Under 500
At this stage the engine of your rating isn't opening theory — it's not losing pieces for nothing, and knowing what a checkmate actually loo…
Study plans by Elo
A weekly plan for wherever you are right now -- what to train, in what order, and which packs to use. Pick the band closest to your current rating; each one ends with how to know you're ready for the next. Every plan is also a free PDF download.
500–1000
You no longer hang pieces constantly, but you still lose most games to a tactic you didn't see coming, not to being outplayed strategically.…
1000–1500
Tactics alone stop being enough to climb. You now need a repertoire that gives you positions you actually understand, and you need to start …
1500–2000
You're past the point where a bigger opening repertoire alone moves your rating. What matters now is genuine theoretical depth in the lines …
2000+
By this level, the gains aren't about learning new ideas — they're about completeness, flexibility, and surprise value. A full, both-colours…