Milestone: 1500 on Chess.com Rapid

Prior to this afternoon, 31 December 2025, my last Rapid game on Chess.com was in April. Opponent in that game blundered mate in one on move thirteen, and my rating rose to an all-time high of 1497. Part of the reason for my reluctance to play since then was environmental in nature, namely the absence of reliable wifi and of sufficient energy, but another part was insecurity.

What changed today was being alone at work and fully alert. And, it being the last day of 2025, the risk of a loss was offset by the prospect of entering 2026 having finally crossed the 1500 mark. Chess.com paired me with one jafarkarimi706, rated 1497 out of Iran, and after seven moves the game was over. jafar blundered his queen, conceded the game, and my rating soared to 1539.

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After 3...e5, 4.Nf3 or 4.d5?

Despite its brevity, there were two instructive moments in the game. Assigned the white pieces, I opened with 1.d4, and after 1...d5 2.c4 dxc4 we were in Queen's Gambit Accepted territory. I continued 3.e4, and Black immediately struck at my center with 3...e5.

I couldn't remember if the correct move was 4.Nf3, adding defense to the d-pawn with development, or advancing the pawn with 4.d5. It turns out that when Black attacks White's pawn on e4 with 3...Nf6, advancing with 4.e5 is correct; however, after 3...e5, advancing with 4.d5 is a mistake and the correct move is 4.Nf3. My 4.d5 plunged White's advantage to -0.8.

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White to play and win

The second instructive moment occurred on move six. After 4...c6 and 5.Bxc4, Black initiated an exchange of d-pawns with 5...cxd5 and 6.Bxd5.

Given an extra move, I would have happily continued 7.Qb3 with threats to both sides of Black's camp, but more likely Black would preempt with 6...Nf6 and force my Bish to vacate the center. Hence my surprise upon seeing 6...Ne7 on the board. After a few seconds' thought I played 7.Bxf7+, and Black resigned.

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What if 6...Nf6?

Whereas 6...Ne7 boosted my advantage to +4.9, it turns out White's advantage after 6...Nf6 and 7.Bxf7+ is a measly +0.3. Not only that but White can easily get himself into trouble after 7...Kxf7 and 8.Qxd8 Bb4+. In this scenario, White has to know that any continuation other than 9.Qd2 loses.

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It was October 2023 when I first crossed 1400, which is to say it took me two years to gain a hundred rating points. But that is misleading considering today's Rapid game was only the fifth on Chess.com in all of 2025. Where, then, do I stand on my chess improvement journey?

They say the experience of over-the-board tournaments is what contributes most to a player's improvement. In 2025 I participated in three tournaments -- one ICF-rated, the other two casual. My results in the rated tournament were five wins, three losses and two draws. In the casual tournaments I held myself to rated tournament standards, specifically notation and touch-move, despite being the only player to do so -- which directly led to two losses and indirectly likely led to more.