Avatar of James Mortimer

James Mortimer GM

Username: Dr_Mortimer

Location: Devonshire

Playing Since: 2018-05-16 (Active)

Wow Factor: ♟♟♟♟♟♟

Chess.com

Rapid: 2395
0W / 1L / 1D
Blitz: 3005
2940W / 2801L / 833D
Bullet: 2834
207W / 143L / 30D

Grandmaster James Mortimer (aka Dr_Mortimer)

Step right up and behold the chess virtuoso known both on the board and in the chat as Dr_Mortimer! Awarded the prestigious Grandmaster title by FIDE, James Mortimer is a formidable tactical genius whose blitz games can resemble a high-speed rollercoaster through the Sicilian Defense and other razor-sharp openings.

About James

With a blitz peak rating soaring past 3100 in early 2025 and a bullet rating that once tickled the 2950 mark, James combines razor-sharp calculation with a flair for the dramatic. When in rapid time controls, he prefers keeping it cool and steady, managing to reach a respectable 2422 peak despite playing just a handful of games. His record boasts nearly 2800 blitz wins and over 200 bullet victories—because why play slow when you can blitz and baffle?

Style and Strategy

Dr_Mortimer’s games are like a suspense novel: long, intense, and unpredictable. His average win lasts about 90 moves, proving that patience is a virtue (and a great tactic). Not one for early resignation, he bravely fights through tricky endgames nearly 91% of the time—talk about endurance!

Need proof of his comeback skills? His comeback rate stands at a stunning 89.45%, and surprisingly, he wins almost 44% of the games even after losing a piece. That’s right, James is not just a taker of pawns but a relentless pursuer of victory.

Notable Openings

  • Sicilian Defense, Open Classical Richter-Rauzer Variation – 100% win rate in the rare 1-game spotlight!
  • Closed Sicilian Defense – Also undefeated in his single foray.
  • Top Secret – His vast opening museum of 6,247 blitz games (no spoilers!) yields a crunchy 45% win rate.

Fun Facts

  • Longest winning streak: 14 games – Because sometimes the stars align and the opponent just surrenders to fate.
  • Longest losing streak: 13 games – Even grandmasters have to feel the burn. But don't worry, the comeback is always epic.
  • Best time to play: 5 AM – Clearly, the early bird catches the rook!
  • Tilt Factor: 13% – Just enough frustration to keep things interesting, but not enough to throw the board.

Recent Showdowns

Most recently, Dr_Mortimer showed his class by defeating the user “snowlord” with his trademark Sicilian Defense - Open Classical Richter-Rauzer Variation, winning on time after a complex battle on May 15, 2025. However, every hero has their trials. That same day he suffered a tough loss on time against “snowlord” in the Indian Game - Black Knights Tango. Such is the drama of high-level chess!

Opponent Highlights

Among James’ most frequent sparring partners: Alex Rustemov, Daniel Naroditsky, and Sina Movahed, a trio that has given him a combined 590+ games of high-octane chess action. And while he sports a healthy win percentage against many, he’s always respectful in defeat – after all, “Even Sherlock Holmes needed a worthy Moriarty.”

In Summary

Whether blitzing at lightning pace or grinding out a marathon endgame, Grandmaster James Mortimer is a chess personality who blends impeccable skill with a pinch of humor and a dash of stubbornness. A relentless competitor and a fine strategist, James reminds us all that chess isn't just a game—it’s a thrilling adventure where every move matters and every piece tells a story.


Coach's Avatar

Feedback for James Mortimer

James, your recent games show strong understanding of complex openings such as the Sicilian Defense and thematic pawn structures. Your ability to navigate complicated middlegame positions and capitalize on opponents’ inaccuracies is impressive, especially in games where you maintained pressure and successfully exploited weaknesses.

Strengths

  • Opening Preparation: You demonstrate good knowledge of popular opening lines like the Sicilian Defense variations (Richter-Rauzer, Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo). Your moves in the early stages set a solid foundation.
  • Piece Activity: You often place your pieces actively, using tactics and pins skillfully (e.g., well-timed knight and rook maneuvers) to increase pressure.
  • Endgame Technique: Several wins show you convert advantages confidently, indicating good technique in simplified positions.
  • Time Management: You manage your time well relative to your opponents even in complex positions.

