Sam E. Collins - International Master (IM)
Known in the online chess world as imsc, Sam E. Collins has earned the prestigious title of International Master from FIDE, a testament to their solid skills and competitive spirit. Although Sam keeps their gender under wraps, their chess personality shines brightly — clever, tenacious, and a tad mischievous on the board!
Rating & Style
Sam’s blitz rating peaked impressively at 2727 in September 2024, showcasing their lightning-fast tactical awareness and a win rate soaring around 75% with their mysterious “Top Secret” opening repertoire. Rapid chess suits them well too, with a peak rating of 2529 back in late 2021. Sam plays many moves on the board (average 64 moves per win!), fighting hard in the endgame, which they reach nearly 70% of the time — patience is definitely one of their virtues.
Playing Tendencies
- White Win Rate: 69%
- Black Win Rate: 68%
- Longest Winning Streak: A blistering 12 consecutive wins — talk about momentum!
- Tactical Resilience: Almost 80% comeback rate after setbacks — Sam doesn’t quit, they pivot and conquer.
Battle Tested
Sam takes on a colorful cast of opponents, with a 100% win record against some frequent rivals like micfel, toog, and kingdesounununu — mysterious usernames that populate Sam's personal chess legend. Not everything is perfect though; certain adversaries like papajio and even the rising prodigy vincentkeymer have shown Sam there’s always room for improvement.
Fun Facts & Quirks
Imsc's psychological tilt factor is a humble 3, meaning they keep cool even when the pawns start flying and the clock ticks dangerously low. Their best time of day to swoop in for a win? Early afternoon around 14:00 — apparently that’s when their queen and rooks have their power nap!
Latest Triumph
On September 13, 2024, Sam clinched a sharp victory against Beletko with the elegant Pirc Defense in a game that ended by resignation after a tough positional squeeze. Curious? See the game here and witness the finesse!
In Summary
Sam E. Collins is a model of consistency, determination, and strategic depth. Whether blitz or rapid, they bring a blend of calm calculation and surprising creativity that keeps opponents on their toes — and spectators entertained. Expect Sam to keep climbing the rating ladder... or at least keep the chess world guessing with their next "Top Secret" move!
Hi Sam, here’s some targeted feedback based on your recent games and long-term trends
1. What you’re already doing well
- Tactical alertness. Your latest win against Beletko (B08 Pirc) showed clean calculation during the 22 .Nd5! sequence, converting material with almost no counter-play.
- Pressure with the initiative. In several Alapin Sicilians you repeatedly forced …g6/…f6 concessions and never let the opponent finish development.
- Good conversion technique. Once you reach a clearly better ending (e.g. pawns on a7/a6 and passer on a-file) you convert efficiently and rarely let the evaluation slip.
2. Recurrent trouble-spots
| Theme | Example | Actionable tip |
|---|---|---|
| Over-expansion in the centre without support | Loss vs GMG – 21.d4? fxe5 22.dxe5 allowed Black to rip open files toward your king. | Before pushing a central pawn ask “How many defenders & attackers?” – the classic counting trick. |
| Pawns left on dark squares against opposite-coloured bishops | Loss vs Dubs123 (D34) where …Bg4/Bf5 hammered d4/f4. | Adopt the principle of two weaknesses: if you can’t protect dark squares, trade that bishop or change the pawn structure. |
| Time pressure in critical positions | Vs GMG you had <20 s by move 26; the blunder 29.Nd5? came instantly. | Add one quick “sanity check” per move: spend at least your increment when below 30 s. |
3. Opening priorities for the next month
- Ruy Lopez white repertoire refresh. The 9.Nxe5 line is a weapon, but you must memorise the …d5/…Qd7 antidotes. Spend one hour on the latest theory and create a flash-card for the critical branching point.
- Anti-Tarrasch structures as Black. In your wins you handle …c5 strikes well, yet in the D34 loss you let White keep the IQP pressure. Review the classic Rubinstein games; aim to place a knight on d5 sooner.
4. End-game micro-tasks
- Practise rook + passer vs rook with Chess.com drills five minutes daily – it will boost confidence when you reach those a-pawn races.
- Revisit opposite-colour bishop endings where pawn placement is crucial; your wins show comfort here, but the Keymer loss hinged on an opposite-colour scenario gone wrong.
5. Performance snapshots
Peak blitz rating: 2727 (2024-09-13) Peak rapid rating: 2529 (2021-11-21)
When you feel plateaued, check your playing-time analytics:
and . Many FMs/GMs discover a hidden dip during late-evening sessions.6. Next steps
- Annotate the critical phase of the GMG game.
Guideline: write one sentence per move explaining the reason, not just the move. - Create a mini-repertoire file for Ruy Lopez sidelines (8…Na5 lines). 30 minutes should suffice – keep it lightweight.
- Commit to a weekly 10-game block played with a strict 40 s per game for review rule. Reflection > volume.
Motivation boost
“Improvement is not linear – it’s a staircase. When you feel stuck, you’re just on a landing getting ready for the next step.”
Keep enjoying the game, Sam, and let me know if you’d like deeper opening files or end-game exercises!
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| kingdesounununu | 3W / 0L / 0D | |
| therealthemistocles | 3W / 0L / 0D | |
| Daniel Beletic | 2W / 0L / 0D | |
| setandgame | 0W / 2L / 0D | |
| Simon Williams | 2W / 0L / 0D | |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2721 | |||
| 2022 | 2719 | |||
| 2021 | 2404 | 2257 | ||
| 2017 | 2065 | 2447 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1W / 1L / 0D | 1W / 0L / 0D | 53.7 |
| 2022 | 5W / 0L / 0D | 2W / 0L / 2D | 90.9 |
| 2021 | 5W / 2L / 0D | 5W / 2L / 0D | 66.9 |
| 2017 | 9W / 4L / 2D | 11W / 4L / 1D | 69.6 |
Openings: Most Played
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 80.0% |
| Ruy Lopez: Bird's Defense Deferred | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Czech Defense | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Anderssen Attack | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| King's Indian Defense | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Delayed Fianchetto | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Ruy Lopez: Closed | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Pirc Defense: Classical Variation | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| QGD: Semi-Tarrasch, 5.e3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Benoni Defense: Classical Variation | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Indian Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| QGD Tarrasch: 7.Bg2 Be7 8.O-O | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Czech Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Amar Gambit | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Knorre Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0% |
| Ruy Lopez: Closed | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 12 | 0 |
| Losing | 3 | 1 |