How I Gained Over 600 ELO in 1 Month after being stuck at 900 ELO for a year(seriously)
“Rushing through moves may win you a game, but taking your time to think will win you progress.” - Magnus Carlsen
Let's just begin with the results. In just one month, I jumped from a sub 1,000 ELO to over 1,500, gaining more than 600 rating points after being stuck below 1,000 for an entire year.
Screenshot from my profile
For years, I found myself stuck at a 900 Elo rating, repeatedly hitting a wall despite putting in time to improve. The problem wasn’t a lack of knowledge or skill. It was how I approached the game. I was always in a rush to attack, trying to force the game forward with quick moves. I thought that playing aggressively was the key to winning, but this mindset only led to blunders and frustration.
An average game for me would include between 5 and 20 blunders. I'm not joking unfortunately...
The real breakthrough came when I made a simple but powerful mindset shift. I started playing longer games, being patient, and allowing the game to unfold naturally. Instead of rushing to make the first attack, I focused on solidifying my position, keeping calm, and waiting for my opponent to make mistakes. By taking my time with each move and prioritizing careful, strategic thinking over quick tactics, I found that I could capitalize on my opponent’s errors rather than forcing the issue myself.
This patience and discipline in longer games not only helped me avoid blunders but also allowed me to gradually build a stronger, more reliable game. It wasn’t about learning new openings or memorizing advanced strategies. It was about taking my time, being patient, and letting the game come to me. That shift in mindset allowed me to climb 600 rating points, proving that sometimes the key to improvement is simply playing with more patience and trust in the process.
I stopped playing the time controls in RED and played on the GREEN time controls. I also thought for at least 1-2 minutes on each move EVEN IF THE MOVES WERE OBVIOUS
In the end, the key lesson I learned is that thinking more, rather than rushing through moves, truly pays off in the long run. It’s easy to get caught up in the desire to win quickly, especially when you’re trying to climb the rating ladder. The rush to attack and make bold moves can feel satisfying in the moment, but it often leads to careless mistakes and missed opportunities. Most of the mistakes I made in my games, whether it was a blunder or a missed tactic, happened when I was rushing my decisions or playing too aggressively without considering the bigger picture.
"Focusing too narrowly can make you miss the opportunities that lie just outside your line of sight." - Nikaru Hakamura
Taking the time to think about each move, to fully consider its consequences before acting, might not give you immediate rewards, but it builds a stronger foundation for future success. The more I focused on playing patient, thoughtful games, the more I started to realize that every move matters. Chess became less about immediate results and more about building a lasting, solid approach to the game. I learned that rushing often results in those errors that can be easily avoided with a little more thought and patience.
In the long run, this mindset change has made me not only a better chess player but also more resilient. There’s a deeper satisfaction in knowing that each move is carefully considered and that you’re allowing the game to unfold at its own pace. This patience is something that extends beyond chess—it's a valuable lesson in life, too.
Rather than trying to force things to happen, the steady, deliberate approach has proven to be more effective. It’s not just about avoiding mistakes; it’s about ensuring that every decision is intentional. Over time, I’ve realized that the best games and the most rewarding progress come when you take a step back, think carefully, and trust the process. This mindset shift helped me rise over 600 rating points and proved that the key to improvement is not rushing but being patient enough to learn from every move, and most importantly, from every mistake.
So in the end I will leave you guys with this quote...
“Rushing through moves may win you a game, but taking your time to think will win you progress.” - Magnus Carlsen
