What A Chess Improver Looks Like: A Dive Into The Numbers

Have you heard of the 2025 Chess Improvement Challenge? It's a massive group of chess players supporting each other and working on their goals for the year. Members gain access to our Improvers Club, study guides, and year-round content. They can even win prizes and get a chance to participate in the CoachChamps Tournament, a prize event that Chess.com will be hosting this year!

So far, over 33,000 members have signed up and filled out a short survey on their background and goals for the year. You can join too! That survey has given us a great view into what a chess improver looks like and what goals they may try to reach. Let's take a look!

Who Are Chess Improvers?

So far, 33,131 members have completed the survey to join the 2025 Improvement Challenge. On average, they are somewhat more dedicated than the average chess player, with a rating of 1153 at their preferred time control, compared to the Chess.com rapid average of 616.

Chess improvers tend to be on the younger side. The most frequent age of improvers is between 18 and 29, followed closely by those under 18. It may not be surprising that those older than 50 are the least likely to consider themselves improvers.

Most improvers have a fresh outlook on chess but aren't brand-new players. 57% of respondents reported they have between 1 and 5 years of chess experience. The next biggest group is made up of new chess players, 25% of whom have been playing for less than a year. There are still a dedicated 10% of members who have been playing chess for more than a decade and are still working hard on their games! 

How Do Improvers Do It?

The community of improvers is trying everything to get better at chess, but a couple of methods are the most popular. Unsurprisingly, just about all chess improvers spend time playing chess. After that, the most popular practice method is doing puzzles, closely followed by analyzing games and watching videos. Reading books rounds out the top five, just edging out studying Chessable courses.

What Are Their Goals?

What are we all hoping to accomplish with this chess study time? Most chess players focus on improving at chess, with 94% aiming for a rating goal. Regarding specific parts of the game, 56% of improvers would like to improve their opening play. 44% of improvers are focused on improving their study habits. Playing more and getting better at puzzles, with 30% and 29%, round out the top five goals of modern chess improvers.

How much do improvers want to get better? Remember that improvers average a rating of 1153. They're typically hoping to gain hundreds of points this year. The average goals differ slightly among players of bullet, blitz, rapid, and over-the-board events. However, their goals all range between 1500 and 1675, generally 350 and 400 points beyond their current levels. Good luck to everyone!

Unique Goals

We all have unique chess journeys, so many improvers wrote their answers. Here are just a few...

"I want to read chess books every day."

"Try to think more when I play. don't rush, and play better chess."

"Mostly, I want to beat my friend that I keep losing to."

"I need to become the World's youngest WGM."

"Manage anxiety while playing rated games."

"Win."

"Basically, I want to improve my mindset while playing (to develop a warrior/victor mindset, I would say) and stop being afraid of loss/failure."

I want to be the highest rated Bhutanese player.

What is your chess improvement goal for 2025? Let us know in the comments!