Karen Boyd

About Karen Boyd

Karen Boyd is a chess streamer who lights up the screen with blitz battles, brisk banter, and a welcoming vibe. Known to her audience as itsBenAndKaren, she streams games live, explains ideas in real time, and turns even the most surprising blunder into a learning moment with humor. Her online chess journey stretches back to the mid-2010s, and she has built a community where viewers cheer, chat, and occasionally suggest dramatic checkmate ideas that somehow work. Her blitz peak around 1420 shows she can flip the board in a heartbeat when the crowd is watching.

Profile: Karen Boyd

Streaming & Style

Blitz is her sweet spot, and she treats every clock-blast moment as a chance to teach and entertain. Expect fast commentary, clear explanations, and plenty of chat interaction as she navigates tough positions with calm humor. Karen's stream style blends practical ideas with playful personality, so viewers both learn and stay entertained even when a tactic goes awry.

Preferred time control on her streams: Blitz.

Opening Repertoire & Blitz Play

Her blitz repertoire features a mix of sharp, aggressive lines and solid, reliable defenses. A few openings she frequently explores in top-level blitz include:

• Amazon Attack
• French Defense
• Amar Gambit
• Sicilian Defense
• London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation

She also enjoys flexible setups that adapt to the clock and chat energy. For a snapshot of her opening performance, see the embedded chart:

Community & Impact

Beyond the board, Karen's streams foster a friendly community that celebrates curiosity, patience, and a little silliness. When she isn't teaching tactics, you might catch her swapping opening ideas with chat, or turning a missed tactic into a teachable moment that leaves the audience smiling.