About John Paul (honorablegames)
John Paul — online known as "honorablegames" — is a Rapid specialist who treats the 15|10 clock like a roller coaster: thrilling, occasionally stomach‑churning, and always worth the ticket. A club‑style grinder with a soft spot for offbeat lines and cheeky traps, he mixes stubborn defense with sudden tactical flair. Preferred time control: Rapid.
Quick facts: often plays d4 as White in 2021, favors the Amazon Attack as White, and has a stubborn comeback streak that keeps opponents on their toes.
Career snapshot
John Paul's Rapid record shows experience and growth across 2020–2021. He reached a career peak late in 2020 at 1200 (2020-12-29) and continued to log many long, instructive games in early 2021.
Visual timeline:
- Overall Rapid results (selected): 16 wins, 31 losses, 2 draws.
- Streaks: longest win streak 5, longest losing streak 6 (currently on a 6‑game losing streak).
- Notable trend: best hour to play appears around 11:00 (local).
Openings & tendencies
John Paul experiments a lot — you’ll see classic systems and oddities side by side. He often opens with d4 in 2021 and tries to steer games into lines where he can outmaneuver opponents in the middlegame.
- Amazon Attack — played most often as White (≈30% win rate overall in Rapid).
- London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation — a sharp choice with mixed results (≈17% win rate).
- Barnes Opening (Walkerling) — small sample but respectable (50% win rate in some sets).
- Also seen: Scotch Game, Blackburne Shilling Gambit, Accelerated Dragon setups — a curious opening palette.
As White he prefers aggressive, creative setups; as Black he sometimes allows sharper, tactical fights.
Playing style & strengths
- Comback specialist: comeback rate ≈ 62.5% — John Paul plays on and often finds resources when behind.
- Tactical awareness: reasonable — wins after material loss happen (~23.8% of the time).
- Endgame involvement: plays long decisive games (avg decisive length ~46 moves in 2021), so endurance matters.
- Psych edge: tilt factor is low but notable — best to keep the position complicated rather than simplify too early.
Typical game patterns
Expect an average of ~40 moves per win and a slightly longer average in defeats. John Paul tends to capture first around move 6 and checks frequently with the queen — he’s not shy about checking to pry open defenses.
- Avg moves per win: ~40
- Avg first capture: move ~6
- Most common checking piece: queen
Notable opponents & a sample game
He has faced several recurring opponents; the most-played is Ben. Others include tfoxt, azamatkh92 and a decisive win versus luis_er.
Sample instructive miniature (for study and entertainment):
Replay a short illustrative opening-to-midgame sequence:
Advice for opponents
- Don’t underestimate his endgame — he grinds and capitalizes on practical chances.
- Keep the position calm and avoid falling into tactical melees where his comeback instinct shines.
- If you play the Amazon Attack, be ready for unconventional plans; study the typical sidelines before facing him.
Final notes
John Paul (honorablegames) is a Rapid‑focused club player with a taste for variety, a habit of fighting until the last second, and a sense of humor about losses. Whether you’re preparing to face him or just enjoy studying spirited online games, there’s plenty to learn — and a few laughs along the way.