Wow I'm kinda stunned by the comments here. Getting to 2500 is definitely a high bar, and it would be awesome if you make it, but even if you don't make it, the challenge will definitely be worth it because you'll be learning along the way. Setting a low bar just for a TH-cam story arc that has a happy ending on 31 December is not worth it, so don't listen to those who are saying to shoot lower.
The main problem on your newest journey will be the players pool in the suggested time control. If it was only dependent on your ability, the chances would be much higher. The thing is, once you reach around 2300 it becomes hard to find opponents willing to play 15+10. This means that you will often play lower rated players than yourself, and each loss will take you back several steps rating wise. In 10/5 pool there is a higher chance that you will find higher rated players ( and with less waiting time), but form what I've seen that time control suits you less ( we are similar in this category). Finally, there is a 10/0 pool, where it is likely that you will find higher rated players, but the time format is closer to blitz than to a rapid format ( this format probably suits you the least, and it would take a lot of effort to adjust). All in all, I think you have the ability, but there are some outside reasons that will make your task extremely difficult ( stronger players playing faster time controls which might not suit you). I know I have been a big critic of yours in different areas, but honestly I wish you to succeed. After all, why did I watch all your videos from the road to GM series, and I am always checking youtube, if there is a new one posted. Good luck on this tough journey, and remember - it is not the end of journey that is the most important, it is the journey itself that makes it worthwhile!
I've mostly eased up on the criticism because it got repetitive, but I'm also in the big critic and big fan category. I think there are a fair number of us, and our criticisms are motivated the same way, by the wish to see Stjepan succeed. There are others, though, who are just mean spirited. I also agree 2500 is at least possible, and that finding opponents might be a serious obstacle to it.
I don't mean to be negative but I feel there's a 5% chance or less of this because 2500 Lichess Rapid equates to just an extremely strong player. I'd put it at minimum 2150 FIDE strength. While I believe deeply in long-term improvement, I think your true Rapid strength at the moment is 2300 if you played like 100% focus etc and 3 months is not enough time to have 200 ratings point of fundamental improvement. That would be astonishing; if you manage it, 2500 Lichess will be the least of rewards as you should be crushing OTB tournaments at that point. It might be doable if you've had great strength improvement behind the scenes in the last month or so, but I'm doubtful. Anyways, good luck! I'd have preferred 2550 or 2600 in 12 months as an ambitious but achievable goal here.
Hello! Finally I find some one ambitious about chess, Bro I am 21 years old and 1500 on lichess I am not improving anything 🤦🏻 Sometimes Silly mistakes, It's very difficult for me. I seriously wanna become a Fide Master that's my goal how can I Achieve it in 2-3 Years. Please Bhai give me what should I work on? Already reading and applying silmans endgame book, Learnt theory of Vienna game, caro kann & pirc but elo still stuck there since a month 🤔 @meakash is my lichess can we friends and will you please help me!
I feel like 2600 in 12 months is too much as well, growth at that point is exponential. It's like if he said "I want to get the FM title in a year" and someone replied "What about IM in two years?"
I agree, although I think 2600 in 12 months is even more unrealistic. rapid ratings get exponentially harder after around the 2200 to 2300 mark for some reason, way faster then corresponding blitz ratings. 2400 is a solid challenge for 2k fide rated players, while 2500 would already stump many NM's. Not to mention 2600 lol
@@sam2725 2600 would still be in range of like a 2250 non-Indian FIDE rating. I think a 2000 becoming 2250 in 12 months is great improvement but we see it all the time. But to go from true '2300' (my assumption) to 2500 in 3 months means a huge fundamental improvement of level, and I think 3 months is basically too quick for that to happen.
