Avatar of Nelson Castaneda

Nelson Castaneda FM

Username: andante

Location: New Britain, CT

Playing Since: 2013-01-27 (Inactive)

Wow Factor: ♟♟

Chess.com

Daily: 2137
1106W / 601L / 204D
Rapid: 1972
64W / 14L / 6D
Blitz: 2014
2529W / 1822L / 179D
Bullet: 2207
786W / 570L / 37D

Nelson Castaneda - The FIDE Master with a Top Secret Arsenal

Known in the chess realm also by the enigmatic username andante, Nelson Castaneda is no ordinary player. They proudly bear the title of FIDE Master, a testament to their dedication and skill on the 64 squares.

Nelson's journey through the chess ratings is a tale of steady progress sprinkled with impressive peaks. From a humble Rapid rating of 1765 in 2013, they surged to a high of 2507 by 2020 — quite the leap for someone who probably still loses more pens than games. Their Blitz play is even more dazzling, climbing to a max rating of 2347 with over 4,500 games played using their top secret openings (which, as the name suggests, remain a mystery).

When it comes to Daily chess, Nelson demonstrates consistent prowess, often hovering around the 2100s, proving patience is more than just a virtue—it's a winning strategy. And don't blink when they switch to Bullet mode; with a peak rating over 2100, it's clear this speedster can blitz tactics and jokes alike.

Playing Style & Personality

Nelson's games average around 68 moves for wins and a longer contemplation averaging 75 moves in losses. Their endgame frequency hits an impressive 77.4%, showcasing a love for grinding down opponents to the bitter end.

Known for their tactical awareness, they boast a comeback rate near 84% and a perfect 100% win rate after losing a piece. Clearly, Nelson relishes turning the tables — probably while mumbling “you called it!” under their breath.

Champion of Streaks and Opponent Enigma

Nelson holds a jaw-dropping longest winning streak of 43 games with a current streak of 2, showing they can dominate like a grandmaster in a cafe.

Facing opponents like hersco, aquilesboy59, and still_the0ry, Nelson sports a mixed bag of outcomes but often turns out the victor, boasting perfect 100% win rates against some foes, while graciously letting others slip through the cracks—because even FIDE Masters have their “off days.”

Fun Facts

  • Nelson's early resignation rate is a mere 0.26% — proving they're the kind of fighter who only folds when checkmated... or when the coffee runs out.
  • Most effective playing hours are between 5 AM and 9 AM, suggesting mornings truly are the best time to school the chessboard.
  • They maintain a calm tilt factor of 10 — high enough to get passionate, low enough to keep winning.

In the grand theater of chess, Nelson Castaneda is a mysterious but formidable actor, wielding "Top Secret" openings and an indomitable spirit. Whether in blitz, bullet, rapid, or daily matches, they keep opponents guessing — and often checkmated.


Coach Chesswick's Profile Photo
Coach Chesswick

Hi Nelson, here’s some personalized feedback based on your recent games.

What you’re doing well

  • Tactical alertness. Your wins against players such as hersco and aquilesboy59 show you can spot combinations like 27.Nf7# and resource-grabbing ideas (e.g. 19…Nxe4!).
  • Pressure on open files. In several Ruy/Italian wins you doubled rooks quickly and kept them active, a key reason you convert middlegame advantages into full points.
  • End-game resilience. The conversion versus still_the0ry demonstrates solid technique with rook + pawn end-games—good practical skill.
  • Rating trend. Your 2507 (2020-03-20) shows steady upward movement—evidence that study is paying off.

