what's the main difference between a 1300 and a 1800 player?

They are better at chess, and if I knew what that meant I wouldn't be rated 1050.

best answer in the thread!

Its nice if you look at my games archive and can point out something. Playing online I often check if my moves are in the book. Learning openings takes time. The one I am best in have got maybe 200 onlinegames and 5 otb longchess. I try to learn KID these days, and hav got 6 men and a little girl to give me that opening. It will be ok by christmas I hope.

The understanding comes creeping after lots of games.

Spending a lot of time when uncertain in the opening is a very good advice. I was playing one game against Maria Edakina (FIDE 1675)In the Norwegian team championship. She didnt know my opening, spent much time, and outplayed me after a while. Her answers brought me into the unknown,

Those strong 1675 players are much better at finding sound moves in unknown territory.

1. Weak players make opening moves you've never seen before

2. They snatch whatever is available even if it's defended

3. They hang pieces

4. They don't see threats

5. They move pieces right into the firing line

6. They don't castle & don't protect their king

7. They storm pawns regardless of what's waiting for them

8. They don't see mate in 1

9. They don't protect their queen

10. They love playing bishop to c4 and queen to f3 or h5 setting you up for a delicious unstoppable mate inside the first 4 moves.

They forget about a pin that wrecks their tactical plan, and give up a free queen.

Sigh.

Free queens here!  Come get your free queen!

500 POINTS LOL

In my opinion, chess.com ratings are sometimes a little inaccurate. But the difference between a typical 1300 and 1800 is the 1300 tends to blunder and miss threats a little more.

Our rating are just different scales. The blitzrating is quite close to Fide, but online differs a lot. I guess that 1675 (me) online is ca 1300 fide longchess. Comparing onlinechess to Fide is like comparing fahrenheit to celsius. The measurements are presice enough, the heat can be the same, but the numbers are not.

Fide also has a timedelay. Fiderating tells you how the player scored some time ago, and is probably more than a half year behind the strenght of today. Chess.com ratings are fresher.

Really? was this the first time that was posted? I wanted to post that, but I figured that it must have already been stated.

And, it's the only correct answer. Kudos to tubebender.

yes, for being the 20th poster to say that

One thing that no one else has mentioned, and I think it's the most important thing, is 500 points.

1300 has a 3 in it...1800 has an 8. Other than that they are identical.

CAPTAIN OBVIOUS

The difference is essentially a moustache.

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Agreed but when one ask about rating differences FIDE is assumed unless stated otherwise.  If Carlsen played here his online rating would be over 3000.

The 1800 knows that the meaning of life is chess and the 1300 player is just starting to learn so.

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Not often in theory, but I'm ~1900 and a friend of mine who is ~1400 has three victories in our past six USCF tournament games. I think I still have a perfect score against him at blitz, but in standard time control games I sometimes become careless and don't get away with it.