Reaching 2800 blitz

Hello everyone,

I peaked at 2200 online blitz, and my ultimate goal is around 3000 chess.com which I believe is about 2800 lichess. However, I've came to realize that my progress is quite slower compared to others. I've already reached the age of 18, and almost 19 now, and I was genuinely curious if that goal is possible for me or not. I'm currently working on slower time controls, opening repertoire, etc. maybe not the most efficient, but have been trying to use my time as efficient as possible. Is it technically possible to climb to such a rating within 5 years? Or would that prove to be a difficult thing to occur?

At some point recently, I've started playing and learning chess for fun, but it would also be really nice to achieve such a milestone.

Thanks.

Of course it is possible and you should aim for that goal.
But don't forget that blitz is the shallow side of chess. You should also play slower time controls and OTB to get a FIDE rating.

@goldenalt

Hi, first of all, the rating conversion between Lichess and Chess dotcom is not linear, especially at higher brackets. Blitz player is generally equivalent to roughly 1650-1800 on Chess dotcom blitz. This means your goal is not a 800-point climb, it's roughly a 1200-1350-point climb on Chess dotcom. 3000 Chess dotcom blitz is the realm of IMs and GMs: it's the top 0.01% of the platform. It's a rating where you're not just avoiding blunders, but where you're calculating 5-7 move deep variations accurately, possessing flawless pattern recognition, and exhibiting near-perfect positional intuition under time pressure. So, will you reach 3000 Chess dotcom - 2800 Lichess in 5 years? Statistically, no (progression of rating is asymptotic, not linear). Going from 2200 to 2800 Lichess requires a "rewiring" of how your brain processes complexity, it's like the difference between learning to speak a language and writing a masterpiece of poetry in it. And technically? Yes, a human brain can acquire the skills, and if you acquire the skills, the numbers will come. Regarding your current approach (opening repertoire, slower time controls, etc.), at 2200 Lichess you are nowhere near the limit of human understanding in the middle-game and end-game. Studying openings at this level is often an illusion: openings should be about systems and ideas, not about memorization. As for slower time controls, this is good, but without rigorous post-game analysis is like jogging to stay fit: does not make you faster. Now you need deliberate practice: 1) favor endgames over openings (study Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual or De La Villa's 100 Endgames); 2) practice calculation (deeply without moving pieces). Spend 30 min a day solving complex middlegame puzzles; 3) game analysis (play your slow games, then look at the position BEFORE the engine tells you what to do. Only turn the engine on to check your human hypotheses); 4) build the foundation first (2200 Lichess blitz means your classical foundation is around 1800-1900. You can't sustain 2800 blitz without a classical foundation of at least 2200-2300. Blitz rating is a reflection of classical depth + reflex speed). If you focus on becoming a better chess player, on understanding the "soul" of the positions, the rating will take care of itself. It may not reach 2800 Lichess, but it will go further than you think it can right now. Ciao ;-)

@goldenalt Impossible to say when you post from an alt with no indicative ratings whatsoever

@Dagon2 said ^

@goldenalt

Hi, first of all, the rating conversion between Lichess and Chess dotcom is not linear, especially at higher brackets. Blitz player is generally equivalent to roughly 1650-1800 on Chess dotcom blitz. This means your goal is not a 800-point climb, it's roughly a 1200-1350-point climb on Chess dotcom. 3000 Chess dotcom blitz is the realm of IMs and GMs: it's the top 0.01% of the platfor...

Thank you very much for your comment.
I'm actually 2200 at both platforms, so that won't be a problem. Beyond 2200, lichess's rating is actually harder than chess.com which is which I said 2800 lc = 3000
I appreciate you giving me advice (like really appreciate), but that wasn't the actual question. Like I've my own study plan on how to progress things and what to study, so I'm pretty efficient on what I am doing. However, my question is, is it realistically possible to reach that level assuming you're efficient? Or is it because I'm above 18-19, it might prove to be quite difficult?

@Cedur216 said ^

@goldenalt Impossible to say when you post from an alt with no indicative ratings whatsoever

I mean, that's exactly why I wrote I'm 2200 lol

I prefer to post it not my my real acc

Ok I overread but anyway in that case it's way too much of a stretch

@Cedur216 said ^

it's way too much of a stretch

I see... is it fine to know why? (just genuinely curious)
is it because it's almost unheard of?

Yes. It's like an amateur footballer asking how to play at UEFA champions league.

If anything, think in steps of 100s, every level of 100 is a milestone.

The links give you a way to put your current rating into perspective.
But look at the gap between the chess ratings and not the origin of the ratings.
The climb toward the top looks simple, but it is not.
https://players.chessbase.com/
https://freopen.org/

The chess ladder is not linear in difficulty.
There are less players as you climb the ladder.
https://lichess.org/stat/rating/distribution/bullet
https://chessfield.net/blog/elo-distribution

Do you honestly think a rating system will let you progress with a provisional rating all the way up to the top?
If you have not yet registered with FIDE and you are already an expert on line, maybe it's time ...
https://avielniego.github.io/chess-elo-atlas/#world
https://avielniego.github.io/chess-elo-atlas/#break

As you can see, it's not possible to progress at a constant pace.