Aran Köhler: The FIDE Master with a Blitzing Flair
Known online as aranibos, Aran Köhler is a chess virtuoso who dances gracefully on the 64 squares with the title of FIDE Master proudly in hand. This player’s journey through the ranks is nothing short of a thrilling chess saga filled with tactical fireworks, resilient comebacks, and a winning spirit sharper than the knight’s fork.
Career Highlights & Playing Style
Aran’s peak blitz rating soared impressively to a stunning 2408 in May 2023, showcasing their speed and precision in fast-paced battles. Rapid and bullet formats are no less thrilling, with peak ratings reaching 2268 and 2193 respectively — clearly, Aran has mastered the art of adapting to any rhythm, be it lightning-fast attacks or methodical pressure.
A true tactician, Aran favors early piece activity and is not shy about sharp openings like the Top Secret line that rakes in a near 69% win rate in blitz. With a flair for the Caro-Kann Defense variations and the classic Indian Game, their opening repertoire is rich, versatile, and sometimes mischievous — because why stick to the expected when you can surprise?
Fun Facts & Psychological Quirks
- Aran’s longest winning streak is an eye-popping 23 games, proving that when the inspiration hits, it's a blitzkrieg of triumphs.
- Despite a notorious knack for speedy play, the average winning game lasts roughly 70 moves, exhibiting deep strategic endurance.
- The comeback rate stands at a remarkable 78.5%: lose a piece? No problem, Aran keeps calm and flips the board in their favor.
- When the clock strikes 9 AM, Aran is at their freshest and sharpest — a true morning bird of the chess world.
Engagement & Opponents
With over 4,000 wins in blitz alone, Aran is a fierce competitor online, mixing up friendly duels and intense battles with stalwart adversaries. Some favorite sparring partners include frequent battles against larina_maria and themagician — whether friend or foe, they fuel the competitive fire.
Recent Triumph
In a recent battle on April 12, 2025, Aran delivered a checkmate with the classic Caro-Kann Defense Hillbilly Attack, executing a beautiful tactical storm that left their opponent stunned. The game lasted 37 moves of relentless pressure, culminating in a queen maneuver that declared: "Checkmate or bust!" — and bust it did, for the victorious Aran.
Summary
Whether threading intricate endgames or racing through bullet matches, Aran Köhler is a multi-format champion who combines sharp intellect with a playful touch. Their title of FIDE Master is well-earned, but it’s the spirit of the game — the thrill of the win, the art of the sacrificial attack, and the camaraderie of chess — that truly defines the legend of aranibos.
Coach Feedback for Aran Köhler (aranibos)
Great work on your recent games! You’ve shown solid understanding, especially in your endgame technique and tactical awareness. Here are some key points and suggestions to help you improve further:
Strengths
- Active Piece Play: In your wins, you consistently develop your pieces to strong, aggressive squares, putting pressure on your opponents. Moves like Rxc6 (vs. tuffgongjoe) and Qh6 with threats show that you look for tactical chances confidently.
- Opening Repertoire: You have a good handle on various openings such as the Caro-Kann, Indian Game, and Queen’s Pawn structures. Your opening moves establish solid positions and limit opponent counterplay effectively.
- Endgame Technique: You converted winning endgames carefully, like in the game against wistonp20081 where your centralization and king activity helped seal the victory comfortably.
Areas for Improvement
- Handling Pressure in Defense: In some losses (e.g. vs Faster2025), you faced challenges under sustained attack and shared tension in closed positions. Work on defending accurately under pressure and finding resourceful defensive moves.
- Calculation Accuracy: Some positions, like the loss against OliCantrill, show moments where sharper calculation could help avoid pitfalls. Try pausing longer in critical moments to double-check your tactical calculations.
- Pawn Structure and Planning: Occasionally, pawn pushes such as b4 and d5 could be timed better to avoid weakening your position or advancing without support. Reviewing pawn breaks and strategic plans in your openings will give you more stability.
Tips for Your Next Training Focus
- Study typical pawn structures and plans in your key openings like the Caro-Kann and the Indian Game.
- Practice endgame studies emphasizing king activity and piece coordination to boost your confidence converting advantages.
