Rating Climb

GM Smirnov on the deeper cause behind most losses: play without a plan. How to diagnose it in your own games and fix it.

Exactly what wins games at 400: stop hanging pieces, take free material, and follow a simple opening recipe. No fluff, just the moves that matter at this level.

The 500-level game plan: blunder-checking every move, simple development, and converting won positions without drama.

What separates 1200 from 1400: real plans instead of one-move threats, piece activity, and punishing passive play.

The 1400-level leap: pawn structure decisions, when to trade, and turning small advantages into full points.

Hikaru climbs through every rating band, showing exactly what wins at each level and which habits to drop as you rise.

The Slowkaru speedrun at master level: Hikaru dismantles strong players and explains the ideas most coaches can't even see.

Hikaru plays intermediate-rated opponents and narrates every decision — the principles that separate 1200 from 1600, live.