Connor Barrett - The Relentless Tactician
Meet Connor Barrett, or as online rivals know him, connorbarrett123 — a chess player who personifies perseverance, tactical audacity, and the undying quest for the perfect checkmate. With a peak Rapid rating of 935 achieved in April 2023 and a steadily climbing performance, Connor’s journey on the 64 squares is nothing short of a rollercoaster ride with more twists than a Reti opening.
Journey Through the Ranks
Starting off with a rapid-fire style, Connor has logged hundreds of games, gathering a solid experience across all formats — from Bullet battles to the long hauls of Daily matches. His Blitz rating peaked at a respectable 734 in May 2025, while his Bullet and Daily ratings have also touched solid highs at 660 and 741 respectively.
Style & Strategy
Known for a gritty and tactical approach, Connor boasts an impressive comeback rate of nearly 70%, showing he never takes defeat lying down. His penchant for the Endgame shines through, featuring in over 60% of his games — proof that he’s in for the long haul and unwilling to concede early.
With an average game length over 60 moves, whether winning or losing, Connor plays a marathon, not a sprint. His white pieces bring him a slight edge with a win rate close to 52%, while his black pieces hold strong at 45%. And if you thought he surrenders easily, think again: early resignations make up just 7.3% of his games — true resilience on display.
Opening Repertoire
Connor is a fan of classical lines with some spicy flair:
- King’s Pawn Opening, King’s Knight Variation (Rapid) – over 55% win rate — a trusted battlefield
- Scandinavian Defense, Mieses Kotrc Variation – his secret weapon with a stellar 63.6% win ratio
- Philidor Defense – he’s battled through it even if the win rate hovers below 30%, because challenges build character
- In Bullet and Blitz, variations of the Four Knights Opening and Van't Kruijs Opening keep opponents guessing
Notable Games & Recent Triumphs
Connor’s latest victories underline his sharp finishing skills. For instance, on June 2, 2025, he forced a spectacular checkmate against neptuneproject using the Petrovs Defense — a classic yet powerful weapon that left his opponent in the dust after a game rich with calculated strikes.
But as any chess warrior knows, not every battle ends in glory. His recent losses, including a heartbreaker by checkmate against nanomb53 and tricky endgames versus gagouzz, underscore the brutal beauty of the game — and Connor’s dedication to learning from every move.
Psychological Play & Timing
Fun fact: Connor’s best chess hours are around 11 AM, with a perfect 100% win rate recorded — maybe mornings really are the best time to outwit your rivals! However, his tilt factor is a modest 11%, so when the pressure mounts, Connor stays cool without flipping the board (most of the time).
Against the Field
Connor has tangled most with the likes of mikewolf999, splitting the record almost evenly. But he shines against several opponents with a flawless 100% win rate, proving that when his pieces hit their stride, few stand a chance.
In Summary
Connor Barrett is the embodiment of a dedicated chess enthusiast — balancing gritty defense with tactical strikes, learning from setbacks, and always striving to inch closer to grandmaster glory. Whether storming through opening theory or grinding it out in the endgame trenches, he reminds us all that chess isn’t just a game; it’s a witty battle of wits, patience, and occasionally, a bit of stubbornness.
Keep an eye on Connor; the board is his kingdom, and his pawns are plotting a coup.
Hi Connor!
You are playing a lot of 60 | 0 live games and have already built a nice base opening repertoire around 1.e4. Below is a quick snapshot of your progress:
- Peak rapid rating: 935 (2023-04-06)
- Peak blitz rating: 734 (2025-05-23)
What you are already doing well
- Open-game fundamentals. You usually start with 1.e4 Nf3 Nc3 and bring pieces toward the centre quickly. That is the right habit.
- Keeping the initiative. In several wins (e.g. vs 6drews, moves 22-35) you continued to push pawns and use open files while your opponent drifted into time trouble.
- Practical time management. You rarely drop below ten seconds before move 25, which is good for this time control.
Key areas to address next
-
King safety when playing Black.
