Is a 600 Elo player actually strong on a global scale?

META

I think that on a global scale, not just online, a 600 Elo player is already strong and would likely beat the average person in the world. On Chess.com you are already better than about 50% of players, which I think is pretty good.

Magnus Carlsen once said that 400 Elo is something the average person should be able to reach, because at that point they at least have a chance to beat other people.

If you include everyone in the world (who know the rules), I think the average skill level would be much lower than that.

How could we estimate the global Elo rating? Maybe around 300?

Edit: I mean people who know chess at least the rules. Sorry I wasn't specific.

Posted Mar 6, 2026, 3:46 PM UTC · edited

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