Areas to Improve

  • Handling Time Pressure: Although your time management is good overall, a couple of losses came on time. Prioritizing simple, less risky plans during time trouble could help secure more wins.
  • Opponent’s Counterplay: In some losses, small inaccuracies allowed opponents counterattacking chances (for example, loosened king safety or material losses). Focus on tightening your defense without compromising your own activity.
  • Positional Decision-Making: Occasionally, moving the same piece multiple times in the opening or early middlegame seemed to slow your development (e.g., knight/queen retreats). Aim to develop all pieces harmoniously to maintain initiative.
  • Pawn Structure Awareness: Watch out for doubled or isolated pawns created from exchanges or pawn pushes. Improving your evaluation of resulting pawn weaknesses will help in the strategic planning phase.

Next Steps

Consider reviewing your recent games and focus on:

  • Practicing opening repertoires that minimize early piece redeployment.
  • Studying key endgame positions to sharpen conversion skills.
  • Training tactics and time management under faster controls to get comfortable under pressure.
  • Analyzing critical moments in losses to identify how counterplay arose and how you might have prevented it.

Overall, your level is strong, and attention to these finer points will help elevate your results further.

Keep up the great work and stay consistent with your study and practice!



🆚 Opponent Insights

Recent Opponents
Patryk Cieslak 5W / 7L / 5D
Oleg Vastrukhin 6W / 7L / 4D
Immortal_legend710 15W / 8L / 1D
Hakari 16W / 6L / 1D
Mikhail Demidov 7W / 15L / 3D
Antoni Kozak 7W / 4L / 2D
Aleksei Sarana 5W / 10L / 1D
Nodar Lortkipanidze 17W / 5L / 0D
ojingeogeim 2W / 2L / 2D
Vladimir Belous 1W / 0L / 0D
Most Played Opponents
Alexander Rustemov 120W / 114L / 36D
Daniel Naroditsky 43W / 131L / 19D
Sina Movahed 74W / 83L / 20D
Arjun Erigaisi 58W / 82L / 16D
Sasikiran Krishnan 75W / 44L / 15D

Rating

Year Bullet Blitz Rapid Daily
2025 2834 3033
2024 2835 3028
2023 2812 2975 2395
2022 2899 2859
2021 2897 2911
2020 2715 2961
2019 2639 2884
2018 2773 2863
Rating by Year2018201920202021202220232024202530332639YearRatingBulletBlitz

Stats by Year

Year White Black Moves
2025 176W / 157L / 59D 164W / 167L / 51D 101.0
2024 237W / 190L / 59D 218W / 202L / 71D 97.8
2023 256W / 195L / 59D 206W / 243L / 67D 95.8
2022 52W / 61L / 14D 52W / 58L / 18D 102.0
2021 122W / 124L / 41D 111W / 139L / 36D 97.0
2020 231W / 211L / 62D 216W / 223L / 67D 96.4
2019 288W / 246L / 79D 256W / 298L / 67D 94.7
2018 287W / 181L / 52D 248W / 215L / 49D 95.3

Openings: Most Played

Blitz Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Blackburne Shilling Gambit 256 109 110 37 42.6%
Amar Gambit 240 121 91 28 50.4%
Caro-Kann Defense 231 115 82 34 49.8%
London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation 228 110 88 30 48.2%
Sicilian Defense: Closed 216 106 93 17 49.1%
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense 214 95 92 27 44.4%
Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack 210 87 95 28 41.4%
East Indian Defense 158 72 69 17 45.6%
Modern 156 71 68 17 45.5%
Döry Defense 148 59 65 24 39.9%
Bullet Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Caro-Kann Defense 31 17 11 3 54.8%
Amar Gambit 20 14 5 1 70.0%
London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation 17 10 7 0 58.8%
Nimzo-Larsen Attack 16 8 6 2 50.0%
Blackburne Shilling Gambit 14 3 10 1 21.4%
Modern 14 8 5 1 57.1%
Czech Defense 14 8 5 1 57.1%
Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation 13 7 4 2 53.9%
Döry Defense 11 7 2 2 63.6%
Barnes Defense 11 6 4 1 54.5%
Rapid Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Barnes Defense 1 0 0 1 0.0%
Indian Defense: Przepiorka Variation 1 0 1 0 0.0%

🔥 Streaks

Streak Longest Current
Winning 14 2
Losing 13 0