In your most recent loss you followed 11…gxf6? and suddenly the f-, g- and h-files were wide open around your king. White finished with Qg4-g7# only six moves later:
• Avoid unnecessary pawn moves in front of your king before you have castled.
• After 10…Be6 consider 10…O-O to get out of the centre first. -
Blunder checks every move.
Most losses end with a one-move tactic (fork, pin or mate). Make it a habit to ask: “What is my opponent’s next threat?” before you press “Move”. A quick ^♛/♞/♝ scan would have shown the mate threat on g7. -
Converting winning positions.
In the win vs diron32 you were up a rook by move 18 but needed until move 26 to deliver the final blow. When you are ahead, simplify: trade queens and rooks, bring the king closer, and push a passed pawn. This keeps the clock under control and cuts your opponent’s counter-play. -
Opening focus: two systems only.
You currently mix Alekhine’s Defence, Italian, Pirc and Sicilian. Pick one line for each colour and study the typical ideas so you recognise recurring tactical patterns such as the back rank mate.
Suggested training routine (30 minutes)
- 10 min: 10 puzzles rated 400-800, focus on checkmates in 2-3.
- 10 min: Replay one of your losses without the engine and write down the move where the evaluation first swings.
- 10 min: Play a single 10 | 5 game, apply the blunder-check routine and castle by move 10.
Your activity pattern
Next milestone
Avoiding one blunder per game will quickly push you past the 800 mark. Keep the pieces protected, castle early, and enjoy the climb!
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| mikewolf999 | 35W / 23L / 11D | View Games |
| t2000_master | 6W / 5L / 2D | View Games |
| thirisogay | 2W / 3L / 0D | View Games |
| irfankhanchitrali | 0W / 4L / 0D | View Games |
| Nick Zubkov | 3W / 1L / 0D | View Games |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 802 | 598 | 867 | |
| 2024 | 518 | 538 | 549 | |
| 2023 | 345 | 540 | 517 | 741 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 178W / 109L / 19D | 155W / 129L / 20D | 67.5 |
| 2024 | 40W / 33L / 6D | 35W / 38L / 7D | 59.2 |
| 2023 | 72W / 75L / 21D | 67W / 83L / 19D | 62.1 |
Openings: Most Played
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackburne Shilling Gambit | 32 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 50.0% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 23 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 69.6% |
| Barnes Opening: Walkerling | 20 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 40.0% |
| Amar Gambit | 14 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 42.9% |
| Amazon Attack | 13 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 38.5% |
| Three Knights Opening | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 58.3% |
| Elephant Gambit | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 58.3% |
| Petrov's Defense | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 40.0% |
| French Defense | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 33.3% |
| Philidor Defense | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 75.0% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scandinavian Defense | 39 | 16 | 19 | 4 | 41.0% |
| Center Game | 19 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 47.4% |
| Three Knights Opening | 19 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 52.6% |
| Amar Gambit | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Four Knights Game | 17 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 58.8% |
| Blackburne Shilling Gambit | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 62.5% |
| Barnes Opening: Walkerling | 15 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 53.3% |
| Elephant Gambit | 15 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 26.7% |
| Philidor Defense | 14 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 64.3% |
| Amazon Attack | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amar Gambit | 32 | 15 | 15 | 2 | 46.9% |
| Elephant Gambit | 31 | 18 | 9 | 4 | 58.1% |
| Alekhine Defense | 28 | 10 | 13 | 5 | 35.7% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 27 | 16 | 8 | 3 | 59.3% |
| Barnes Opening: Walkerling | 26 | 10 | 13 | 3 | 38.5% |
| Blackburne Shilling Gambit | 24 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 45.8% |
| Scotch Game | 23 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 34.8% |
| Australian Defense | 20 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 55.0% |
| Barnes Defense | 19 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 42.1% |
| Amazon Attack | 18 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 44.4% |
| Daily Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dresden Opening: The Goblin | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 13 | 5 |
| Losing | 11 | 0 |