@@prabhatkiranmukherje Maybe, I'm not 2600 so its tough to say :), but it's still a matter of impossible huge fundemental improvement regardless. To go from 2k fide to +2250 fide in 12 months vs 2k to 2150 fide in 3 months. I think it's just as impossible for an adult who has played for years. On top of it all I think Stjephan performs better otb compared to online, so even 2250fide wouldn't be enough for 2600 imo
15:13 actually when you were calculating R:e3 fe Q:e3+ Kf1 you said Kg4 and i don't c how he prevents checkmate i immediately spotted Bd4 and i was hoping you'd find it and wouldn't play it... Then i realized there's Bd4 in all the variations... Your videos are so good and i love watching them! Thank u❤
You can absolutely make it to 2500, but you will have to change up your openings imo. You’re at your best when you’re playing aggressive chess, but too often I think you default to easy, slightly more passive chess. Be on the lookout for aggressive lines in all the openings you play, and you will do well!
I could see 2400 which I think is a solid and good goal. I don't think you will hit 2500 unless you miraculously break out of the plateau you've been in for a while. On the other hand, setting your goal high and reaching 2400 would still be a great step in the correct direction so the goal is a great motivator either way!
@@laidbackstrat9491 ikr. this sort of meticulous planning n tactic hunting paired with an aggressive position... I think that's the next step for a player of his caliber.
@@orchestratefor example, at 22:04, he spends over a minute and plays Qd6, when the "automatic" move for any aggressive player there is Qg4. It's important to develop the killer instinct and put more pressure!
It would agree, at the very least it would help round out his play a bit. If you never play bad aggressive moves it's unlikely you'll ever learn to play good ones.
To reach your goal, you will need to win at least 14 matches per month for three months, if each win giving you 6 points. It seems like a really tough goal, but I strongly believe you can do it because you are an exceptionally great player. Note: I think 10+0 would suit you better.
I think a lot of people are missing a clear positive from your stated target - we’ll get plenty of content over these coming cold, wet, miserable months!
Until now, I thought people in North America, Europe, and Asia generally experienced snowy winters, so your comment got me to investigate. It seems being cold, wet, and miserable really is what the majority can expect. We'll be lucky to have Stjepan help us through! :-)
Isn't 2500 like nearly impossible? Why not 2350? This is definitely tough enough for those few months left. Moreover, I feel like generally just looking to improve without caring about your (online) rating at ~2000 OTB is definitely the way to go, especially if your ultimate goal is GM. This is going to be way harder getting to from where you're at right now than reaching 2000 from absolute beginner level.
A couple of others who've reached 2500 think he can do it. Rating goals are what motivate most players to improve. GM includes is a rating goal, so why not set one on lichess? As for 2350, he's been there.
@@bluefin.64 Yeah, set one on Lichess, but don't be delusional and expect an incredible growth out of the blue in such a short time.... he's currently well below 2350, so doesn't really matter that "he's been there before" imo.
@@leondarrell1 2500 is lofty and maybe unlikely but not delusional. Read the comments by the other two people who achieved it. As for 2350, suggesting he shoot for a rating he's already achieved doesn't make much sense. If you'd said 2400 you'd have gotten no pushback from me.
@@bluefin.64 I see we have different opinions on goals and milestones, but didn't he say himself that he "doesn't care about short term rating gains", hence stopping to play the London System and switching to play a lot more openings? How does a "I want to reach a rating I've never even been remotely close to in about three months" challenge make any sense here?
@@leondarrell1 I'm not debating his consistency, just if 2500 is delusional, as you called it. One thing to add here that I forgot is that he's gone over 2400 on his secret training account. So if we don't assume he's reached his peak, which we probably shouldn't, and if he makes a concerted effort, I don't think 2500 can be ruled out, so why not go for glory? There's no harm in it, and at the least it'll be fun for us to follow.
Doesn’t sound realistic to me from where you are now. 2400 would be difficult but more plausible. Each 100 points is more and more difficult and you would have to play a lot of games. I would also recommend 10-0 if you’re serious about gaining ELO.
@@КірілКоновалов At times he shows he has much more potential. IMO, what he needs is a strong GM coach who'd get him to think and train differently. Then his real ceiling, whatever it is, would be a lot higher.
