Why 2000?
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Well before aiming for master or grandmaster, why not aim for something realistic and still very good? And 2000 is a symbolic number as well... we could aim for 2017 or 1978, but doesn't it look a bit stupid to say: My next step is to become a 1978 rating player?
2000 because you no longer have the title "Amateur."
2000 is a nice round number. It's also as anaxagoras said higher than an amatuer. Realisticly , a player who started playing the game at like 1250 could become like 2000 in about 5-10 years with some practice. To go from 2000-2400 would take vastly longer with more practice.
Right now, my goal is to reach 1400. Since I'm currently 1377, and I'm playing in a 6 game USCF tourney this weekend, that's a VERY short term goal. Ask me on Tuesday if I achieved it yet. :p
Longer term, I'm hoping to steadily improve. Since I've been at around this level for a while, I feel that I'm probably on the verge of a breakthrough where my rating will shoot up 100-200 points all at once when something clicks in my head, and I suddenly start applying everything I've learned recently. That's how my rating changes usually happen.
So my next goal is 1600. Then 1800. Then 2000. Then 2200. Then FM, IM, GM... but I know those later goals will never actually happen.
I guess that's why 2000 is significant. Even at my level right now, where I've got "stepped" goals like this, that 2000 number seems like the last of the realistic goals. I think I can probably hit 1800 pretty easily if I just stick with the game. I think 2200 is probably too high to me to ever shoot for, because I doubt if I'll ever have the free time for that level of dedication, even if I do have the necessary natural talent. So 2000 is the highest goal on the "tough, but maybe attainable" list for adult amateurs like myself.
--Fromper
I guess many people just like their first number in their rating to be a 2 instead of a 1, haha.
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A lot of the chessplayers I've taught and chess peers I've played with seemed to be aiming at becoming 2000 players. Why 2000? 2000 doesn't represent a master in most national chess clubs. 2000 is far short of master in FIDE. So why are they aiming at something short of mastery?
There is nothing special about a 2000 rating. I know because I've been above 2000 before and if I can do it anyone can.
Or maybe that's the answer. We know that 2000 is something we can achieve without too much sacrifice on our parts. It doesn't take quitting your job and leaving your family to become a 2000 player (that doesn't happen until 2400).
Ahh well, might as well ask why we have ratings in the first place. I always thought ratings were for seeing how us today compared to us yesterday but what do I know?
What say you?