Kevin Davidson — National Master & Rapid Specialist
Kevin Davidson (also known online as Good_Knight_Kiss) is a National Master whose reputation was forged in fast-paced play. A relentless tactician with a taste for long, grindy wins, Kevin has made a name for himself in rapid and blitz play while keeping a mischievous sense of humor at the board.
- Title: National Master (National)
- Preferred time control: Rapid (appears strongest and most consistent)
- Signature traits: tenacious endgames, late comebacks, and a fondness for the Najdorf and Caro‑Kann
Playing Style & Strengths
Kevin blends deep endgame technique with aggressive opening choices. Games tend to be long — he averages well over 70 moves — and he is unusually likely to pull out wins after being down material, making him a feared opponent in time scrambles.
- Endgame frequency: Very high (often converts small advantages)
- Avg moves per decisive game: ~74–76 moves — marathon battles are Kevin’s comfort zone
- Comeback rate: Exceptional — known for rescuing lost positions
- Best time of day to play: Around 21:00 (prime Kevin hours)
Openings & Repertoire
Kevin favors combative systems. He is a Najdorf devotee, but his win rates show real variety: the Caro‑Kann and Scandinavian appear as reliable go‑to defenses, while the Amar Gambit and Bird yield excellent results in slower time controls.
- Most-played: Sicilian Defense — Najdorf Variation (heavy usage)
- Reliable counters: Caro‑Kann and Scandinavian — strong win rates in blitz
- Surprise weapons: Amar Gambit (huge success in Daily) and occasional Bird Opening in Rapid
- Curious fact: Kevin overwhelmingly opens with 1.e4 — a traditional striker’s choice
Learn more about common lines: Sicilian Defense • Caro-Kann Defense
Career Highlights & Notable Facts
- Peak blitz performance has produced thunderous rating runs — a relentless streak of strong months in recent seasons. 2584 (2025-05-15)
- Strength-adjusted win rate: Rapid stands out as Kevin’s best category — a dependable performer under that clock.
- Longest winning streak: 15 games; longest losing streak: 13 games — proof that Kevin can both steamroll and suffer setbacks (and bounce back).
- Tilt factor: modest — Kevin acknowledges losing streaks but usually recovers quickly.
Visualize the rise and war stories:
Famous Opponents & Rivalries
Kevin has built intense rivalries with a handful of frequent opponents. These matchups tell stories of grudges, rematches, and long-term study.
- Most played: chesscoachkyle — a lopsided score that reads like a soap opera (Kevin: many wins).
- Other regulars: orestn, garnett14, gerber-baby, kensei26
- Top head‑to‑head highlight: against chesscoachkyle Kevin holds an impressive record (many wins, few losses).
Sample Game — A Taste of the Style
Here’s a compact replay of one of Kevin’s typical sharp victories: aggressive opening, tactical middlegame, and a patient endgame finish.
Interactive sample (use the viewer to replay):
Statistics Snapshot (Quick Takes)
- Massive blitz experience: tens of thousands of fast games — Kevin is a blitz veteran.
- Daily & Rapid: strong win rates and impressive long-game conversion.
- Tactical resilience: high win rate after losing a piece and excellent comeback ability.
Want a peak number? Key milestones are embedded above: 2283 (2023-09-20) • 2584 (2025-05-15)
Personality, Training & Fun Facts
Off the clock Kevin blends seriousness with levity — prepare for puns in postgame chat. Training habits include deep endgame drills, regular opening refreshers, and marathon blitz sessions to sharpen nerves.
