Michael Buaiz - The National Master with a Wink
Michael Buaiz, known in the chess cosmos as CastleOasisChess, is a force to be reckoned with on the 64 squares. Awarded the prestigious title of National Master, Michael blends strategic brilliance with a touch of humor that makes the game as enjoyable as it is intense.
Since first making waves in 2018 with a Blitz rating just shy of 1900, Michael’s journey has been nothing short of a rollercoaster—minus the screams and plus a lot more checkmates. Whether blitzing through games at lightning speed or engaging in deep, thoughtful Daily matches, Michael consistently shows dominance. With an undefeated rapid record in 2019 (8 wins out of 8 games – talk about starting strong!), and a knack for clawing back after losing pieces (clocking an astounding 100% win rate after such setbacks), resilience is certainly in the repertoire.
Michael’s style? Think of it as a chess cocktail: a 60% frequency for endgames, peppered with an early resignation rate just above 11%—because sometimes you just know when to fold ‘em—and an impressive average of nearly 61 moves per win. Not to mention his psychological grit, demonstrated by a comeback rate soaring over 74%, even if the occasional “tilt factor” (16%) reminds us he’s human after all.
Friendly and fierce on the board, Michael has a solid track record against longtime rivals like roya_11-inactive and chesslearner459, boasting a win-rate north of 75% and 87% respectively. And while some opponents, like teteux and lisandroes, manage to keep him on his toes with a 0% win rate, it only adds flavor to the grand rivalry.
Off the board, Michael’s sense of timing is impeccable, with peak win percentages in the wee hours (3 AM with 65.85% win rate) and the mysterious midnight chess mojo (100% at noon and 10 AM, because why not?). Whether it’s a sizzling Blitz or a marathon Daily session, CastleOasisChess plays chess like it's a dance: some moves subtle, others explosive, but always with style.
Watching Michael Buaiz compete is not just about checking the kingmate; it’s about witnessing pure passion mingled with skill, strategy, and a pinch of humor—because chess should never be too serious.
Hi Michael, here is your personalized chess feedback
1. Quick Snapshot
- Peak Ratings – Rapid: 2342 (2023-07-03), Blitz: 2331 (2025-01-10), Daily: 2237 (2023-02-04)
- Typical time-of-day performance:
- Weekly consistency:
2. What you already do well
- Active piece play. In several wins (e.g., against anita_jime) you quickly mobilised queens and rooks to open files and create mating nets.
- Tactical alertness. The combination 22.Bh6! in your most recent win shows you spot loose pieces and overloaded defenders.
- Flexible opening choices. You handle both 1.d4 Stonewall-type setups and the French Defence well, giving you experience with closed and semi-open pawn structures.
3. Growth opportunities
- Time management. Your last loss was on time in a completely playable ending. Train with 5-minute “clock only” drills: start with 30 s on your clock vs. 20 s and try to flag the engine.
- Pawn-structure awareness. Games where you played …f5 in the French often left weak light squares and backward e-pawns. Review classical French plans and study the concept of a Minority Attack.
- End-game conversion. You reach winning rook or rook-knight endings but sometimes drift. Add 10 minutes of end-game studies to each session; start with the “100 Endgames You Must Know” rook chapter.
- Blunder reduction. Early queen sorties (e.g., Qxb7/Qf5) work versus lower-rated opponents but failed against 1800+ players. Follow the “three-question rule” before every tactical decision: (a) What changed? (b) What does my opponent want? (c) Which piece is worst placed?
4. Targeted study plan (4-week cycle)
| Week | Focus | Concrete Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Opening clean-up | Revise your French lines vs. 2.d3/3.Nd2. Create a 12-move “core repertoire” file. |
| 2 | Pawn structures | Annotate two of your Stonewall games; label every pawn lever and weak square. |
| 3 | End-games | Finish chapters 1-5 of 100 Endgames (≈20 positions). Play 10 positions vs. engine at +1.0. |
| 4 | Practical play | Ten 5|5 games focused on clock discipline. After each game write one sentence: “I lost/spent X seconds on move Y because…”. |
5. Illustrative moment
Notice how the following micro-tactic wins a pawn by exploiting an overloaded defender:
6. Next coaching session prep
- Select one recent loss where you felt “stuck” strategically.
