🌈 A Color-Based ELO Visualization to Improve Player Motivation & Learning

Idea Summary:
This is a visual enhancement idea for Chess.com: assigning rainbow colors to ELO rating ranges to help players better understand progress, motivation, and skill development—without changing the ELO system itself.

Many players (especially beginners and intermediates) struggle to understand what their rating means. A color-based layer would make progress more intuitive and encouraging.

The Rainbow Rating Concept

The idea maps ELO ranges to rainbow colors, from beginner to elite, following a natural progression from base to mastery.

Proposed Color Mapping

🔴 Red — 0–799
Absolute beginners learning the basics.

🟠 Orange — 800–1199
Players applying opening principles and reducing blunders.

🟡 Yellow — 1200–1599
Tactical awareness, calculation begins.

🟢 Green — 1600–1999
Strategic planning, endgame fundamentals, emotional control.

🔵 Blue — 2000–2299
Strong national-level players with structured, disciplined play.

🟣 Indigo — 2300–2499
FM / IM level. Deep preparation and abstract thinking.

🟣 Violet — 2500–2699
Grandmasters, near-perfect execution.

⚪ Gold / White — 2700+
Super-GMs. Elite world-class mastery.

Why This Could Benefit Chess.com

• Makes ELO easier to understand for new players

• Adds motivation without rating inflation

• Works visually in:

  • Player profiles

  • Progress bars

  • Achievements (e.g., “Reached Green Tier”)

• Especially helpful for younger players and self-learners

• Fully compatible with the existing rating system

Important Clarification

This proposal does not change:

• Rating calculations

• Matchmaking

• Competitive integrity

It simply adds a visual language on top of the current system.

Closing Thought:
Ratings are numbers—but progress is a journey.
Colors help players see where they are and where they’re going.

Thanks for considering the idea!

I did not see a reason that this helps rating inflation.

I am a self learner and I am 1526 fide.

Is this for chess.com ratings or fide ratings?

Perhaps, it’s a good idea but it may create visual clutter depending on how it’s implemented.

I like the idea if it could be implemented without making the UX a mess.

However, I would argue that considering that half of players are below 800 (Rapid) and even lower for median like 600 - 700 for Blitz/Bullet, grouping 0 - 800 in one group is not fair. The skill difference with someone lets say 400 vs. 800 is massive. The 800 is about 10x more likely to win.

I think it would be more fair and more encouraging for most players to have more levels in the bottom half. I would suggest that the elo bands are 400 - 800 - 1200 - 1600 - 2000 - ... . At every band the "skill level" in term of likelyhood to win is 10x.

The one who is so blind cannot see... I think this is AI generated. Put it in a AI detector and it's like 100% AI.

Ok. So, the person making the idea is clever enough to use AI to improve his idea and how to present it. Good for him. We live in world of AI now and only fools do not take advantage of it.

They can't type all of that so they had to use AI.

No like I mean the whole thing is AI it's probably not even his idea. The whole post is just so general and cold that it's not even a human idea.

Good idea but AI 😭😭

Aah ok. I get it. I do not think so though. It is more likely that the OP had the general idea: "using colors and stuff to indicate your level of play and they could change" and then AI refined it etc. Would be interesting to hear from the OP :-)

I think this will make low level players feel bad about themselves and will not improve chess.com.