Avatar of Craig Jones

Craig Jones NM

Username: cavschess2

Location: Chapel Hill

Playing Since: 2010-10-28 (Active)

Wow Factor: ♟♟♟♟♟

Chess.com

Rapid: 2189
76W / 26L / 13D
Blitz: 2198
921W / 833L / 120D
Bullet: 2108
1104W / 1088L / 114D

Craig Jones (cavschess2)

Craig Jones, known online as cavschess2, holds the proud title of National Master – a badge earned through sheer grit, talent, and perhaps a sprinkle of chess wizardry. They've been unleashing their chess prowess across the boards since at least 2017, steadily climbing their way up the blitz and bullet rating chains with a style all their own.

A Journey Through the Ranks

Starting their tracked journey with blitz ratings barely sneaking over 1300, Craig vaulted into the 2200+ realm in blitz by late 2020, peaking impressively at 2315. Bullet chess? That's a battlefield where cavschess2 shines just as bright, hitting a peak rating of 2271 in April 2024. And let's not forget rapid play, where they reached a peak near the 2200 mark recently, showing balanced skill across all time controls. Whether the clock's ticking furiously or slowly, Craig brings tactical acumen and resilience to the board.

Playing Style and Personality

Known for long, grinding battles with an average of nearly 73 moves per win in blitz, Craig doesn't back down easily. Their 87% comeback rate after setbacks makes them a nightmare opponent – you can't count them out just because they lost a piece or two! With a psychological tilt factor of 10, they might occasionally get a bit ruffled but bounce back like a chess rubber ball. The best time to catch cavschess2 at their peak? Around 6 PM, surely when the caffeine has kicked in and the pawns start trembling.

Opening Secrets (that are mostly secret)

While their exact opening arsenal remains classified under “Top Secret,” a few signature variations peek through. From the classic Pirc Defense to the French Defense's Exchange and Knight Variations, Craig mixes deep preparation with on-the-fly creativity. Given their nearly 50% win rate against tough opponents, it’s safe to say they know exactly when to castle and when to castle... or not to castle.

Recent Battles and Adventures

In their most recent notable victory, Craig wielded the French Defense Exchange Variation like a knight in shining armor, outmaneuvering their opponent on time in a tense 75-move match. On the flip side, even masters have off days, and Craig’s last loss saw them resign gracefully after a fierce contest in the Scotch Game Goring Gambit, proving that every game is a chance to learn (and maybe revenge is sweet).

Overall Impact

With over 2100 wins in blitz and bullet combined and a solid presence on the online chess scene, Craig Jones is a player who combines dedication, endurance, and a pinch of humor. They remind us all that chess isn’t just about pieces and points—it's about persistence and passion. Caveat opponent: Prepare for a strategic rollercoaster when facing cavschess2!


Coach's Avatar

Personalised Feedback for Craig Jones

1. What you are doing well

  • Active, initiative-based style. In several French Defence & Pirc games you willingly seize space with pawn breaks such as …c5 or …f5. This keeps opponents on the back foot and often leads to them flagging.
    01234567891011121314151617181920212223100%0%Hour of Day
    makes it clear that when you get rolling you score heavily.
  • Pressure on the clock. Four of your last five wins were decided by your opponent’s time-out. This shows you play quickly and confidently once you like the position.
  • Recognising tactical shots. The exchange sac 23…Nc4! followed by 28…Be8 in your win against I_Will_be_FM (see mini-PGN below) is an example of spotting an intermezzo to keep the initiative.

2. Priority improvement areas

  1. Early-middle-game king safety. In the loss to khangphat1220 (Göring Gambit) your kingside pawn storm (13.h3 g4 g5) left g3 and e3 weak. Opponents exploited the dark squares and you resigned down material.
    → Rule of thumb: whenever you advance two pawns in front of your king, ask “How many defenders are left?”
  2. Handling counter-punches in the French. In several Classical French positions you allow White’s e4-e5 push without preparation. The resulting space disadvantage explains the lower score on games started between 0-2 UTC in
    MonTueWedThuFriSatSun100%0%Day of Week
    .
    → Add concrete theory to your repertoire: study the main line after 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 (15-minute drill: play it for both sides vs the engine).
  3. Conversion technique. You often reach won endgames but give pieces counter-play (e.g. 38…Ra1? vs OzzyAndrade51).
    → One practical exercise per day: play a bot from a rook-and-pawn up position and force yourself to win with <60 seconds.

