Avatar of Rebecca Selkirk

Rebecca Selkirk WCM

Username: HashtagChess

Playing Since: 2020-01-21 (Active)

Wow Factor: ♟♟♟♟♟♟♟

Chess.com

Rapid: 2005
57W / 47L / 10D
Blitz: 1859
1976W / 1693L / 159D
Bullet: 1709
501W / 484L / 24D

About Rebecca Selkirk

Rebecca Selkirk is a titled chess player and a dedicated streamer whose calm calculation and quick wit light up both boards and chat. They earned the Woman Candidate Master title from FIDE, a badge they wear with pride as they navigate blitz marathons, анализа streams, and the occasional victory dance after a tough finish. When Rebecca isn’t plotting noisy tactics, they’re sharing game analysis and friendly banter with a growing online audience.

Preferred time control: Blitz. They blend sharp tactical flair with stubborn endgame play, often turning small advantages into memorable wins. For a glimpse into their rating journey, see the Blitz chart below.

Blitz Rating20202021202220232024202519231749YearBlitz Rating

Follow their profile and updates here: rebeccaselkirk

Career Highlights

  • Titled player: Woman Candidate Master (FIDE).
  • Peak Blitz rating reached 2299 on 2020-03-10, a moment often cited in their streams as the “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” climb.
  • Notable endurance: a longest winning streak of 16 games in Blitz, with a penchant for turning the tide in tough positions.
  • Consistent presence across major formats, with substantial contributions to opening repertoires and endgame finesse.

Openings and Repertoire

Rebecca’s Blitz practice features a robust and occasionally surprising mix of defenses and systems. A snapshot of opening performance includes:

  • Caro-Kann Defense — a steady backbone with dominant results in long games.
  • Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation — active piece play and clear structural aims.
  • Unknown — a broad, adaptable approach that keeps opponents honest.
  • London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation — practical, often scored well in dynamic positions.
  • Scandinavian Defense — solid counterpunch opportunities and good piece activity.
  • French Defense — a balanced choice with room for both strategic and tactical fights.

In addition to these, Rebecca has showcased versatility across rapid, blitz, and bullet with a broad opening toolkit. For a quick PGN taste of a typical approach, you can peek at a sample line:

Playing Style and Community

Rebecca leans into endgames—endgame frequency sits high at around 69.8%—where patience and technique often decide the result. They balance aggressive tactical shots with disciplined maneuvering, earning a reputation for resilience in tight spots. On stream, they blend thoughtful analysis with lighthearted commentary, inviting viewers to learn, laugh, and occasionally cringe at surprising blunders.

Time control preference: Blitz. Their approach is well known for practical decision-making under pressure, aided by deep study of endgames and timing tricks.

Blitz Rating20202021202220232024202519231749YearBlitz Rating

Streaming and Community

As a streamer, Rebecca builds community through live analysis, game reviews, and approachable explanation of ideas behind the moves. Fans tune in for scholarship, humor, and a sense that every game is a story being told move by move. Whether you’re a seasoned competitor or a curious observer, Rebecca’s streams offer something for every chess fan.

Notable Moments and Quick Facts

  • FIDE title: Woman Candidate Master (WCM).
  • Peak Blitz rating: 2299 (2020-03-10).
  • Streaks: Longest Winning Streak = 16; Current Winning Streak = 1.
  • Commonly played openings in Blitz include Caro-Kann family lines, London System variants, and Scandinavian setups.
  • Playing style emphasizes strong endgame technique and practical decision-making under time pressure.

Coach's Avatar

Hi Rebecca!

Below is a personalised review of your recent blitz (3 | 0) performance with practical action-items you can use right away.
Keep an eye on the live widgets – they will update automatically as new games come in.

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What you are already doing well

  • Active piece play in the centre. Your two recent victories over juniorvik and Cool_principle show crisp central expansion (e4+d4 vs the Caro-Kann and Sicilian) that quickly opened lines for tactics.
  • Spotting tactical shots. 20.Qxf6! in the Panov game exploited an overloaded queen and netted material in a single stroke. [Pgn|15.Qf3 Qd8 16.Rfe1 Bg4 17.Qg3 Rxe1+ 18.Rxe1 Qb8 19.Qh4 g6 20.Qxf6 Qc8|fen|r1q3k1/pp3p1p/5Qp1/3p4/6b1/P1PB4/3B1PPP/4R1K1 b - - 0 20]
  • Wide opening repertoire. You comfortably alternate between 1.e4 and 1.d4, and handle both sides of the Caro-Kann, Slav and French. This flexibility is a long-term asset.

