My Journey to 1400 Elo: A Story of Small Steps

When I first started playing chess, I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of theory, openings, and tactics out there. I hovered around the 800–900 mark, blundering pieces and falling for simple traps. But I didn’t give up.

I began focusing on the basics:

1)Controlling the center

2)Developing pieces quickly

3)Keeping my king safe

Tactics training on Chess.com became my daily habit, along with playing rapid games to practice my calculation skills. Slowly, my blunders decreased, and I learned to spot forks, pins, and skewers before they hit me.

Analyzing my losses was the biggest game changer. I started to see patterns in my mistakes and actively worked to fix them. Endgames were tough, but I realized how many games are decided there, so I put in extra effort to learn king and pawn fundamentals.

Reaching 1400 wasn’t about memorizing hundreds of openings — it was about building solid habits, reviewing games, and always staying curious. I still have a long way to go, but I’m proud of every small improvement that brought me here.