Avatar of Mark Hoshor

Mark Hoshor NM

Username: hoshor

Location: North Carolina, USA

Playing Since: 2011-08-27 (Active)

Wow Factor: ♟♟♟♟♟♟

Chess.com

Daily: 2127
188W / 30L / 55D
Rapid: 2205
35W / 12L / 10D
Blitz: 2296
7481W / 6118L / 1178D
Bullet: 2196
590W / 440L / 75D

Mark Hoshor - National Master Extraordinaire

Mark Hoshor, known in the chess circles as hoshor, is a National Master with an enviable knack for blitz and bullet chess—think lightning-fast decisions paired with strategic brilliance. With a peak blitz rating of 2391 achieved in early 2022, Mark's chess journey could easily be mistaken for a thrilling roller coaster ride through the ranks, peppered with moments of triumph and the occasional humbling defeat.

Playing Style and Expertise

Mark’s chess style is a blend of dogged determination and tactical wizardry. Boasting an impressive come-back rate of 82.2%, this player knows how to turn a blunder into a blinder. Mark’s love for the endgame is clear, engaging in one of the highest endgame frequencies recorded among his contemporaries (over 84%). An average winning game lasts around 76 moves, so patience and stamina are definitely part of the package.

Quick to spot opportunities and not shy to resign early when the position looks grim (with an early resignation rate under 0.4%), Mark balances pragmatism and audacity with finesse.

Stats That Tell a Story

  • Total blitz games: Over 25,000 with a solid taste for the Top Secret opening, leading to a 57% win rate in this favorite battlefield.
  • Daily chess win rate: An enviable 74.2%, showing that when there's more time on the clock, Hoshor’s precision is on full display.
  • Substantial experience with bullet chess; not for the faint of heart but certainly a domain where hoshor thrives with a peak bullet rating surpassing 2280.
  • Longest winning streak: A staggering 38 games in a row, proving Mark knows how to build momentum and keep it.
  • Favorite days and hours to play: Mondays and the morning hours (around 9 AM) seem to bring out Mark’s best moves — maybe fueled by coffee and fresh brain cells.

Tact and Tenacity in Action

Mark’s psychological resilience is noteworthy. Despite a tilt factor of 10 (that's fairly modest for a competitive player), their ability to maintain performance after losing a piece (winning over half the games after such setbacks) tells a tale of grit and resolve. If blitz chess were a battlefield, Mark’s the general who never surrenders without a fight — even when the chips are down.

Recent Chess Adventures

In one of his latest victories, Mark demonstrated masterful handling of the Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Dunne Attack, triumphing by resignation after an intense series of maneuvers. Always ready to seize the initiative, his opponents learn quickly that time pressure is their enemy as much as his skill.

Mark in a Nutshell

With a playful username like hoshor, one might expect a quiet player, but Mark defies stereotypes. A National Master who mixes striking openings with deep endgame knowledge, they combine solid game fundamentals with tactical fireworks. Expect a calculated pace, unexpected comebacks, and a friendly but fierce competitor right down to the last tick on the clock.

Chess fans and foes alike watch as hoshor continues to chase new peaks, proving that even in a game of sixty-four squares, there’s room for personality, humor, and unyielding passion.


Coach's Avatar

Overall Performance Highlights

Mark, your recent games demonstrate solid skills with a strong win record and effective use of various openings. Your rating has shown a substantial climb over the last six months, which speaks to your improving strategic understanding and game execution. Your experience with aggressive openings like the Amar Gambit and Nimzo-Larsen Attack is a particular strength, contributing to more than 60% win rates in those lines.

Strengths in Recent Games

  • Opening Preparation: You play a good variety of openings, and your win rates show confidence in lines such as the Nimzo-Larsen Attack and Bird Opening. Continuing to deepen your knowledge in these can keep enhancing your success.
  • Attack and Initiative: Games like the victory using the Amar Gambit indicate your willingness to seize the initiative early, an excellent trait for blitz games.
  • Endgame Technique: In your wins, the transition to endgame seems well handled, showing your ability to convert small advantages efficiently.
  • Time Management: Despite losing some games on time, overall you have maintained good clock control, highlighting sound decision-making speed crucial in blitz.

Areas for Improvement

  • Handling Defensive Positions: Some losses indicated difficulty in countering aggressive opponent strategies, particularly when under pressure. Strengthening defensive techniques and calculating forced lines can improve resilience.
  • Time Pressure Management: A few losses were due to time exhaustion. Practicing to make quicker, reliable decisions in complex positions might reduce these losses.
  • Positional Consistency: Focusing on positional play will balance your attacking style, giving you more tools to exploit weaknesses and avoid overextension.
  • Draw and Loss Analysis: Review positions where games were drawn or lost, especially openings like the Modern and Czech Defense where your win rates are just above or below 50%. Analyzing these can reveal patterns and tactical improvements.

Training Recommendations

  • Study classic games using your favored openings like Nimzo-Larsen Attack and Amar Gambit to understand plans and typical tactics deeply.
  • Implement timed practice sessions where you deliberately focus on avoiding time trouble, improving calculation speed under pressure.
  • Engage in endgame studies regularly to enhance precision when converting advantages.
  • Analyze your recent losses with software or a coach to pinpoint missed opportunities in defensive and counterattacking scenarios.
  • Balance your aggressive style with positional understanding exercises to maintain sustainability in tougher matches.