- Preparation depth: often dives 7–9 moves deep into typical lines
- Humor: will offer a chess pun after a narrow escape ("I resigned my dignity, but not the game")
- Community tip: best to avoid his Najdorf unless you enjoy tactical fireworks
More Resources
Explore opponent pages, opening terms, and interactive charts embedded above. For quick reference:
- Opponent profile: chesscoachkyle
- Opening term: Sicilian Defense
- Training replay sample: the PGN above is ready to load in a viewer
Quick summary for Kevin
Nice run — your recent rapid results are very strong (30–3–4 overall, consistent 2257 rating, strength-adjusted win rate ≈ 61%). You convert advantages and punish opponents who expose their king. Your openings (especially the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation and Taimanov Variation) are paying dividends.
What you're doing well
- Opening preparation: High win rates in sharp Sicilian lines and good handling of dynamic positions — openings are working as a practical weapon.
- Tactical alertness: You exploit unprotected kings and loose pieces quickly; several wins came from quick tactical blows and infiltration.
- Conversion: When you gain the initiative you press and finish games decisively rather than letting chances slip.
- Consistency: Recent rating trend is stable and strong — you keep performing at the same level across months.
Recurring issues to fix
- King-safety technique vs flank pawns and early pawn storms — in a few games opponents tried to open lines against you on the kingside and you needed to be extra cautious before launching counterplay.
- Prophylaxis and slow improvement — you win tactics well, but sometimes could tighten up strategically to prevent counter-chances (for example, blunt opponent pawn advances before they get rolling).
- Time allocation in complex positions — keep a bit more time for critical tactical turns. You have good clock buffer but spend big chunks early and then face tricky moments with less reserve.
- Endgame practice — many wins finish before endgames, but polishing basic rook and pawn endings will help convert closer games more reliably.
Concrete next steps (two-week plan)
- Daily tactics: 12–18 mixed tactics/day (focus: forks, pins, discovered attacks, clearance/deflection motifs).
- Opening drills: 3 short study sessions on your main lines per week. Drill critical side-lines and typical tactical shots in the Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation and Taimanov Variation.
- Annotate 3 of your recent wins: write 4–6 notes per game (why each capture or piece move was played). That reinforces pattern memory.
- Endgame fundamentals: 2× 30-minute sessions on basic rook endings, Lucena position, and king+pawn v king conversions.
- One slow game (15+10 or longer) every 3 days to practice deeper planning and time distribution.
Pattern checklist (what to watch in-game)
- If the opponent pushes pawns toward your king (h/g/f pawns), ask: can I trade pieces or create luft for my king before the position opens?
- Before launching a pawn storm, secure the back rank and avoid leaving major pieces unprotected.
- Look for knight outposts on c5/d4/e5 — you convert these into tactics frequently; force exchanges that free these squares for your pieces.
- When you have the initiative, prefer simplifying into a winning endgame only when the path is clear — otherwise press with pieces and pawns on the board.
Example game — replay a recent win
Study this short successful tactical finish (good demonstration of central control, a knight jump into the opponent's position and decisive tactics):
After replaying it, note: the knight incursion to c7 and the timing of central breaks were key. Try to reproduce the plan in practice games.
Opponents to review
- Review your recent games vs mountainscott — opponent repeatedly allowed king exposure and you converted well; study how you forced queen checks and penetrations to replicate the method.
Final notes
You're playing very confidently and your repertoire is working. Focus the next few weeks on sharpening prophylaxis (preventing opponent counterplay), steadying time management in complex positions, and routine endgame drills. Keep the tactical practice up — it clearly yields wins for you.
If you want, I can prepare: (1) a 2-week personalized tactics set, (2) three model games in your Najdorf/Taimanov systems with commentary, or (3) annotated versions of two of your recent wins — tell me which option you prefer.