That's honestly a pretty unrealistic climb. Also, I think that you are a bit wrong about your way of getting the GM title. First off, getting the title is a pretty insane goal for an adult improver, maybe start with CM or NM and take it from there:) Second, just play the boring London that you are good at. I personally know people who have gotten to 2400 just playing london as white so trying to remember aa gazillion sicilian lines is just too much
His speciality is opening preparation, so i dont think that is helpful advice. If you watch his previous videos its clear that he is often better prepared in the opening than his opponents
@@arthurmedeiros5594 It very much is worth to memorize openings and also know your endgames, practical and theoretical. But some repetoires have many more lines than others that you need to know
Im a fan but this just seems like a clickbait. Maybe 2400 would be a very tough and unlikely, but still realistic. Also you should start playing 10+0, the pool is a bit easier rating wise, and there aren't many +2300 players playing something like 15+10 anyway
I'm sorry but I don't. I love you, been watching you for years, and I'm rooting for you. But your Lichess rating hasn't even been improving 100pts per year. It gets harder both with age and as you try to improve when you are already a higher rating. My over/under for your 2024 end of year rating is 2300, but I'm hoping for the over!
I really like to watch your videos, but I think that you set some unrealistic goals for yourself. And I don’t think that is going to help you improve your chess. Instead if you just enjoy the chess you are playing, you won’t get so emotional over winning or losing or rating points like you are doing now.
Besides out of all profylactic moves Kg7 is the worst one, because I whenever your rook leaves your opponent has Rb8 with tempo, since Qf8+ is forced mate threat
16:14 rook takes e3, bishop d4, AND BISHOP TAKES H2 CHECK. Sadly wont work but if white took the bishop on h2 I think black wins material. If white takes with knight then he hangs the bishop and if he takes with king then black queen can check on c7 and next move capture the light squared bishop on e2. Winning a pawn in both variations but if white doesnt take bishop on h2 i dont see a follow up for black
Wow I'm kinda stunned by the comments here. Getting to 2500 is definitely a high bar, and it would be awesome if you make it, but even if you don't make it, the challenge will definitely be worth it because you'll be learning along the way. Setting a low bar just for a TH-cam story arc that has a happy ending on 31 December is not worth it, so don't listen to those who are saying to shoot lower.
Just made it to 700 from 500 two weeks ago, been finding your channel really helpful. Excited to see you reach 2500.
The main problem on your newest journey will be the players pool in the suggested time control. If it was only dependent on your ability, the chances would be much higher. The thing is, once you reach around 2300 it becomes hard to find opponents willing to play 15+10. This means that you will often play lower rated players than yourself, and each loss will take you back several steps rating wise. In 10/5 pool there is a higher chance that you will find higher rated players ( and with less waiting time), but form what I've seen that time control suits you less ( we are similar in this category). Finally, there is a 10/0 pool, where it is likely that you will find higher rated players, but the time format is closer to blitz than to a rapid format ( this format probably suits you the least, and it would take a lot of effort to adjust).
All in all, I think you have the ability, but there are some outside reasons that will make your task extremely difficult ( stronger players playing faster time controls which might not suit you). I know I have been a big critic of yours in different areas, but honestly I wish you to succeed. After all, why did I watch all your videos from the road to GM series, and I am always checking youtube, if there is a new one posted.
Good luck on this tough journey, and remember - it is not the end of journey that is the most important, it is the journey itself that makes it worthwhile!
I've mostly eased up on the criticism because it got repetitive, but I'm also in the big critic and big fan category. I think there are a fair number of us, and our criticisms are motivated the same way, by the wish to see Stjepan succeed. There are others, though, who are just mean spirited.
I also agree 2500 is at least possible, and that finding opponents might be a serious obstacle to it.
I don't mean to be negative but I feel there's a 5% chance or less of this because 2500 Lichess Rapid equates to just an extremely strong player. I'd put it at minimum 2150 FIDE strength. While I believe deeply in long-term improvement, I think your true Rapid strength at the moment is 2300 if you played like 100% focus etc and 3 months is not enough time to have 200 ratings point of fundamental improvement. That would be astonishing; if you manage it, 2500 Lichess will be the least of rewards as you should be crushing OTB tournaments at that point. It might be doable if you've had great strength improvement behind the scenes in the last month or so, but I'm doubtful.
