How to Go from Beginner to 800 Rating
Your first chess milestone — build solid foundations with Professor Archer
Published 2026-02-01 | Last verified 2026-02-12
Professor Archer says: Every grandmaster was once a beginner who could not tell a bishop from a knight. I mean that literally — I once watched a future titled player set up the board with the bishops and knights swapped. The journey to 800 is not about talent. It is about learning to see the board clearly, one piece at a time. Think of it like learning to read: first you learn the letters, then words, then sentences. You are learning the alphabet of chess right now, and that is a wonderful place to be.
Where You Are Now
If you are reading this, you are likely somewhere below 800 in online rating — or perhaps you have not even played a rated game yet. That is perfectly fine. At this stage, games are often decided by who gives away fewer pieces. You might sometimes forget how the knight moves, or you might leave your queen hanging on an open square. Checkmates feel accidental rather than planned.
This is the most exciting phase of chess, because improvement comes quickly. Unlike a player rated 1800 who might spend months gaining 50 points, you can gain hundreds of rating points in a matter of weeks if you focus on the right things. The key is not to overwhelm yourself. You do not need to study grandmaster games or memorize opening theory. You need to learn the fundamentals so well that they become automatic.
Think of it like learning to drive. Before you can navigate a highway, you need to know where the brake pedal is. Before you can play beautiful combinations, you need to know how each piece moves and what it is worth.
What to Study
- Master the Board Setup and Piece Movement - This sounds elementary, but you would be surprised how many sub-800 players still hesitate about where the queen goes or how the knight jumps. Set up the board from memory until you can do it in under thirty seconds. Then practice moving each piece individually across an empty board. The knight deserves special attention — its L-shaped movement confuses everyone at first. Try the "knight tour" exercise: place a knight on a1 and try to visit every square on the board exactly once. You do not need to complete it, but the attempt will make knight movement feel natural.
- Learn Piece Values and Stop Giving Away Material - Pawn equals 1, knight and bishop equal 3, rook equals 5, queen equals 9. These are approximate values, but at your level they are gospel. The single biggest thing you can do to reach 800 is to stop losing pieces for free. Before every move, ask yourself: "Is the square I am moving to safe? Can my opponent capture this piece?" I call this the "one-question habit," and it alone can add 200 points to your rating.
- Learn Basic Checkmate Patterns - You cannot win if you cannot deliver checkmate. Start with the simplest mates: king and queen versus king, and king and rook versus king. These are the two you absolutely must know. Practice them against a computer until you can deliver mate consistently without stalemating. Stalemate is the great heartbreak of beginners — you have an overwhelming advantage, and then the game is a draw because you left your opponent with no legal moves. Learning to avoid stalemate is just as important as learning to deliver checkmate.
- Simple Tactics: Forks and Skewers - A fork is when one piece attacks two enemy pieces at the same time. The most famous fork is the knight fork, but every piece can fork. A skewer is like a fork in a line — you attack a valuable piece, and when it moves, you capture the piece behind it. At the beginner level, you do not need to study twenty different tactical patterns. Just learn to recognize forks and skewers, and more importantly, learn to check whether your opponent is setting one up against you.
- Develop a Pre-Move Checklist - Before every move, run through three questions: (1) Is my king safe? (2) Are any of my pieces hanging? (3) Does my opponent have a threat I need to address? This takes about five seconds and will prevent the vast majority of beginner blunders. I sometimes call this the "three-second scan." Make it a habit, and you will climb to 800 faster than you ever imagined.
Typical Study Schedule
| Day | Activity | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Piece movement drills and board setup practice | 20 min |
| Tuesday | Solve 10 basic tactics puzzles (forks and mates in 1) | 20 min |
| Wednesday | Play 2 slow games (10 min or longer per side) | 30 min |
| Thursday | Practice king + queen vs king checkmate | 15 min |
| Friday | Solve 10 basic tactics puzzles | 20 min |
| Saturday | Play 2–3 games and review your blunders afterward | 40 min |
| Sunday | Rest or play casual games for fun | 0–30 min |
Common Mistakes at This Level
The number one mistake below 800 is moving without looking. You make a move that feels right and then immediately see your opponent capture a free piece. This is not a thinking problem — it is a looking problem. You did not scan the board before committing to your move.
The second most common mistake is ignoring the center. Beginners often push pawns on the edges or develop pieces to the rim of the board. The center of the board is chess real estate at its most valuable. Pieces in the center control more squares and can reach both sides of the board quickly.
Third, beginners play too fast. If you are playing 1-minute bullet games, you are practicing bad habits at high speed. Slow down. Play games with at least 10 minutes per side. Use your time. The rating points will follow.
Finally, many beginners move the same piece multiple times in the opening while their other pieces sit at home doing nothing. Each move should ideally bring a new piece into the game. Get your knights and bishops out, castle your king to safety, and connect your rooks. That is the opening in a nutshell.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to reach 800?
For most players who study consistently, reaching 800 takes between two weeks and two months. If you are practicing the fundamentals daily — not just playing games but actually drilling piece movement, solving simple puzzles, and reviewing your blunders — you will see rapid improvement. Everyone learns at a different pace, and that is completely normal.
Should I memorize openings at this level?
Absolutely not. Below 800, opening memorization is a waste of time because your opponents will not follow any opening theory either. Instead, focus on three opening principles: control the center, develop your pieces, and castle early. Those three guidelines are worth more than any memorized sequence of moves.
Is it better to play against computers or humans?
Play against humans whenever possible. Computers at low difficulty settings make unrealistic moves that do not help you learn real patterns. Human opponents at your level will make the same kinds of mistakes you make, and that is where learning happens. You start to recognize common blunders and learn to exploit them.
I keep blundering my queen. What should I do?
This is the single most common complaint I hear from beginners. The queen is your most powerful piece, which makes it tempting to bring it out early and use it aggressively. But an early queen is a target. Your opponent will chase it around the board while developing their own pieces. Keep your queen back in the opening, and always check whether the square you are moving it to is safe.
Professor Archer's Advice
I have taught hundreds of students at this level, and the ones who improve fastest all share one trait: they are not afraid to lose. Chess is a game of mistakes, especially at the beginning. Every time you blunder a piece, you have learned something valuable. Write it down if you can. "I left my bishop on an unprotected square." "I did not see the knight fork." These notes become your personal textbook.
Do not compare yourself to anyone else. I mean that sincerely. The player who reached 800 in a week might have played similar strategy games before. The player who took three months might have a completely different background. What matters is your own trajectory.
And finally, enjoy the process. The beginner phase of chess is like the first chapter of a great novel — everything is new, everything is a discovery. You will never have this experience again. Savor it.
Professor Archer says: When I taught my very first student decades ago, she was terrified of making mistakes. I told her what I will tell you now: every blunder is a lesson wearing a disguise. At this stage, losing a piece teaches you more than winning a game ever could. Be patient with yourself. The 800 milestone will come, and when it does, you will look back and marvel at how far you have traveled.
Quick Quiz
Which piece is generally worth the most points in standard piece valuation?
- Rook (5 points) - The rook is valuable at 5 points, but it is not the most valuable piece. The queen is worth nearly twice as much.
- Queen (9 points) (Correct) - Correct! The queen is worth approximately 9 points, making it the most valuable piece on the board. Protecting your queen and not bringing it out too early is crucial for beginners.
- Bishop (3 points) - The bishop is worth about 3 points, the same as a knight. While bishops can be very powerful on open diagonals, they are not the most valuable piece.
- Knight (3 points) - Knights are worth approximately 3 points. They are tricky pieces with their unique movement pattern, but the queen is far more valuable.