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Recent Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| coralplayingchess | 2W / 0L / 0D | View |
| tuyhoaphuyen | 0W / 1L / 0D | View |
| chicho72 | 2W / 2L / 1D | View |
| alcohol | 2W / 1L / 0D | View |
| sayx | 10W / 14L / 0D | View |
| calmcrush | 3W / 1L / 0D | View |
| Sherzod Khodjimatov | 5W / 8L / 0D | View |
| yamz79 | 4W / 4L / 0D | View |
| giorgi1985 | 3W / 2L / 0D | View |
| josh121212abc | 4W / 2L / 1D | View |
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| chesscoachkyle | 65W / 17L / 2D | View Games |
| Jura Ochkoos | 41W / 35L / 7D | View Games |
| garnett14 | 26W / 46L / 3D | View Games |
| gerber-baby | 45W / 24L / 6D | View Games |
| kensei26 | 30W / 34L / 9D | View Games |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2233 | 2488 | 2257 | 1791 |
| 2024 | 2115 | 2534 | 2257 | 1758 |
| 2023 | 2024 | 2529 | 2234 | 1925 |
| 2022 | 2403 | |||
| 2021 | 2406 | 1040 | 1991 | |
| 2020 | 2406 | 1200 | 1991 | |
| 2019 | 2188 | 1814 | ||
| 2018 | 2196 | 1740 | ||
| 2017 | 2156 | 1725 | ||
| 2016 | 2018 | 1621 | ||
| 2015 | 2033 | 1485 | ||
| 2014 | 1774 | 1965 | 1403 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1621W / 1175L / 225D | 1440W / 1361L / 229D | 84.9 |
| 2024 | 1726W / 1245L / 224D | 1531W / 1424L / 247D | 83.4 |
| 2023 | 2481W / 2058L / 321D | 2086W / 2453L / 350D | 80.9 |
| 2022 | 57W / 60L / 8D | 58W / 57L / 11D | 82.2 |
| 2021 | 24W / 23L / 3D | 29W / 16L / 4D | 77.5 |
| 2020 | 2431W / 2062L / 355D | 2166W / 2323L / 369D | 80.4 |
| 2019 | 2126W / 1659L / 238D | 1910W / 1896L / 249D | 76.0 |
| 2018 | 1447W / 1137L / 112D | 1284W / 1263L / 108D | 72.2 |
| 2017 | 1389W / 1100L / 110D | 1197W / 1285L / 118D | 72.6 |
| 2016 | 1533W / 1384L / 105D | 1432W / 1515L / 107D | 70.5 |
| 2015 | 1179W / 968L / 79D | 1012W / 1121L / 90D | 70.3 |
| 2014 | 1405W / 1200L / 115D | 1273W / 1304L / 134D | 72.5 |
Openings: Most Played
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation | 5728 | 2842 | 2575 | 311 | 49.6% |
| Sicilian Defense | 3246 | 1581 | 1497 | 168 | 48.7% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 3147 | 1722 | 1273 | 152 | 54.7% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed | 2053 | 975 | 962 | 116 | 47.5% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 1977 | 1061 | 813 | 103 | 53.7% |
| East Indian Defense | 1770 | 837 | 851 | 82 | 47.3% |
| Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack | 1651 | 811 | 766 | 74 | 49.1% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 1453 | 680 | 675 | 98 | 46.8% |
| Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation | 1307 | 594 | 636 | 77 | 45.5% |
| Modern | 1292 | 686 | 542 | 64 | 53.1% |
| Daily Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation | 30 | 14 | 15 | 1 | 46.7% |
| Amar Gambit | 25 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 88.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed | 16 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 56.2% |
| Sicilian Defense | 13 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 92.3% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 12 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 66.7% |
| Bird Opening | 12 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 91.7% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 85.7% |
| Nimzo-Larsen Attack | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 85.7% |
| Barnes Defense | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 85.7% |
| Alekhine Defense | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 83.3% |
| Bird Opening | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense, Fianchetto Variation | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Amar Gambit | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Scotch Game | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King's Indian Defense | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 33.3% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 80.0% |
| Sicilian Defense | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 40.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 60.0% |
| East Indian Defense | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33.3% |
| Czech Defense | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Barnes Defense | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Amar Gambit | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 15 | 1 |
| Losing | 13 | 0 |