Anyways, good luck! I'd have preferred 2550 or 2600 in 12 months as an ambitious but achievable goal here.
Hello! Finally I find some one ambitious about chess, Bro I am 21 years old and 1500 on lichess I am not improving anything 🤦🏻 Sometimes Silly mistakes, It's very difficult for me. I seriously wanna become a Fide Master that's my goal how can I Achieve it in 2-3 Years. Please Bhai give me what should I work on? Already reading and applying silmans endgame book, Learnt theory of Vienna game, caro kann & pirc but elo still stuck there since a month 🤔 @meakash is my lichess can we friends and will you please help me!
I feel like 2600 in 12 months is too much as well, growth at that point is exponential. It's like if he said "I want to get the FM title in a year" and someone replied "What about IM in two years?"
I agree, although I think 2600 in 12 months is even more unrealistic. rapid ratings get exponentially harder after around the 2200 to 2300 mark for some reason, way faster then corresponding blitz ratings. 2400 is a solid challenge for 2k fide rated players, while 2500 would already stump many NM's. Not to mention 2600 lol
@@sam2725 2600 would still be in range of like a 2250 non-Indian FIDE rating. I think a 2000 becoming 2250 in 12 months is great improvement but we see it all the time. But to go from true '2300' (my assumption) to 2500 in 3 months means a huge fundamental improvement of level, and I think 3 months is basically too quick for that to happen.
@@prabhatkiranmukherje Maybe, I'm not 2600 so its tough to say :), but it's still a matter of impossible huge fundemental improvement regardless. To go from 2k fide to +2250 fide in 12 months vs 2k to 2150 fide in 3 months. I think it's just as impossible for an adult who has played for years. On top of it all I think Stjephan performs better otb compared to online, so even 2250fide wouldn't be enough for 2600 imo
wow man, tough goal........... getting the popcorn ready lol!!!
15:13 actually when you were calculating R:e3 fe Q:e3+ Kf1 you said Kg4 and i don't c how he prevents checkmate i immediately spotted Bd4 and i was hoping you'd find it and wouldn't play it...
Then i realized there's Bd4 in all the variations...
Your videos are so good and i love watching them!
Thank u❤
Sky is the limit!!! Can’t wait to see you at 2500!! Good luck to infinity and beyond
You can absolutely make it to 2500, but you will have to change up your openings imo. You’re at your best when you’re playing aggressive chess, but too often I think you default to easy, slightly more passive chess. Be on the lookout for aggressive lines in all the openings you play, and you will do well!
You can absolutely do it! You got this!
Good luck, hope you get there!
15:00 I was waiting for that realization. “Nooooo….oh thanks god”
Same, that was so scary
Of course you can make it. I believe in you.
glad to see you haven't had to record again due to 1st game pawn blunder this time 💯
Well played Stefan - interesting game & thanks for sharing!
I could see 2400 which I think is a solid and good goal. I don't think you will hit 2500 unless you miraculously break out of the plateau you've been in for a while. On the other hand, setting your goal high and reaching 2400 would still be a great step in the correct direction so the goal is a great motivator either way!
Nice game! Good luck with your goal!
You can do it! I'm sure - the effort is there, the improvement will follow.
Fun game to watch, thanks man you got 2500 for sure!!
I'm starting to wonder, wouldn't a more offensive style serve you better?
I disagree too, especially with how often he sighs and goes "well this is just equal".
@@laidbackstrat9491 ikr. this sort of meticulous planning n tactic hunting paired with an aggressive position... I think that's the next step for a player of his caliber.
@@orchestratefor example, at 22:04, he spends over a minute and plays Qd6, when the "automatic" move for any aggressive player there is Qg4. It's important to develop the killer instinct and put more pressure!
It would agree, at the very least it would help round out his play a bit. If you never play bad aggressive moves it's unlikely you'll ever learn to play good ones.
Cheering for you my friend!
