David Kim

David Kim: The Persistent Chess Adventurer

Meet David Kim (also known as davidkim88 online), a brave soul navigating the battlefields of chess with a heart full of determination and a rating rollercoaster that tells a story of grit, struggle, and moments of triumph.

The Stats Saga

David is by no means your chess grandmaster prodigy—his peak Rapid rating soared to 821 back in late 2020, a dazzling beacon of what could be. Since then, the journey has been a wild ride with ups and downs, full of comebacks and setbacks. As of early 2025, Rapid games found him around the 138 rating mark, a reminder that even the mightiest warriors face off-days (or years).

In faster formats like Blitz and Bullet, David has tasted glory with peak ratings of 382 and 212 respectively. Not too shabby for someone who’s probably lost just as many times as they've won, because if chess taught anything, it’s that resilience counts more than perfection.

Tactical Tidbits

David’s favorite battlegrounds are the King’s Pawn Opening and the Scandinavian Defense, displaying a modest knack for chess openings. His most victorious variation? The King’s Pawn Opening King’s Knight Variation where he has a striking 62.5% win rate.

Notably, his ability to claw back from losing positions is solid, boasting a comeback rate of nearly 54%, proving that giving up early? Not David's style. Although, fair warning: early resignations happen about 28% of the time, so sometimes the struggle is real.

Playing Style & Quirks

David favors longer battles when winning — averaging around 47 moves per victory — but when things go south, losses tend to come quicker, averaging 32 moves. White pieces have brought slightly more success than black, with a 44% win record versus black’s 42%.

He seems to be most alert at the break of dawn around 4 AM, where his win rate peaks impressively. When the rest of the world sleeps, David is plotting his next cunning move (or maybe just battling sleepiness).

Memorable Moments

His latest notable victories include a swift triumph in a Vienna Game Falkbeer Variation, where he won by effectively abandoning the game (we like to think he scared the opponent off!). And when facing tough rivals like karthikpandav, he’s recorded a 100% win rate. Talk about having an arch-nemesis system figured out!

But chess isn’t all sunshine and checkmates—David’s longest winning streak capped at 9 games, balanced by an equally humbling 6-game losing streak. It’s the classic chess seesaw that keeps the game spicy.

Opponent Chronicles

David’s most battled opponent is enochu, with 21 intense skirmishes yielding about a 62% win rate—clearly a rivalry to fuel future epic rematches. Against some, he’s undefeated (looking at you, karthikpandav and a few others), but there are a handful he just can’t seem to crack yet. Chess humility in motion!

Final Thoughts

David Kim embodies the true spirit of chess: it’s not always about glory or rankings but about the love of the game, learning from every move, loss, and checkmate. Whether storming forward with bold openings or quietly plotting a comeback at dawn, #davidkim88 is a player who knows the value of persistence and humor in chess’s grand adventure.

Checkmate or not, at least it's never boring!