My Journey from 200 to 1300 Elo: The Power of Persistence

Hello, chess enthusiasts! My name is Hritiq Charan, and I want to share my journey on Chess.com — from starting at a humble 200 Elo to reaching the 1300 milestone. It’s been an incredible experience, full of ups and downs, but above all, a testament to the power of passion and steady improvement.

Lesson 1: Start with the Basics

When I was at 200 Elo, I had no idea how deep chess could be. I used to play random moves and hope for the best. But once I started learning the basic principles — controlling the center, developing pieces early, and ensuring king safety — my games improved dramatically.

Simple ideas like “don’t bring your queen out too early” made a world of difference!

Lesson 2: Puzzles are Your Best Friends

I discovered that solving puzzles every day is one of the fastest ways to improve. Puzzles trained my eyes to spot tactics: forks, pins, skewers, and more. As I started seeing these patterns in my games, my confidence grew — and so did my rating.

Lesson 3: Learn from Every Loss

Losses used to frustrate me. But then I realized they’re just part of the learning process. After each game, I began analyzing what went wrong — did I miss a fork? Was my king exposed? This turned every game, even the losses, into valuable lessons.

Lesson 4: Stay Consistent and Curious

I didn’t get from 200 to 1300 overnight. It took months of consistent play and practice. But I also kept the curiosity alive — watching streams, reading articles, and learning from stronger players.

Chess is an ocean, and I’ve just begun to explore its depths!

" CHESS IS NOT A GAME , ITS A WAR "