That was one tense game. 😮 Nice end to a nailbiter.
Love the new series!!
To reach your goal, you will need to win at least 14 matches per month for three months, if each win giving you 6 points.
It seems like a really tough goal, but I strongly believe you can do it because you are an exceptionally great player.
Note:
I think 10+0 would suit you better.
You will do it Stjepan!
As someone who is also trying to get 2500 rapid on lichess its extremely tough , 2500 is like top 200 or something.
You can do it man! I am trying for the same goal!
Of course you can do it!
Good Luck!! (no doubt you can do it)
I think a lot of people are missing a clear positive from your stated target - we’ll get plenty of content over these coming cold, wet, miserable months!
Until now, I thought people in North America, Europe, and Asia generally experienced snowy winters, so your comment got me to investigate. It seems being cold, wet, and miserable really is what the majority can expect. We'll be lucky to have Stjepan help us through! :-)
Time limits just pressure you and make you disappointed if you do not achieve it… 2500 will come when you are ready
Have you read any books on Alekhine Defense? Can you recommend one?
You can do it, if you have the resolve and will.
GG!
Quality game.
Isn't 2500 like nearly impossible? Why not 2350? This is definitely tough enough for those few months left. Moreover, I feel like generally just looking to improve without caring about your (online) rating at ~2000 OTB is definitely the way to go, especially if your ultimate goal is GM. This is going to be way harder getting to from where you're at right now than reaching 2000 from absolute beginner level.
A couple of others who've reached 2500 think he can do it. Rating goals are what motivate most players to improve. GM includes is a rating goal, so why not set one on lichess? As for 2350, he's been there.
@@bluefin.64 Yeah, set one on Lichess, but don't be delusional and expect an incredible growth out of the blue in such a short time.... he's currently well below 2350, so doesn't really matter that "he's been there before" imo.
@@leondarrell1 2500 is lofty and maybe unlikely but not delusional. Read the comments by the other two people who achieved it. As for 2350, suggesting he shoot for a rating he's already achieved doesn't make much sense. If you'd said 2400 you'd have gotten no pushback from me.
@@bluefin.64 I see we have different opinions on goals and milestones, but didn't he say himself that he "doesn't care about short term rating gains", hence stopping to play the London System and switching to play a lot more openings? How does a "I want to reach a rating I've never even been remotely close to in about three months" challenge make any sense here?
@@leondarrell1 I'm not debating his consistency, just if 2500 is delusional, as you called it. One thing to add here that I forgot is that he's gone over 2400 on his secret training account. So if we don't assume he's reached his peak, which we probably shouldn't, and if he makes a concerted effort, I don't think 2500 can be ruled out, so why not go for glory? There's no harm in it, and at the least it'll be fun for us to follow.
So that’s about 28 wins with zero losses or draws…? depending upon your average results, I’d say that’s feasible 🧐 but unlikely
Goal setting is nice but it should be somewhat realistic. I would be surprised if you reach 2400 by the end of the year.
Please tell me who is loutsia
I've set a goal of 3250 by end of next week (I'm 1035 right now). Wish me luck!!
I love you buddy, but that's a big goal.
Doesn’t sound realistic to me from where you are now. 2400 would be difficult but more plausible. Each 100 points is more and more difficult and you would have to play a lot of games. I would also recommend 10-0 if you’re serious about gaining ELO.
2400? Yeah. 2500? I'm not so sure.
We will see:D It's gonna be tough.
I wanted to comment the same.
Even 2400 is going to be a stretch but yea in the realm of possible.
2500 FIDE from 1980 in three months? No, you can't.
I feel sure you can get to 2500, the timetable seems pretty onerous though, good luck!
Is the main goal still becoming GM or did it change to sth like IM or FM?
The guy hit his ceiling, everything above 2100 fide is unrealistic unfortunately
@@КірілКоновалов i know but i eant to know if he knows
@@КірілКоновалов At times he shows he has much more potential. IMO, what he needs is a strong GM coach who'd get him to think and train differently. Then his real ceiling, whatever it is, would be a lot higher.