- Use puzzles and tactical exercises to improve your spotting of threats and calculation precision during complex middlegames.
- Analyze losses carefully to identify recurring patterns where you might misjudge attacks or defenses.
Overall, your play demonstrates a strong foundation and potential to improve steadily. Focus on refining your strategic planning and calculation, and you’ll continue to climb with confidence.
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| Maria Larina | 20W / 24L / 5D | |
| John Curtis | 3W / 25L / 11D | |
| bonobo49 | 25W / 5L / 1D | |
| alreaow | 15W / 7L / 3D | |
| Marcel Winkels | 11W / 5L / 1D | |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1808 | 2134 | 2173 | |
| 2024 | 2004 | 2285 | 1684 | 930 |
| 2023 | 1927 | 2202 | 2167 | |
| 2022 | 2010 | 2232 | 1922 | |
| 2021 | 1869 | 2208 | 1971 | |
| 2020 | 1816 | 1987 | 1934 | |
| 2019 | 1744 | 2211 | ||
| 2018 | 1607 | 1992 | ||
| 2017 | 2140 | |||
| 2016 | 1526 | 2207 | ||
| 2015 | 2065 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 124W / 89L / 14D | 125W / 95L / 10D | 73.3 |
| 2024 | 155W / 97L / 27D | 138W / 122L / 15D | 79.5 |
| 2023 | 394W / 586L / 68D | 380W / 617L / 63D | 76.7 |
| 2022 | 83W / 120L / 18D | 99W / 115L / 22D | 85.4 |
| 2021 | 327W / 97L / 16D | 321W / 95L / 27D | 72.9 |
| 2020 | 169W / 55L / 9D | 172W / 51L / 10D | 73.2 |
| 2019 | 90W / 55L / 12D | 92W / 48L / 12D | 78.2 |
| 2018 | 26W / 7L / 0D | 24W / 7L / 1D | 72.7 |
| 2017 | 107W / 68L / 9D | 102W / 78L / 13D | 79.9 |
| 2016 | 55W / 33L / 8D | 59W / 32L / 8D | 75.1 |
| 2015 | 30W / 12L / 5D | 31W / 12L / 1D | 76.5 |
Openings: Most Played
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 20 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 65.0% |
| Amazon Attack | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 90.9% |
| Amar Gambit | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 57.1% |
| Queen's Pawn Game: Torre Attack | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 14.3% |
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 66.7% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 66.7% |
| Slav Defense | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 80.0% |
| Philidor Defense | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| East Indian Defense | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 60.0% |
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 292 | 132 | 138 | 22 | 45.2% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 280 | 139 | 120 | 21 | 49.6% |
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 182 | 99 | 69 | 14 | 54.4% |
| Queen's Pawn Game: Torre Attack | 155 | 68 | 74 | 13 | 43.9% |
| Amazon Attack | 149 | 100 | 45 | 4 | 67.1% |
| Döry Defense | 140 | 68 | 59 | 13 | 48.6% |
| Australian Defense | 137 | 85 | 46 | 6 | 62.0% |
| Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation | 132 | 49 | 71 | 12 | 37.1% |
| Amar Gambit | 124 | 78 | 36 | 10 | 62.9% |
| Philidor Defense | 108 | 69 | 31 | 8 | 63.9% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caro-Kann Defense | 103 | 50 | 51 | 2 | 48.5% |
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 67 | 27 | 35 | 5 | 40.3% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 55 | 28 | 23 | 4 | 50.9% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed | 50 | 15 | 33 | 2 | 30.0% |
| Australian Defense | 45 | 19 | 24 | 2 | 42.2% |
| Amar Gambit | 42 | 14 | 28 | 0 | 33.3% |
| Amazon Attack | 41 | 19 | 20 | 2 | 46.3% |
| Modern | 37 | 13 | 21 | 3 | 35.1% |
| Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation | 37 | 8 | 28 | 1 | 21.6% |
| Sicilian Defense | 36 | 24 | 11 | 1 | 66.7% |
| Daily Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scandinavian Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 23 | 2 |
| Losing | 27 | 0 |