Avatar of Francesco Sonis

Francesco Sonis GM

Username: francyIM

Playing Since: 2014-04-23 (Active)

Wow Factor: ♟♟♟♟♟♟

Chess.com

Daily: 1837
44W / 5L / 2D
Rapid: 2459
122W / 39L / 15D
Blitz: 2919
19816W / 15596L / 3048D
Bullet: 2844
596W / 385L / 51D

Francesco Sonis - The Grandmaster's Tale (or, How the Knight Conquered)

Meet Francesco Sonis, also known in chess circles (and probably at chess.com) as francyIM. A Grandmaster by the grace of FIDE’s magic stamp, Francesco has carved a name for themselves on the 64 squares where pawns march and queens reign.

Rising Through The Ranks

Starting out with modest blitz ratings barely nudging 1600 back in 2014 (rookies be warned!), francyIM quickly stormed the rating board like an unstoppable bishop, reaching a breathtaking peak blitz rating close to 3050 by mid-2025. That’s right — if chess ratings were a rollercoaster, francyIM has hit the top of the track and is happily enjoying the ride.

A Versatile Virtuoso

Blitz? Check. Bullet? Double check. Rapid and Daily chess too? Triple check! Francesco’s play style is like a Swiss army knife — adaptable, sharp, and prepared for any time control. Their fastest-rated bullet rating touched a sizzling 2932 while their rapid skills peaked at a respectable 2691. Daily chess? A neat 1833, because sometimes even Grandmasters like to take their time (and their coffee breaks).

The Arsenal of Openings

From Top Secret openings that may or may not involve actual secret society handshakes, to the tried and true Italian Game, Caro-Kann Defense, and King's Indian Defense, Francesco’s opening repertoire is both deep and diverse. There’s even a "Giuoco Piano Game Giuoco Pianissimo Italian Four Knights Variation" tucked in there with an impressive 90% win rate. Basically, if you haven’t prepared for francyIM’s opening, you’re already half a move behind.

Mind Games and Streaks

With a longest winning streak of 18 games and a tilt factor kept (mostly) under control at 12, Francesco proves that nerves are for amateurs. Their tactical awareness shines in their astonishing 89% comeback rate after setbacks—talk about never say die!

Notable Battles and Recent Duels

One recent memorable blitz victory involved a dramatic Reti Opening, where francyIM, playing Black, emerged victorious by resignation against an opponent rated just slightly below them. Their games often feature sharp positional play and timely strikes, reflecting a mature blend of strategy and daring.

Personality & Style

Francesco’s style is a balance of patience and aggression — with an average of 82 moves per win, this is not a player to be rushed. Their games contain rich endgames, proving that francyIM enjoys the full theatrical production from opening curtain to checkmate finale.

In short, whether it’s lightning-fast bullet or the thoughtful grind of daily chess, francyIM is a formidable foe with a knack for keeping fans and opponents on edge. So, next time you face them online, be warned: this Grandmaster plays with both brains and a dash of chessboard flair.


Coach Chesswick's Profile Photo
Coach Chesswick

Recent Performance Highlights

Congratulations on your recent winning streak and maintaining a strong performance overall. Your recent games show solid understanding and execution in multiple openings, including the Modern Defense and Italian Game variations. Notably, your wins by checkmate demonstrate effective use of tactical opportunities.

  • Strong ability to finish games decisively, particularly with checkmates in daily games.
  • Consistent improvement reflected in a positive rating change over the past months.
  • High win rate in specialized openings such as Blackburne Shilling Gambit and various Queen's Gambit Declined lines.

Strengths to Build On

Your performance indicates:

  • Good tactical awareness in the middlegame, creating decisive threats as seen in your games where you capitalized on opponent weaknesses.
  • Effective opening preparation with strong results in less common gambits and solid defenses, showing versatility.
  • Consistent strategic play in both minor and major piece coordination, helping convert advantages smoothly.

Areas for Improvement

To raise your game further and continue your progression, consider focusing on these areas:

  • Endgame technique: While your finishing skills are strong, deeper endgame knowledge can help you convert even more complex positions into wins.
  • Opening variety expansion: Some openings like Unknown Opening* have lower win rates; broadening your repertoire and deepening preparation here could yield more consistent results.
  • Positional understanding: Developing more nuanced positional play will complement your tactical skills and help maintain advantages gained from the opening.
  • Time management: Improving how you allocate time in longer games can prevent rushed decisions and help maintain accuracy throughout.

Practical Recommendations

  • Review key endgame principles and practice common endgame scenarios to sharpen your technique.
  • Analyze recent losses closely to identify moments where alternative plans or moves could have increased your winning chances.
  • Continue to study and practice mainline openings you favor, particularly the Italian and Modern Defense, to deepen your strategic understanding.
  • Set aside focused training sessions on middle-game positional play and look for thematic pawn structure improvements and piece activity enhancements.
  • Work on feeling comfortable with your clock during daily games by practicing time controls that mimic real game conditions.