You can do it Stjepan! Ignore the naysayers, nothing is impossible. Your supporters are with you all the way!
No, I don't think so.
That's honestly a pretty unrealistic climb. Also, I think that you are a bit wrong about your way of getting the GM title. First off, getting the title is a pretty insane goal for an adult improver, maybe start with CM or NM and take it from there:) Second, just play the boring London that you are good at. I personally know people who have gotten to 2400 just playing london as white so trying to remember aa gazillion sicilian lines is just too much
His speciality is opening preparation, so i dont think that is helpful advice. If you watch his previous videos its clear that he is often better prepared in the opening than his opponents
Not worth to memorize openings and lose in the endgame. But he knows what he is doing.
@@TheLetterH111 He has a much higher WR in london
@@arthurmedeiros5594 It very much is worth to memorize openings and also know your endgames, practical and theoretical. But some repetoires have many more lines than others that you need to know
Im a fan but this just seems like a clickbait. Maybe 2400 would be a very tough and unlikely, but still realistic. Also you should start playing 10+0, the pool is a bit easier rating wise, and there aren't many +2300 players playing something like 15+10 anyway
Bear in mind tho, he did say lichess 2500, not FIDE 2500 so I think it's not as absurd as it sounds
I'm sorry but I don't. I love you, been watching you for years, and I'm rooting for you. But your Lichess rating hasn't even been improving 100pts per year. It gets harder both with age and as you try to improve when you are already a higher rating.
My over/under for your 2024 end of year rating is 2300, but I'm hoping for the over!
Well Stephan
Well done Stephan
Ive gotten to 2500 lichess rapid while being on 2050 fide, so if i can do it (and im not the smartest player), then you can as well. Good luck :)
You're 150 Elo higher than Stjepan though. That's not easy to make up in 3 months.
@@prabhatkiranmukherje well, Stjepan is 1994 atm. and was as high as 2052 last year, so it's not inconceivable to regain that form.
I really like to watch your videos, but I think that you set some unrealistic goals for yourself. And I don’t think that is going to help you improve your chess. Instead if you just enjoy the chess you are playing, you won’t get so emotional over winning or losing or rating points like you are doing now.
Your OTB rating doesn't seem to have really moved much in 4 years. Be realistic.
Im his elo and I was 2500 rapid. Now I'm 2400 in both accounts, it's not hard at all.
Yo why are people in chess comments so rude
Im only 1500 OTB and I am 2100 (near his rating) on Lichess Rapid. In my mind it is very much possible as he is much stronger than me.
The time frame might be the only issue, but the level doesn’t seem to be the problem for me
@deeptochatterjee532 in general, most people are maladjusted. Edit: however, on closer inspection, OP has a point, but could've worded it better.
Weaker players play rapid on Lichess, stronger players play at maximum 3+2 or 3+0 as a standard, on that way cheating is minimised.
If someone is going to cheat, you're going to lose 100% whethere it's 3+0 or 15+10 and they will be caught pretty soon in either option as well.
stronger players are usually on Chesscom because of TT and most people use just one platform so they arent on lichess
@@AntonStachSZN stronger players use both platforms nearly always lol
Strong players became strong by playing slower games
@@kylen6430 U can not be strong an have 2100 lichess blitz, at least 2400-2500
21:00 what was wrong with Nxd3?
31:46 Ra2 Rb+ Kh7 and then I dunno f3? Seems like a missed opportunity
Besides out of all profylactic moves Kg7 is the worst one, because I whenever your rook leaves your opponent has Rb8 with tempo, since Qf8+ is forced mate threat
16:14 rook takes e3, bishop d4, AND BISHOP TAKES H2 CHECK. Sadly wont work but if white took the bishop on h2 I think black wins material. If white takes with knight then he hangs the bishop and if he takes with king then black queen can check on c7 and next move capture the light squared bishop on e2. Winning a pawn in both variations but if white doesnt take bishop on h2 i dont see a follow up for black
I mean if knight takes then we enter the same line that he already mentioned