Next Steps

Keep focusing on your opening repertoire and take advantage of your recent rating incline. Review your recent games with a special eye on avoiding time trouble and improving defense. This will build on your current momentum. Given your solid base and continuous growth, small adjustments can lead to strong rating gains and more consistent success in blitz play.



🆚 Opponent Insights

Recent Opponents
totho 1W / 0L / 0D
cahndeso13 1W / 0L / 0D
bddawuod 1W / 0L / 0D
ghis42 1W / 0L / 0D
slavarus45 2W / 0L / 0D
ancarmaran 1W / 1L / 0D
krakenreleased 1W / 0L / 0D
imlovingit 1W / 0L / 0D
gdm89 1W / 0L / 0D
alistowi 0W / 0L / 1D
Most Played Opponents
gunsberg 95W / 138L / 16D
vakus 124W / 65L / 12D
novebg 71W / 84L / 10D
rainforest22 117W / 41L / 3D
sant_chess 65W / 24L / 18D

Rating

Year Bullet Blitz Rapid Daily
2025 2196 2296 2205 2127
2024 2185 1790 2206 2167
2023 2105 2266 1893 2179
2022 2142 1947 1961 2157
2021 2069 1918 2254
2020 2013 2211 2278
2019 2017 2232 2045 2218
2018 2111 2129
2017 2120 2180 1999
2016 2041 2203 2050
2015 2104 2121 2001 2169
2014 2119 2177 2102
2013 2016 2093 2056
2012 1953 2189 1983
2011 1960 2143
Rating by Year20112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024202522961790YearRatingBulletBlitzRapidDaily

Stats by Year

Year White Black Moves
2025 1095W / 555L / 110D 1047W / 636L / 93D 79.6
2024 730W / 451L / 91D 696W / 507L / 80D 83.1
2023 183W / 80L / 21D 198W / 68L / 17D 79.2
2022 851W / 383L / 77D 801W / 422L / 74D 79.5
2021 737W / 360L / 74D 721W / 384L / 70D 80.1
2020 314W / 151L / 42D 337W / 156L / 35D 75.1
2019 1205W / 463L / 96D 1145W / 541L / 103D 77.0
2018 258W / 120L / 20D 236W / 135L / 23D 78.7
2017 126W / 83L / 12D 119W / 80L / 16D 82.9
2016 276W / 200L / 32D 249W / 238L / 31D 84.4
2015 753W / 663L / 140D 734W / 688L / 120D 85.4
2014 629W / 523L / 120D 620W / 524L / 123D 85.1
2013 570W / 403L / 96D 567W / 444L / 73D 83.4
2012 623W / 283L / 80D 582W / 321L / 82D 81.4
2011 149W / 49L / 14D 150W / 52L / 8D 71.8

Openings: Most Played

Blitz Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Amar Gambit 4557 2929 1389 239 64.3%
Modern 2966 1574 1207 185 53.1%
Australian Defense 1829 1059 653 117 57.9%
Nimzo-Larsen Attack 1761 1152 514 95 65.4%
Czech Defense 1349 719 549 81 53.3%
Modern Defense 1206 599 498 109 49.7%
Barnes Defense 1013 611 335 67 60.3%
Bird Opening 762 514 206 42 67.5%
King's Indian Defense: Accelerated Averbakh Variation 723 418 253 52 57.8%
English Opening 654 388 223 43 59.3%
Daily Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Amar Gambit 125 95 12 18 76.0%
Bird Opening 87 52 19 16 59.8%
Barnes Opening: Walkerling 78 58 12 8 74.4%
Australian Defense 75 46 21 8 61.3%
Modern 60 38 8 14 63.3%
Barnes Defense 51 44 5 2 86.3%
Nimzo-Larsen Attack 45 33 6 6 73.3%
Unknown 36 36 0 0 100.0%
Amazon Attack 34 24 3 7 70.6%
English Opening 34 27 4 3 79.4%
Bullet Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Modern 188 107 71 10 56.9%
Australian Defense 117 69 41 7 59.0%
Amar Gambit 107 65 38 4 60.8%
Czech Defense 83 41 36 6 49.4%
Modern Defense 80 37 33 10 46.2%
Barnes Defense 34 19 14 1 55.9%
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Leningrad Variation 33 21 10 2 63.6%
Slav Defense 31 19 12 0 61.3%
King's Indian Defense: Accelerated Averbakh Variation 29 17 9 3 58.6%
Benko Gambit 22 13 8 1 59.1%
Rapid Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Modern 12 9 1 2 75.0%
Amar Gambit 9 4 3 2 44.4%
Czech Defense 5 1 2 2 20.0%
King's Indian Defense: Accelerated Averbakh Variation 4 2 0 2 50.0%
Bird Opening 4 2 0 2 50.0%
Australian Defense 3 1 1 1 33.3%
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation 3 1 2 0 33.3%
Nimzo-Larsen Attack 2 0 2 0 0.0%
Caro-Kann Defense 2 1 1 0 50.0%
Slav Defense: Bonet Gambit 2 2 0 0 100.0%

🔥 Streaks

Streak Longest Current
Winning 38 9
Losing 10 0