- Write down three candidate moves you considered at the critical moment and why you chose the one you played.
- Bring that position so we can practice the “compare and eliminate” method together.
Keep up the great work, Michael! Small, focused improvements each week will push you past your current peak in no time.
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| roya_11-inactive | 13W / 3L / 1D | |
| gallyum | 7W / 6L / 0D | |
| chesslearner459 | 7W / 1L / 0D | |
| o4w-vel | 6W / 0L / 0D | |
| tsarsital | 2W / 4L / 0D | |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2331 | 2252 | ||
| 2024 | 2085 | 2227 | 2252 | 2233 |
| 2023 | 2085 | 2227 | 2252 | 2228 |
| 2022 | 2227 | 2297 | ||
| 2021 | 2186 | 2205 | ||
| 2020 | 1935 | 2121 | 2297 | 2230 |
| 2019 | 1501 | 2050 | 2284 | 2116 |
| 2018 | 1496 | 1914 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1W / 1L / 0D | 1W / 1L / 0D | 67.0 |
| 2024 | 7W / 11L / 6D | 12W / 13L / 3D | 41.0 |
| 2023 | 18W / 3L / 3D | 11W / 8L / 3D | 63.9 |
| 2022 | 5W / 1L / 1D | 2W / 6L / 0D | 56.2 |
| 2021 | 0W / 1L / 1D | 1W / 0L / 1D | 101.8 |
| 2020 | 18W / 16L / 19D | 27W / 14L / 11D | 57.8 |
| 2019 | 93W / 41L / 13D | 73W / 61L / 12D | 66.5 |
| 2018 | 1W / 0L / 0D | 0W / 1L / 0D | 66.0 |
Openings: Most Played
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Amazon Attack | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 25.0% |
| French Defense: Advance Variation | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Australian Defense | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66.7% |
| French Defense | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Modern Defense | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| French Defense: Exchange Variation | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Alekhine Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| French Defense: Classical Variation, Svenonius Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| French Defense: Guimard Variation, Thunderbunny Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Attack | 75 | 44 | 18 | 13 | 58.7% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 24 | 8 | 12 | 4 | 33.3% |
| French Defense | 24 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 70.8% |
| French Defense: Exchange Variation | 20 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 70.0% |
| Australian Defense | 20 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 40.0% |
| QGD: 3.Nc3 Bb4 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 38.5% |
| French Defense: Advance Variation | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 72.7% |
| French Defense: Classical Variation, Svenonius Variation | 11 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 36.4% |
| French Defense: Guimard Variation, Thunderbunny Variation | 8 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0.0% |
| Slav Defense: Bonet Gambit | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 33.3% |
| Daily Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Attack | 14 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 64.3% |
| Unknown | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0.0% |
| East Indian Defense | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 60.0% |
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 60.0% |
| French Defense: Classical Variation, Svenonius Variation | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75.0% |
| Australian Defense | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 25.0% |
| French Defense: Advance Variation | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 50.0% |
| QGD: 3.Nc3 Bb4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.3% |
| Döry Defense | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Slav Defense: Bonet Gambit | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Attack | 32 | 21 | 8 | 3 | 65.6% |
| Australian Defense | 19 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 68.4% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 46.1% |
| French Defense: Exchange Variation | 12 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 41.7% |
| French Defense | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 50.0% |
| French Defense: Advance Variation | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 62.5% |
| French Defense: Classical Variation, Svenonius Variation | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 57.1% |
| QGD: 3.Nc3 Bb4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 20.0% |
| Amar Gambit | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 40.0% |
| Dutch Defense | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 80.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 11 | 0 |
| Losing | 16 | 2 |