.2% |
| 1000 | 8.4% | 13.1% | 6.4% |
How can a player rated 700 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 700 or higher?
On 1 September 2026, 99.2% of active Lichess blitz players, 97.8% of rapid players and 99.5% of bullet players were rated 700 or higher. These are Lichess players only, not all chess players.
Is 700 a good rating for a beginner?
Lichess starts every new account at 1500 in each category (Lichess FAQ, read 2026-10-20), so 700 is below the starting rating. In blitz it is higher than 0.8% of active players, which is a better guide than the number alone.
Is a 700 Lichess rating the same as 700 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 600 chess rating good?
- Is a 800 chess rating good?
- Is a 900 chess rating good?
- Is a 1000 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.
Want to know what to work on at your rating?
Start with a first lesson: George reviews your games and builds a written study plan around your level.
Cancel or reschedule a lesson up to 24 hours ahead by replying to the email that set it up, and it stays on your package.