Key improvement themes

  • Time management. Four of the last eight losses were on time in still-playable positions. • Aim to reach move 20 with >60 s on the clock. • Practise “chunking” – make three-move plans instead of searching for a perfect move every turn.
  • King safety when launching pawn storms. In the Alekhine (loss vs farelnusa) 24…d5! opened files toward your own king while your back rank was stiff. Pause and ask: “Whose king gets weaker if I push this pawn?”
  • Piece co-ordination in cramped structures. Games vs Chess_Knight9 (Advance Caro-Kann) and Bodiejumper1 (Colle/Zukertort type) show knights stepping in circles while bishops stayed passive. Rule of thumb: if a pawn is on e5/c4 you usually need a knight in front of it (Nd3/Ne4) not behind it.

Opening pointers

OpeningQuick winCritical lossNext step
Caro-Kann (Panov) vs juniorvik (W) Add 11.Bd3 Re8+ 12.Ne5 repertoire notes; you know the plans!
Alekhine’s Defence vs farelnusa (L) Memorise the 4…exd6 mainline ideas; avoid early c4 when behind in development.
Ruy-Lopez d3-system vs chessterohide (L on time) Accelerate queenside play with a4 before Bg5 to stop …b5.

Concrete training plan (2-weeks)

  1. Daily 15-minute clock-blitz exercise: play 3 | 0 but premove nothing; focus on intuitive rhythm.
  2. Review 5 self-chosen losses with the question “Where did my pieces stop working together?” – tag them in your database.
  3. Solve 50 Intermediate Tactics puzzles filtered for clearance sacrifices and zwischenzug.
  4. Study the model game Karpov–Miles 1984 for Caro-Kann structure plans; compare with your own Panov win.

Motivation corner

Your current personal best is 2299 (2020-03-10). At your present win-rate an extra 0.5 point/day pushes you +100 Elo in roughly one month. Stay consistent, keep the king safe, and see you on the leaderboard!



🆚 Opponent Insights

Recent Opponents
Alexandra 2W / 0L / 0D
Chess Lover 1W / 0L / 1D
thetirelessquoter 1W / 1L / 0D
tinnarik 0W / 1L / 0D
alexs_28 1W / 0L / 0D
catalanbishop96 1W / 1L / 0D
romanianluck 1W / 0L / 0D
drcasahonda 0W / 1L / 0D
rajuprasad1405 0W / 1L / 0D
sergpriborserg 1W / 0L / 0D
Most Played Opponents
polko14 144W / 59L / 2D
Jesse February 63W / 78L / 12D
miriah32 72W / 27L / 1D
Gokul 21W / 60L / 10D
eccentrichorse11 43W / 36L / 8D

Rating

Year Bullet Blitz Rapid Daily
2025 1709 1859 2005
2024 1749
2023 1790 1875 2005
2022 1901 1810 1905
2021 1935 1923 1772
2020 1689 1768 1691
Rating by Year20202021202220232024202520051689YearRatingBulletBlitzRapid

Stats by Year

Year White Black Moves
2025 28W / 22L / 1D 27W / 23L / 0D 72.4
2024 17W / 20L / 0D 16W / 21L / 0D 68.2
2023 163W / 138L / 22D 158W / 145L / 20D 69.3
2022 266W / 231L / 18D 257W / 244L / 22D 65.8
2021 866W / 694L / 62D 834W / 710L / 71D 68.7
2020 688W / 617L / 55D 667W / 640L / 51D 62.5

Openings: Most Played

Blitz Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Caro-Kann Defense 435 243 175 17 55.9%
Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation 301 159 126 16 52.8%
Unknown 291 155 136 0 53.3%
London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation 211 108 84 19 51.2%
French Defense 176 88 78 10 50.0%
Scandinavian Defense 175 99 71 5 56.6%
Amar Gambit 155 81 67 7 52.3%
Barnes Defense 134 73 56 5 54.5%
Center Game: Berger Variation 130 70 55 5 53.9%
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation 127 69 55 3 54.3%
Rapid Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Caro-Kann Defense 28 12 15 1 42.9%
Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation 13 5 6 2 38.5%
Barnes Defense 11 1 10 0 9.1%
French Defense 11 6 4 1 54.5%
Scandinavian Defense 10 4 5 1 40.0%
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Sherzer Variation 9 2 6 1 22.2%
London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation 9 2 7 0 22.2%
Sicilian Defense 9 4 4 1 44.4%
Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Exchange Variation 8 3 4 1 37.5%
Slav Defense 8 3 3 2 37.5%
Bullet Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Caro-Kann Defense 152 83 68 1 54.6%
Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation 139 63 74 2 45.3%
Amar Gambit 133 58 69 6 43.6%
French Defense 96 45 49 2 46.9%
Scandinavian Defense 77 32 43 2 41.6%
London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation 67 30 32 5 44.8%
Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation 57 30 26 1 52.6%
French Defense: Exchange Variation 43 25 18 0 58.1%
Barnes Defense 41 24 16 1 58.5%
Czech Defense 38 22 15 1 57.9%

🔥 Streaks

Streak Longest Current
Winning 16 0
Losing 32 2