Key areas to focus on next

  1. Choice of lines in the Two-Knights/Italian as Black.
    In the loss to shritans you played …Ng4 and later …Nh6/…f4, giving White tempi and dark-square control. Consider:
    • Learning the main line 8…d5! 9.exd5 Na5 10.Bb5+ c6.
    • If you prefer solid play, study the modern Polerio-Hungarian set-up with …Be7 instead of …Ng4.
  2. French Tarrasch structures.
    Two French games slipped away after early …c5 followed by exchanges that left weak dark squares (example: vs VladaSviridova). Work on:
    • Typical pawn breaks …f6 and …c5 timing.
    • Keeping the bad bishop active by delaying …Be7 until the center is clarified.
  3. Anti-Slav middlegame tactics.
    Against 1.d4 you reach reasonable positions but tactics on f5/f6 or the c-file hurt you (loss to Pantata007). Spend a session on pattern recognition: minority attack ideas, e3 sacrifices, and typical e4-e5 break motifs.
  4. Clock management in blitz.
    Three losses were on time with playable positions. Simple habits help:
    • Use increments to “buy back” 10–15 seconds after every tactical sequence.
    • Adopt a move/second benchmark (e.g. never below 15 s before move 20).

Suggested study plan (4-week cycle)

WeekFocusTasks
1Italian as BlackBuild a forced-line flashcard deck; play 10 training games using only prepared lines.
2French TarraschReview 15 GM games; annotate your two recent losses looking for pawn-break moments.
3Slav middlegame tactics100 tactics featuring …c5, minority attack, Bxh7+/e4 breaks.
4End-games & time-managementDaily 10-min rook-pawn drills; play 20 blitz games with the goal “finish with 30 s on clock”.

Progress dashboard

Use these to track improvement:

01234567891011121314151617181920212223100%0%Hour of Day
 
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun100%0%Day of Week

Motivation

“Small, targeted improvements compound quickly. Sharpen one opening and one end-game per month, and you’ll outgrow your current rating bracket before you notice.”

Keep up the good work, Nelson, and enjoy the journey!



🆚 Opponent Insights

Most Played Opponents
dres1 222W / 156L / 44D View Games
tigal 59W / 20L / 2D View Games
thegreatsettembrini 19W / 32L / 0D View Games
Henrik Dalsgaard 22W / 17L / 0D View Games
thisoneisnottaken 29W / 6L / 3D View Games

Rating

Year Bullet Blitz Rapid Daily
2021 2014 1928
2020 2027 1922 2137
2019 2302 2120
2018 2271 2146
2017 2057 2220 2095
2016 2057 2135 2122
2015 2057 2119 2141
2014 2149 1978 2107
2013 2049 1994 1765 2091
Rating by Year20132014201520162017201820192020202123021765YearRatingBulletBlitzRapidDaily

Stats by Year

Year White Black Moves
2021 58W / 10L / 2D 64W / 11L / 1D 62.9
2020 85W / 19L / 6D 88W / 20L / 4D 70.2
2019 23W / 8L / 2D 20W / 13L / 3D 72.7
2018 75W / 28L / 10D 68W / 41L / 6D 69.2
2017 679W / 538L / 47D 697W / 522L / 69D 73.2
2016 155W / 143L / 19D 182W / 120L / 23D 76.6
2015 174W / 154L / 22D 167W / 165L / 20D 73.0
2014 448W / 289L / 47D 377W / 348L / 52D 72.8
2013 588W / 291L / 39D 568W / 298L / 58D 71.5

Openings: Most Played

Blitz Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
French Defense 151 99 50 2 65.6%
Czech Defense 141 87 50 4 61.7%
London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation 110 60 43 7 54.5%
Australian Defense 96 55 35 6 57.3%
French Defense: Advance Variation 90 53 32 5 58.9%
French Defense: Exchange Variation 85 44 39 2 51.8%
Sicilian Defense 84 51 32 1 60.7%
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation 84 38 41 5 45.2%
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation 82 39 40 3 47.6%
Caro-Kann Defense 80 43 34 3 53.8%
Bullet Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Australian Defense 65 37 26 2 56.9%
French Defense 57 29 26 2 50.9%
Modern 49 31 17 1 63.3%
Amar Gambit 44 26 18 0 59.1%
Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation 41 26 15 0 63.4%
London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation 41 22 18 1 53.7%
Czech Defense 37 19 16 2 51.4%
French Defense: Exchange Variation 34 19 14 1 55.9%
QGD: 3.Nc3 Bb4 28 13 15 0 46.4%
Modern Defense 27 14 12 1 51.9%

🔥 Streaks

Streak Longest Current
Winning 43 2
Losing 10 0
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