Is a 800 chess rating good?
A 800 rating is higher than 2.0% of active Lichess blitz players, 4.5% of rapid players and 1.4% 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 800 rating good in blitz, rapid and bullet?
In blitz a 800 rating sits in the lowest tenth: it is higher than 2.0% of the 345,715 active blitz players, and 98.0% are rated 800 or higher.
The same number ranks differently in each time control because each one has its own pool of players. A 800 rating ranks highest in rapid (4.5%) and lowest in bullet (1.4%).
| Time control | Higher than | Rated 800 or higher | Median rating | Active players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blitz | 2.0% | 98.0% | 1530 | 345,715 |
| Rapid | 4.5% | 95.5% | 1445 | 201,221 |
| Bullet | 1.4% | 98.6% | 1640 | 169,583 |
| Classical | 0.6% | 99.4% | 1560 | 12,241 |
How far is 800 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 800 that is 995 points up, 1210 points up and 1575 points up.
| Position | Blitz | Rapid | Bullet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 25% | 1795 (995 points up) | 1705 (905 points up) | 1945 (1145 points up) |
| Top 10% | 2010 (1210 points up) | 1910 (1110 points up) | 2200 (1400 points up) |
| Top 5% | 2135 (1335 points up) | 2025 (1225 points up) | 2345 (1545 points up) |
| Top 1% | 2375 (1575 points up) | 2240 (1440 points up) | 2625 (1825 points up) |
How many Lichess players are rated 800 or higher?
On 1 September 2026, 338,637 blitz accounts, 192,229 rapid accounts and 167,227 bullet accounts were rated 800 or higher. In the 800 to 899 band alone there were 8,210 blitz accounts, 2.4% of the blitz total.
What do the ratings around 800 look like?
Between 700 and 900 the share of blitz players a rating is higher than runs from 0.8% to 4.4%. The ladder below shows 600 to 1100 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% |
| 1100 | 13.8% | 19.8% | 11.1% |
How can a player rated 800 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 800 or higher?
On 1 September 2026, 98.0% of active Lichess blitz players, 95.5% of rapid players and 98.6% of bullet players were rated 800 or higher. These are Lichess players only, not all chess players.
Is 800 a good rating for a beginner?
Lichess starts every new account at 1500 in each category (Lichess FAQ, read 2026-10-20), so 800 is below the starting rating. In blitz it is higher than 2.0% of active players, which is a better guide than the number alone.
Is a 800 Lichess rating the same as 800 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 700 chess rating good?
- Is a 900 chess rating good?
- Is a 1000 chess rating good?
- Is a 1100 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.