Connor Bridges: The Unorthodox Gladiator of the 64 Squares
Meet ConnorBridges22, a chess player whose rating graph looks like a thrilling roller coaster designed by a mad strategist. Currently climbing the ranks in 2025, Connor’s peak ratings are nothing to scoff at: Rapid 485 (May 2025), Blitz 516 (April 2025), and Bullet 375 (April 2025). Yes, he’s got the firepower to blitz you out and the patience to outlast you in rapid battles.
Connor’s style? Picture an unpredictable mix of dogged perseverance and playful experimentation — he’s not afraid to resign early sometimes (10.53% early resignation rate), but his endgame antics show he enjoys the long haul, with over 46% of games reaching that thrilling final phase. His average victory lasts about 48 moves, prodding opponents into a slow unravel, while losses tend to be somewhat longer affairs, suggesting he fights hard till the bitter end.
Opening Repertoire Highlights
- Queens Pawn Opening: Often in the spotlight, though the win rate hovers around a stubborn 21%. Connor loves a challenge here, probably whispering to the pieces: "You got this!"
- Van't Kruijs Opening: His secret weapon — yielding a win rate near 38%, it’s occasionally his ticket to puzzle opponents.
- Pirc Defense and Scandinavian Defense: A balanced battlefield with 50% win rates. Connor is a tactical gladiator wielding these openings like trusty swords.
- Philidor Defense: When he plays this, opponents better beware — winning two-thirds of these battles.
- In Blitz, the Kings Pawn Opening Leonardis Variation is a shining beacon of success with a 66.67% win rate. Rapid-fire mental gymnastics at their finest!
Connor’s games reveal a curious paradox: with a 74.3% comeback rate, he’s the chess equivalent of "the comeback kid" but somehow manages to win less than one in three games after losing a piece. So the motto here might be: never give up, but maybe watch the pieces.
Epic Showdowns & Rivalries
The name “daxberner” repeatedly pops up in Connor’s logbook — an opponent he's tangled with 45 times. The win rate there is 15.56%, so it’s been a tough rivalry, but not without sparks of brilliance. Other foes like “lazzzz0” yielded a flawless 100% win rate — proof that when the stars align, Connor’s magic flows freely.
When to Challenge ConnorBridges22
Want to catch him at his best? Tuesday and Saturday are golden days with near 40% and 100% win rates respectively. Plus, 12 PM games are where his brain really lights up — boasting a 75% winning efficacy. If you see him lurking online after lunch, better sharpen your tactics!
Notable Triumph
In a recent clash following the classical Queens Pawn Opening, ConnorBridges22 outmaneuvered opponent lazzZz0 with a clever kingside assault, culminating in a resignation after 26 intense moves. In the immortal words of his PGN: “Rxg2 1-0” — a clean finish that even the chess gods would smile upon.
"He loses some, he wins some, but mostly he plays like he’s got nothing to lose — and isn’t that what chess is all about?"[[Chart|Rating|Rapid|2025-04-2025-05]]
Hi Connor, here’s some constructive feedback based on your recent games.
What you’re doing well
- Fighting spirit & tactical awareness. In your win against lazzZz0 you seized the initiative with g-pawn thrusts and found the decisive 26.Rxg2! when the moment appeared. It shows you can spot tactics when positions get sharp.
- Time management. You regularly finish games with several minutes still on the clock, which means you seldom lose purely on time. That’s a good habit — just be sure you’re not moving too quickly and missing blunders.
- Willingness to castle. In many of your wins you castle by move 8–10. Keeping your king safe is essential, and it’s good to see you prioritising it when the opportunity arises.
Biggest improvement areas
-
Opening fundamentals.
• You often open with moves like 1.e3 or 1.d3 followed by early flank pawn pushes (g4, f4, b3). That can be fun, but it delays central control and development.
• Try a simple, classical setup for ten games in a row: White — 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 3.Bc4/Bb5 and castle; Black — 1…e5 against 1.e4, or 1…d5 against 1.d4. The goal is to feel what “good development” looks like before experimenting further. -
King safety & early queen excursions.
• Several recent losses end before move 20 because your queen grabbed b-pawns (Qxb7/Qxa7) or ventured to c3 with your king still in the centre (see the loss to daxberner on 27 May).
• Rule of thumb: don’t move the queen before your minor pieces are out and your king is castled, unless it wins material and keeps your king safe. -
Tactical blunders.
• You have been mated by basic patterns: back-rank mates (…Ra8#), queen on f2/f7, and forks on c2/c7.
• Spend 10 minutes a day on puzzles that feature pins, forks, and back-rank mates. Pattern recognition will quickly reduce these slip-ups. -
Piece coordination.
• In several defeats your rooks never entered the game. Aim to connect rooks (remove the queen and bishops from the back rank) by move 12–14. This single guideline will improve your middlegame positions.
Practical training plan (2-week mini-challenge)
| Day | Task |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | Play 10 rapid games with the fixed openings above. Focus on the first 10 moves. Annotate afterwards: “Did I control the centre, develop, castle?” |
| 4-7 | Solve 25 tactical puzzles daily (forks, pins, back-rank). Repeat missed ones. |
| 8-10 | Take one lost game each day and replay it slowly. Write down where the evaluation swung and why. |
| 11-14 | Mix playing and puzzles: 3 games + 15 puzzles each day. Track blunders with a simple tally sheet. |
Stats & motivation
Your current best rapid peak: 485 (2025-05-09). Use the charts below to spot when you tend to win or tilt.
Next steps
- After the two-week plan, revisit one of your earlier chaotic openings (e.g. the g-pawn gambit) and ask: “Can I reach that position after I develop?”
- Play a training match against a regular rival such as daxberner but with a rule: no more than two queen moves before move 15.
- Keep notes of new tactical patterns you encounter — a personal “tactics journal.”
Consistency beats complexity. Nail the basics, and your creativity will become a weapon instead of a liability. Good luck, and enjoy the journey!
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| daxberner | 7W / 34L / 4D | View Games |
| ivarsenzossaa | 0W / 0L / 1D | View Games |
| k_0311 | 0W / 1L / 0D | View Games |
| lazzzz0 | 1W / 0L / 0D | View Games |
| ps96isbetterthanmagnus | 0W / 1L / 0D | View Games |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 190 | 251 | 433 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17W / 28L / 6D | 18W / 29L / 8D | 56.2 |
Openings: Most Played
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amar Gambit | 13 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 38.5% |
| Amazon Attack | 12 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 25.0% |
| Modern Defense | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 30.0% |
| Barnes Opening: Walkerling | 9 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 22.2% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 37.5% |
| Czech Defense | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 28.6% |
| French Defense | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 25.0% |
| Philidor Defense | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.7% |
| Alekhine Defense | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Sicilian Defense | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 25.0% |
| Barnes Opening: Walkerling | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.7% |
| Czech Defense | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Modern Defense | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Amazon Attack | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Barnes Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| French Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Amar Gambit | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0% |
| Philidor Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Attack | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Barnes Opening: Walkerling | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0% |
| Petrov's Defense | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Bishop's Opening | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0% |
| Barnes Defense | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 5 | 0 |
| Losing | 7 | 4 |