Understand the number on a Lichess profile
Lichess uses the Glicko-2 rating method and maintains separate ratings for its time controls and variants. That means a player can have distinct Bullet, Blitz, Rapid, Classical, Correspondence, and variant ratings. Select the category connected to the games you want to improve rather than searching for one overall Lichess score.
A question mark beside a Lichess rating means it is provisional. Lichess explains that this can happen when a player has not completed enough suitable rated games or has not played enough recent games. A provisional number can move more sharply because the system has less confidence in its current estimate, so give the trend time to settle before drawing conclusions.
Authoritative source: Lichess FAQ: ratings, provisional status, and time controls.
Track a category without flattening your chess
Different time controls test different habits. Bullet can be dominated by speed and clock handling, while Rapid and Classical leave more room for calculation and planning. A rise in one category does not require the others to move at the same pace. That separation is information, not a flaw in the dashboard.
Use MyChessRating to keep the selected category visible, then open recent games when the direction changes. A short streak may only reflect a difficult session. Repeated trouble with one color or recurring opening positions is more useful because it points toward something you can review.
How to read a useful Lichess trend
First confirm that you are looking at rated games in the intended category. Next, compare the current state with a period that contains enough games to matter for your playing frequency. Finally, inspect the games behind the movement. The goal is not to explain every point but to find repeatable patterns.
Keep cross-platform context disciplined. A Lichess rating and a Chess.com rating are produced by different rating systems and player pools. Even when the same label, such as Blitz, appears on both services, the numbers should not be treated as conversions. Measure improvement against your own earlier Lichess rating in the same category.
- Check whether the rating is provisional.
- Keep the same time control or variant selected.
- Review several sessions rather than one result.
- Use recent games, colors, and openings to choose the next study task.
Why use a separate iPhone progress view
Lichess already offers a rich playing site, public profiles, rating history, studies, analysis, and many other chess tools. MyChessRating is intentionally smaller in scope. It gives players a consistent rating-first dashboard and Home Screen entry point, especially when they also follow Chess.com and prefer one app for their personal routine.
Public provider information can change or be temporarily unavailable. MyChessRating cannot access private information or guarantee that every game and field will always be present. Use Lichess for account settings and provider-specific details, and use MyChessRating for a concise view of the available progress signals.