Encouragement for Continued Progress

Your rating trend slope and steady rating gains indicate you are on a positive improvement path. Keep building on your strong foundation, and with targeted practice, you will see your chess strength continue to rise.

Stay motivated and use each game as a learning opportunity. Your current approach and results are excellent—keep up the great work!



🆚 Opponent Insights

Recent Opponents
Vitaliy Bernadskiy 8W / 14L / 2D View
kacperkacprzak 0W / 1L / 1D View
Raven Sturt 3W / 0L / 1D View
epjdcdu86 0W / 1L / 0D View
Shamsiddin Vokhidov 4W / 6L / 1D View
0817chess 21W / 8L / 5D View
KnightCrawler_64 0W / 1L / 0D View
m_asp009 14W / 8L / 4D View
Airat Sadubayev 49W / 30L / 1D View
Leon Luke Mendonca 1W / 4L / 2D View
Most Played Opponents
Murad İbrahimli 130W / 118L / 28D View Games
Anton Demchenko 74W / 82L / 15D View Games
Rudik Makarian 39W / 74L / 16D View Games
Khatanbaatar Bazar 80W / 40L / 4D View Games
Vjacheslav Weetik 64W / 48L / 8D View Games

Rating

Year Bullet Blitz Rapid Daily
2025 2835 2893 2459 1833
2024 2851 3004 2469 1794
2023 2757 2876 2472
2022 2665 2743 2520 1793
2021 2710 2787 2424 1793
2020 2674 2705 2691 1793
2019 2387 2568 1685
2018 2398 2618 1753
2017 2083 2406
2016 1731 1836 1615 1751
2014 1757 1620 1660
Rating by Year2014201620172018201920202021202220232024202530041615YearRatingBulletBlitzRapidDaily

Stats by Year

Year White Black Moves
2025 1323W / 883L / 213D 1236W / 987L / 182D 87.6
2024 1012W / 590L / 147D 881W / 766L / 121D 82.6
2023 500W / 337L / 87D 468W / 364L / 86D 83.9
2022 988W / 760L / 164D 969W / 816L / 137D 79.9
2021 1664W / 1173L / 291D 1532W / 1323L / 255D 85.4
2020 2308W / 1664L / 331D 2057W / 1890L / 309D 78.4
2019 1851W / 1327L / 266D 1665W / 1521L / 225D 77.4
2018 590W / 441L / 81D 583W / 467L / 72D 81.6
2017 324W / 199L / 29D 278W / 239L / 36D 80.2
2016 28W / 8L / 1D 21W / 6L / 3D 64.7
2014 23W / 7L / 0D 18W / 14L / 0D 63.0

Openings: Most Played

Blitz Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Caro-Kann Defense 1346 716 526 104 53.2%
Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack 1019 520 406 93 51.0%
Modern 777 387 334 56 49.8%
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation 585 294 255 36 50.3%
Blackburne Shilling Gambit 567 306 221 40 54.0%
Australian Defense 539 296 219 24 54.9%
London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation 535 258 235 42 48.2%
Diemer-Duhm Gambit (DDG): 4...f5 514 268 198 48 52.1%
Nimzo-Indian Defense 504 255 212 37 50.6%
Döry Defense 502 259 197 46 51.6%
Bullet Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Amar Gambit 54 33 20 1 61.1%
Modern 44 24 18 2 54.5%
Nimzo-Larsen Attack 34 19 14 1 55.9%
Caro-Kann Defense 33 23 9 1 69.7%
Australian Defense 32 20 12 0 62.5%
Sicilian Defense: Closed 30 14 15 1 46.7%
Hungarian Opening: Wiedenhagen-Beta Gambit 24 13 10 1 54.2%
Czech Defense 22 12 8 2 54.5%
French Defense: Burn Variation 21 13 7 1 61.9%
London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation 20 9 8 3 45.0%
Rapid Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack 8 6 1 1 75.0%
Amazon Attack 7 5 1 1 71.4%
Diemer-Duhm Gambit (DDG): 4...f5 7 6 0 1 85.7%
Blackburne Shilling Gambit 6 5 1 0 83.3%
King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation 5 4 1 0 80.0%
Döry Defense 5 2 3 0 40.0%
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation 5 3 2 0 60.0%
Nimzo-Indian Defense 5 5 0 0 100.0%
English Opening: Carls-Bremen System 4 4 0 0 100.0%
Barnes Defense 4 2 1 1 50.0%
Daily Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Unknown Opening* 6 4 2 0 66.7%
Blackburne Shilling Gambit 3 3 0 0 100.0%
Amar Gambit 3 2 1 0 66.7%
QGD: Chigorin, 3.cxd5 3 3 0 0 100.0%
QGD: 2...Bf5 3.cxd5 3 3 0 0 100.0%
Modern 2 1 0 1 50.0%
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense 2 2 0 0 100.0%
Sicilian Defense 2 2 0 0 100.0%
Grünfeld Defense: Counterthrust Variation 2 2 0 0 100.0%
Slav Defense 2 1 0 1 50.0%

🔥 Streaks

Streak Longest Current
Winning 18 0
Losing 14 1
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