Dave Harrington
aka Dad-rudy2001 on the virtual 64 squares
Dave Harrington is a rapidly rising chess enthusiast with a playing style as unpredictable as his winning streaks. A fierce competitor in the Rapid format, he has fought over 300 games with a near-even split of 148 wins and 140 losses, plus a handful of draws to keep opponents guessing. His peak Rapid rating of 683, achieved in May 2025, showcases his knack for tactical skirmishes — though it’s clear that consistency is a work in progress, evidenced by his current six-game losing streak. But hey, everyone roots for the underdog, right?
An early adopter of tricky openings, Dave enjoys stirring the pot with variations like the Scandinavian Defense (especially its Mieses Kotrc Variation, where he boasts a respectable 62.5% win rate) and the classic Giuoco Piano. His favorite battlefield appears to be the Kings Pawn Opening with a solid win ratio of nearly 59%. However, the Alekhine's Defense Scandinavian Variation is still his nemesis with a humble 16.67% win rate — maybe it’s a sign to brush up on a counterattack or two.
Dave's chess is not just about brute force; he knows when to quit early with an early resignation rate of just over 6%, and displays a surprising psychological resilience boasting a comeback rate of over 71%. His opponents might think they've won when he loses a piece, but Dave’s 42% win rate after such a setback proves his fight isn't over until the final move. Speaking of final moves, he favors complex endgames, with over half of his games reaching that tense phase.
Statistics also reveal some quirks of his playtime habits: his best time to outwit foes is at 11:00 AM, and he seems to shine brightest on Wednesdays, winning nearly 59% of the time. On the other hand, weekends, especially Saturdays, seem to be his kryptonite with win rates dipping below 40%.
Whether commanding the white or black pieces, Dave holds steady, with a White win rate of 49.34% and Black at 47.1%. His style is anything but hurried, averaging about 55 moves per win, savoring the sweet smell of victory well into the endgame.
Dave's ladder to chess glory is packed with memorable moments. His most recent masterpiece was a sharp checkmate victory delivered against
In sum, Dave Harrington is the kind of player who embodies passion, perseverance, and a streak of quirkiness. A future chess renaissance man? Time will tell — but one thing is certain, he keeps the game exciting with every move.
Quick Stats
- Peak Rapid Rating: 683 (May 2025)
- Current Rapid Rating: ~610 (June 2025)
- Total Rapid Games: 299
- Longest Winning Streak: 8 games
- Longest Losing Streak: 7 games
- Favorite Opening: Scandinavian Defense (35 games played)
- Comeback Rate: 71.62%
Recent Brilliant Win
Feedback for Dave Harrington (Dad-rudy2001)
Current Snapshot
- Peak rapid rating so far: 683 (2025-05-27)
- Typical openings as White: Italian Game / Giuoco Piano, occasional Scotch.
- Typical openings as Black: Scandinavian Defence, Two-Knights defence setups vs 1.e4.
What You’re Doing Well
- Opening familiarity. You consistently reach sound positions out of your favourite lines. Sticking to a narrow repertoire is good for confidence at this stage.
- Quick tactical strikes. Several recent wins feature nice forks and mating nets (e.g. 26.Rxb7+ – 28.Rbxc7+ followed by 29.Nb7#). Your eye for immediate tactics is a real asset.
- Keeping the initiative. You rarely shy away from sacrificing a pawn to keep the attack going, which is excellent for learning dynamic chess.
Key Growth Areas
1. King safety comes first
Three of your recent losses started with opposite-side castling races where your king was the first to get hunted. Develop all minor pieces before pushing too many pawns in front of your king, and avoid leaving it in the centre beyond move 8.
2. Calculating one move deeper
In the loss to chacheone you walked into …Bxf2+ and …Nxg3+, losing material and king safety together:
When you see a forcing line (checks, captures, threats) always pause and ask, “What does my opponent reply next?” A quick blunder check would have revealed the double attack on move 13.
3. Piece activity over pawn-grabbing
You often win a pawn early but fall behind in development, inviting strong counter-play (see the Alekhine’s Defence loss where …d4 & …Nc4 punished you). Remember the value of tempo tempo often outweighs material at this level.
4. End-game technique
Games against etbinbaja and hasankalo reached simplified positions where basic king opposition, outside passed pawns and rook activation would have saved half-points. Adding 15 minutes per week to end-game drills will pay off quickly.
Action Plan (next 4 weeks)
- Opening hygiene: Play the first 10 moves with the “Three golden rules” mindset: develop pieces, control the centre, castle. If any pawn move violates two of those rules, double-check it.
- Tactics diet: 20 puzzles/day focusing on forks, pins, and discovered attacks. Theme search: “Double attack” and “Deflection”.
- Micro-end-games: Solve 5 basic king-and-pawn endings every session (Opposition, outside passer). Use the drill mode on Chess.com.
- Post-game self-review: Right after each game, mark one move you’re proud of and one you would change. This builds reflective practice.
Suggested Study Resources (within Chess.com)
- Lesson: “Mastering King Safety” (Beginner → Intermediate track).
- Puzzle Rush 3-minutes to sharpen quick tactics.
- Drills: “Lucena & Philidor rook endings” to reinforce end-game fundamentals.
Final Encouragement
Breaking 700 rapid is well within reach. Keep your king safe, develop first, calculate one extra move, and your natural attacking talent will shine even brighter.
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| ataco2eat | 0W / 2L / 1D | View Games |
| ak5hw | 2W / 0L / 0D | View Games |
| aris_sta | 2W / 0L / 0D | View Games |
| traineaux | 0W / 2L / 0D | View Games |
| chacheone | 0W / 1L / 0D | View Games |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 610 | 800 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 75W / 68L / 9D | 73W / 74L / 8D | 60.9 |
Openings: Most Played
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scandinavian Defense | 61 | 33 | 25 | 3 | 54.1% |
| Alekhine Defense | 21 | 3 | 16 | 2 | 14.3% |
| Amazon Attack | 20 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 30.0% |
| Czech Defense | 20 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Elephant Gambit | 19 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 52.6% |
| Blackburne Shilling Gambit | 15 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 66.7% |
| Amar Gambit | 15 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 66.7% |
| Four Knights Game | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 60.0% |
| Petrov's Defense | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Scotch Game | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 57.1% |
| Daily Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four Knights Game | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Pirc Defense: Classical Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 8 | 0 |
| Losing | 7 | 6 |