Rating oscillation in chess is completely normal

Rating oscillation in chess is completely normal and happens to every player, regardless of their level. As a coach with 20 years of experience and a FIDE Master myself, I can confidently say that rating changes—both up and down—are simply part of the game. They reflect growth, learning, experimentation, and sometimes fatigue or form.

When a player is improving, their rating doesn't always rise in a straight line. There are periods of progress followed by setbacks. This is natural. You might have a week where everything clicks and you gain 50 points. Then next week, you lose three games in a row and drop back. This doesn’t mean you’re getting worse. It often means you're trying new ideas, facing stronger competition, or learning how to manage pressure in critical moments.

Even top players have fluctuations. Magnus Carlsen, the world’s best for over a decade, has had rating drops after tough tournaments. It’s not a sign of failure—it’s part of being active and constantly testing your limits.

Many players panic when their rating falls, but that’s the worst thing you can do. When you start chasing rating or playing only to avoid losing, your improvement slows. Instead, focus on the quality of your play: Are you calculating better? Are you understanding positions deeper? Are you spotting more tactics?

Chess ratings are not fixed identities—they are just numbers that follow your results. What matters more is consistent effort, reflection after games, and the ability to bounce back.

In practical terms, here's what you can do when your rating drops:

• Analyze your recent losses without emotion. Try to understand the recurring mistakes.

• Work on your weaknesses. If you keep blundering in time trouble, train your clock management.

• Keep playing and stay active. Inactivity can freeze your growth.

• Don’t avoid stronger opponents. Tough games sharpen your skills, even if you lose.

• Accept that improvement often looks like two steps forward, one step back.

Rating swings are not signs of failure—they’re evidence of your activity and effort. The only real failure in chess is stopping your learning because of fear or frustration.

So embrace the ups and downs. Every great player has been through them. What separates long-term success from stagnation is the mindset: stay consistent, stay curious, and keep playing.

I've experienced this a lot with my blitz rating, the first time being when I first reached an elo of about 1000. Most recently, I nearly reached a rating of 1600 before losing many games in a row (in part due to tilt but also due to thinking slower and finding really good moves but having no time to take advantage) and falling to around 1460. The next few days after that, I won 11 games in a row and eventually peaked over 1600.

Why don't you have a title then

I get this. But can you please post this in the general forums? I've already counted 5 notifications from you in the US Chess club, and it's getting slightly irritating.

I played my first tournament 2 days ago and I got one win
I will try this

That's rather rude and has nothing to do with the topic at hand.

Thank you for your question. My highest Elo rating was 2100 FIDE, which would have qualified me for the Candidate Master title. However, I chose to pursue the FIDE Trainer title instead, as it is the highest title a coach can obtain.

I am now 55 years old and not actively chasing titles. Even if I were younger, I'm not sure I would pursue them. In India, titles hold significant value since the average monthly payment is around $300 or a bit more; being a strong player can lead to better income.

However, since I lived in Ireland, where the average salary exceeds €50,000 per year, I was motivated to attend university and complete my education. Currently, I work as an advisor to a minister in one European state, but chess remains my passion. If you’d like to see my results as a coach, please Google "Darko Polimac."

I appreciate your question, and it’s perfectly reasonable to ask. Enjoy playing chess, and if you need any help, please feel free to contact me. Cheers!

Congratulations! Just continue working hard.

I peaked yesterday at 2385 bullet!

It sounds like you've done a lot for the game of chess! Thankyou! And good luck on your goals!

Titles mean less than you think, elo is something that depends on a closed, relatively small pool of competitors, not the whole world. Average accuracy and the ability to play against just-minimally-beatable bots is a much more deterministic measure of strength. The fact that he is an FIDE coach is more than enough to prove he fully understands the concept of chess.

I am sure I am speaking for many when I say that I also don't like that you, unprovokedly, effaced this man by pointing out something he did not achieve. He is obviously a very intelligent man, and did a lot of work in chess and does not deserve that kind of smearing talk against him. You don't know how he feels about him choosing not to get a title. You said something insensitive, there.

Darko this is a really well written post. Thanks for writing this.

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my rating is not good

Thank you for your information and it's your decision ☺️

Thank you

Thank you

Well done that is amazing rating

I struggle with this a lot. I was 1100 USCF but then dropped all the way to 800. Then, I got back to 1200 but fell down to 900. This is normal and getting frustrated wont solve anything.

so i was like 686 in blitz but then i fell down to 338 . then, i climbed up to 752 but got smashed to 472. it was really embarassing but this happens a LOT to me.