Online chess platforms are a lot of fun, in many cases they also have libraries with premium content and sometimes you can even watch the best players in the world in a match or in a titlist-only tournament, but the question here is how to raise the Elo in Lichess, Chess.com and Chess24?
So here you will learn a system that will help you to get a respectable ELO on these platforms and that will help you with your blitz chess.
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Why is it so difficult to raise ELO on Chess.com, Chess24 and Lichess.org?
These websites host everything from beginners to strong club players to titled players of different categories and everyone can play against everyone indiscriminately and this can sometimes backfire on a beginner or amateur player and I will explain below.
When you create an account and start playing on any of these platforms it is possible that at the same time a strong player like a Fide Master has done the same, then an amateur player could face him for having the same provisional ELO, eventually he would lose the game and this would lead him to have a lower ranking than expected.
At first the provisional ELO can vary considerably, however, depending on your level of play it will stabilize until you progressively raise your chess level, and if you are consistent you will see how the graphs will shoot up to a positive and respectable ELO, this is point of how to raise the ELO.
Common mistakes when trying to raise your ELO in online chess
In addition to the amount of excellent players that are on these platforms, there are also common mistakes that people who want to increase the ELO quickly make, and here I mention them.
- Playing too many games.
In my beginnings I experienced the euphoria of playing many games, in a single day I could even spend 8 or 10 hours playing blitz, and even today I fight against this feeling when I have a lot of free time, but, the truth is that this is a blunder.
This is because only in the first few games you will keep your mind focused and in the rest you will be too tired to consolidate a competitive rhythm.
2. Dedicate yourself to playing bullet games.
Bullet games are a lot of fun, from playing with friends to online, however, it does more harm to the chess player than good for a growing child, therefore, this is a mistake that should not be allowed to young people.
Even if you are older and want to play some bullet chess, you can do it, but you should not dedicate whole nights to this or specialize in playing this rhythm, as it is harmful, as a recommendation you should only play about 5 games at most a day.
3. Not having a specific plan for each opening and defense.
Quick tempo specialists like Nakamura, Nepomniachtchi, MVL and Carlsen, are good not only because they are geniuses, but because they study their openings and defenses to a level of depth that is difficult to match.
For these grandmasters, they study all possible plans and main variations down to the sub-variations and those derived from them. But, you will not have to do this, for the moment just dedicate yourself to find the most common ideas and plans, this will help you to play faster and win more games this way.
How to raise the ELO on online chess platforms?
Now that we understand the system and the algorithm of these online platforms, it is time to devise our own strategy and plan of attack based on just a couple of points, which are very important and that will help you to raise your ELO progressively and your level of play.
- Play only 5 or 7 games per session.
One of the best recommendations on how to raise your ELO on any chess platform is to simply play 5 or 7 games maximum! Since you will play them at your maximum level, you will not be tired and you will keep your concentration as if you were playing a 7 round Swiss format tournament.
Try this tip on how to raise your ELO and you will see that you will have better results, and even if you lose 5 games in a row in chess.com you will not lose as much ELO.
- Face players above your ELO, but with a difference of no more than 100 ELO points.
To raise your ELO in chess it is necessary to face opponents who have a better level than you, and in online chess you can choose your opponents, so never play with players who have a lower ELO than yours, because you will have the same chances of losing than with a player who has a higher ELO and if you win, you will only win a couple of points.
What this formula means is that it is not worth taking the risk of winning only a couple of points, since the risk is practically the same and if you lose, you will practically lose what you win in 3 or 4 games.
On the other hand, if you decide to play against an opponent with 50 ELO points and you beat him, you can get more than 5 points per game, even 7 or 9 points, which is a very good profit, this is how to raise the ELO easily.
- Play solid openings and defenses whose plans you know.
To win games against strong players, it is necessary to test their knowledge and yours in openings and defenses, the plans are the beginning of a good strategy and if you know those that relate to your defenses and openings, you will have more chances to win.
This is because in classical or standard rhythm chess (the one that is not played over the internet) it is easier to discover your opponent's plan and yours through calculation, while, in fast rhythms, it is necessary to be guided by intuition, because, if you start calculating, you will generally lose by time and this is not the idea.
- Analyze your games after the session is over.
Platforms like Lichess and Chess.com offer a module to analyze the games superficially, and these are excellent to know your mistakes, inaccuracies and blunders, and that is why the recommendation is to analyze those 5 or 7 games you have won or lost, this is one way to how to raise the ELO in lichess or chess.com
Why should the won games also be analyzed? Because you may have missed a tactical stroke, a mate or even perhaps you have been completely lost in a certain position, so it is good to look at all the games and try to learn from them, this how to raise the ELO in the best way possible.
- Train/study chess
Even if you follow all the advice I have given you above, it is not possible to get ELO if you don't improve your level of play, so study theory, learn more about this interesting game, watch grandmaster games, follow the most important tournaments and above all gain confidence in yourself.
If you do not start training you will only stagnate, while if you study, receive classes and train you will see how you can be part of the team of your university, your community or even a national team, remember that the limits are only in your mind.
In summary, how to raise the ELO on Lichess.org, Chess.com and Chess24? It's simple, create a plan, follow the tips I have given you today, train and study chess and do not expect a miracle, strive to get those 2300 ELO points in any of these platforms and you will see how they will begin to respect you.
These have only been the main and basic tips on how to raise the ELO in online chess, but there are thousands of secrets related to this type of chess and in the future you can discover them.
One of those secrets is to read books of the best players and coaches in the world, that is why here I will recommend the following if you want to raise your elo.