3. Concrete training plan (next 14 days)

DayFocusExercise
1-3King-safety checksPause every rapid game on move 10 and verbalise threats to your king.
4-7French main-line drillBlitz vs engine from 3…Nf6 positions; annotate critical moments.
8-10Endgame conversionPlay 10 rook-and-pawn up endgames vs 2200 bot.
11-14Review & reinforceGo through losses with a friend or coach, write 3 “next time I will …” notes each.

4. Quick reference

• Peak rating so far: 2315 (2020-12-16)
• Glossary links: zwischenzug, opposite-coloured bishops
• Notable opponents: khangphat1220, i_will_be_fm

5. One last tip

Many of your games finish because the opponent’s clock runs out. That’s useful, but if you slow down slightly at critical positions you’ll avoid the early blunders that cause your own occasional resignations. Aim for a balanced tempo: fast when the moves are forced, patient when the position is rich.

Good luck on the climb, Craig!



🆚 Opponent Insights

Most Played Opponents
Sunjay Somani 16W / 13L / 1D
ichess_physics 6W / 18L / 2D
gulp0 7W / 11L / 0D
Radmila Kovacevic 11W / 5L / 2D
gmclaudii 12W / 3L / 2D

Rating

Year Bullet Blitz Rapid Daily
2025 2108 2198
2024 2089 2146 2189
2023 2221 2154 2183
2022 2173 2184
2021 2102 2157
2020 2181 2278 2228
2019 2061 2130 1451
2018 2062 1978 1369
2017 1933 1851 1351
Rating by Year20172018201920202021202220232024202522781351YearRatingBulletBlitzRapid

Stats by Year

Year White Black Moves
2025 45W / 26L / 7D 32W / 44L / 3D 68.2
2024 21W / 22L / 5D 24W / 22L / 5D 68.3
2023 47W / 38L / 5D 43W / 39L / 5D 69.6
2022 54W / 42L / 4D 49W / 48L / 9D 70.7
2021 65W / 66L / 7D 55W / 66L / 15D 72.7
2020 173W / 165L / 23D 184W / 161L / 27D 73.5
2019 325W / 264L / 38D 258W / 325L / 35D 73.1
2018 332W / 284L / 29D 312W / 295L / 29D 73.3
2017 48W / 17L / 0D 36W / 26L / 1D 66.0

Openings: Most Played

Blitz Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Hungarian Opening: Wiedenhagen-Beta Gambit 87 47 35 5 54.0%
Caro-Kann Defense 84 37 36 11 44.0%
Scandinavian Defense 81 43 34 4 53.1%
Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation 78 45 27 6 57.7%
Döry Defense 61 29 28 4 47.5%
Indian Defense: Przepiorka Variation 53 27 24 2 50.9%
King's Indian Attack 50 25 20 5 50.0%
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation 44 25 18 1 56.8%
Czech Defense 42 22 19 1 52.4%
London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation 39 20 18 1 51.3%
Bullet Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation 186 102 80 4 54.8%
Scandinavian Defense 131 59 62 10 45.0%
Hungarian Opening: Wiedenhagen-Beta Gambit 89 43 41 5 48.3%
Amar Gambit 87 41 43 3 47.1%
Caro-Kann Defense 74 28 39 7 37.8%
Czech Defense 65 35 28 2 53.9%
Nimzo-Larsen Attack 64 35 27 2 54.7%
London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation 55 25 27 3 45.5%
Nimzo-Larsen Attack: Classical Variation 55 30 20 5 54.5%
Döry Defense 49 26 20 3 53.1%
Rapid Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Scandinavian Defense 7 7 0 0 100.0%
Caro-Kann Defense 7 4 3 0 57.1%
Hungarian Opening: Wiedenhagen-Beta Gambit 4 4 0 0 100.0%
French Defense: Guimard Variation, Thunderbunny Variation 4 3 0 1 75.0%
Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation 3 3 0 0 100.0%
Modern 3 2 1 0 66.7%
Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack 3 2 1 0 66.7%
French Defense: Advance Variation 3 1 1 1 33.3%
Bogo-Indian Defense 3 3 0 0 100.0%
London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation 2 1 1 0 50.0%

🔥 Streaks

Streak Longest Current
Winning 14 0
Losing 10 1