chess bots are bad, should I get a USCF?

[Event "Vs. Computer"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2026-03-09"] [White "chesstechnical819356"] [Black "Pokimane"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1500"] [BlackElo "1000"] [TimeControl "1800"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPP1/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1"] [Termination "chesstechnical819356 won by checkmate"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 e6 3. Nc3 g5 4. e5 Qe7 5. Ne4 Qb4+ 6. c3 Qb6 7. Rb1 d5 8. exd6 Be7 9. Bxg5 Bxg5 10. Nxg5 Kd8 11. Qg4 f5 12. Qh4 Ke8 13. Qh5+ Kd8 14. Nf7+ Kd7 15. Nxh8 Nf6 16. Qf7+ Kxd6 17. Qxf6 Kc7 18. Rxh7+ Bd7 19. Nf7 Kc8 20. Rh8+ Be8 21. Rxe8+ Kd7 22. Qe7# 1-0. [Event "Vs. Computer"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2026-03-09"] [White "chesstechnical819356"] [Black "Pokimane"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1500"] [BlackElo "1000"] [TimeControl "-"] [Termination "chesstechnical819356 won by checkmate"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Nc3 Nd7 6. Be3 Bg4 7. Be2 Bxf3 8. Bxf3 g5 9. O-O f5 10. Bh5+ Ke7 11. Bxg5+ Ndf6 12. exf6+ Nxf6 13. Re1 Rg8 14. h4 Qd6 15. Qf3 Rxg5 16. hxg5 Ne4 17. Nxe4 dxe4 18. Rxe4 fxe4 19. Qf7+ Kd8 20. Qe8+ Kc7 21. Qxa8 Kb6 22. a4 Be7 23. a5+ Kc7 24. Rd1 Qd8 25. Qxd8+ Bxd8 26. c4 a6 27. d5 Kd6 28. dxc6+ Kc7 29. b4 b6 30. axb6+ Kxb6 31. c5+ Kb5 32. Rxd8 Kxb4 33. Rb8+ Kxc5 34. Ra8 e5 35. Rxa6 Kd6 36. Ra8 Kd5 37. c7 Kd4 38. c8=Q e3 39. Qe6 exf2+ 40. Kxf2 Ke4 41. Be2 Kf4 42. Qg4# 1-0. this was way too easy for me.

Not what I expected that to look like :P

[Event "Vs. Computer"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2026-03-09"] [White "chesstechnical819356"] [Black "Pokimane"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1500"] [BlackElo "1000"] [TimeControl "1800"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPP1/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1"] [Termination "chesstechnical819356 won by checkmate"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 e6 3. Nc3 g5 4. e5 Qe7 5. Ne4 Qb4+ 6. c3 Qb6 7. Rb1 d5 8. exd6 Be7 9. Bxg5 Bxg5 10. Nxg5 Kd8 11. Qg4 f5 12. Qh4 Ke8 13. Qh5+ Kd8 14. Nf7+ Kd7 15. Nxh8 Nf6 16. Qf7+ Kxd6 17. Qxf6 Kc7 18. Rxh7+ Bd7 19. Nf7 Kc8 20. Rh8+ Be8 21. Rxe8+ Kd7 22. Qe7# 1-0

[Event "Vs. Computer"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2026-03-09"] [White "chesstechnical819356"] [Black "Pokimane"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1500"] [BlackElo "1000"] [TimeControl "-"] [Termination "chesstechnical819356 won by checkmate"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Nc3 Nd7 6. Be3 Bg4 7. Be2 Bxf3 8. Bxf3 g5 9. O-O f5 10. Bh5+ Ke7 11. Bxg5+ Ndf6 12. exf6+ Nxf6 13. Re1 Rg8 14. h4 Qd6 15. Qf3 Rxg5 16. hxg5 Ne4 17. Nxe4 dxe4 18. Rxe4 fxe4 19. Qf7+ Kd8 20. Qe8+ Kc7 21. Qxa8 Kb6 22. a4 Be7 23. a5+ Kc7 24. Rd1 Qd8 25. Qxd8+ Bxd8 26. c4 a6 27. d5 Kd6 28. dxc6+ Kc7 29. b4 b6 30. axb6+ Kxb6 31. c5+ Kb5 32. Rxd8 Kxb4 33. Rb8+ Kxc5 34. Ra8 e5 35. Rxa6 Kd6 36. Ra8 Kd5 37. c7 Kd4 38. c8=Q e3 39. Qe6 exf2+ 40. Kxf2 Ke4 41. Be2 Kf4 42. Qg4# 1-0

This was me at on a Sunday beating this bot with pawn odds in a 30+0 and in a standard causal game BTW

You should get a USCF Rating. Then you can back your skill with confidence

Ok

Getting a USCF rating completely changed how I view chess. For me it was in a positive way. Others will disagree, but for me it was wonderful.

Be prepared to have little kids crush you.