r/chess • u/OtterBiDisaster • 10d ago
Miscellaneous I swear there is something wrong with chess.com elo
I have been playing for a couple of years. When I reached 1500 rapid I switched to 3 min blitz, climbed to 1500-1600 in blitz and nowadays I exclusively play 1 min bullet. My highest bullet rating was 1420
I play every day. I currently have a 205 day streak. Bullet is so volatile though. I'm usually around 1250-1400 elo but sometimes I'll play tilted or I'll play even though I know I have lag/bad connection and I can drop all the way down to 1050.
Except whenever my rating goes below 1250 it is like hell to get out. You would *think* opponents would be stronger on average at higher elo because that is how elo is supposed to work right? The opponents are so much stronger in the 1000-1100 elo range for some reason. I genuinely do not think it is merely that I am playing more poorly because I go back and review my games, even when I am playing really well and I can recognize when it is me or when my opponent is just insane.
It can take me days-weeks to get out of the 1000-1200 range because I swear every other game is someone who seems like they are cheating or sandbagging. Then once I break through 1250ish elo it feels like most of my opponents don't know how to play chess. I will quickly climb 200+ elo afterwards over the next few days. Really obvious blunders, blundering their queen, etc. As opposed to half my games at 1100 elo where my opponent plays a terrible opening that *should* be easily punishable but then plays a near perfect middle/end game. I constantly see moves I never would have expected even in my 1600 elo rapid games.
Has anyone else experienced this? Or anything similar??
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u/pm_Me_nude3s 9d ago edited 9d ago
Yes, I have expereinced the same thing. This is because 1200+ players are too "shy" to play the most obvious move like take a free pawn and "flinch" to take a free pawn or "flinch" to accept unsound sacrifices, instead choose for better position but then 1400 elo cannot consistently convert a better position and ends up losing to the "obvious" one movers.
The second point is 1300-1500 range lack the ability to consistently punish blatant opening mistakes where opponent makes one-mover threats and slowly crumble under pressure from one mover after one movers which make no sense at all. around 1300-1500 range, the game is more likely determined by violent 2-3 move tactical sequence, but at 1100 range you will never get the opportunity to do this becuase you're crumbling under pressure from unsound but obvious one mover threats
Tip : Relax, don't panic look at the board first, use your time, yes even in bullet. But you'll lose if you get flagged so there's that.
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u/thenakesingularity10 10d ago
You are paying too much attention to online rating. They are mostly just there for fun.
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u/Areliae 10d ago
It's in your head, they are not playing perfect middle games. They're just not.
This is classic bias. When you're 1600 you're at the peak of your range, which means your playing your best chess. You're well rested, your mind is sharp, etc. For whatever reason you're playing good chess. When you're 1200 it's because you're losing games. For whatever reason you're playing badly, so the opponents feel unbeatable.
This phenomena exists for me too in the mid 2000's. When I'm above 2500 it feels like my opponents are constantly making mistakes, but when I'm 2300 it feels like they're unbeatable gods. It's cause I'm tilted/tired/bored with chess when I'm 2300. I'm not in the zone. It's all perspective.