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.
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 |
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 |