Avatar of Jem Gurner

Jem Gurner CM

Username: Jem

Playing Since: 2013-07-25 (Active)

Wow Factor: ♟♟♟♟♟

Chess.com

Daily: 1978
166W / 57L / 18D
Rapid: 2172
79W / 42L / 18D
Blitz: 2196
4939W / 4551L / 549D
Bullet: 2228
1702W / 1179L / 177D

Jem Gurner - Candidate Master Extraordinaire

Meet Jem Gurner, a wizard of the chessboard and proud bearer of the esteemed FIDE title Candidate Master. Jem isn’t just another player; they are a strategic force known for their resilient comebacks and a relentless passion for the game. Their tactical spirit is so lively that even after losing a piece, they still come back with nearly 49% win rate—talk about turning lemons into chessboard lemonade!

Rating Rollercoaster

Starting from humble beginnings with blitz ratings near 950 in 2013, Jem has steadily soared to dazzling heights, peaking at an impressive Blitz rating of 2279 in late 2024. Similarly, their bullet skills are sharp as a knight’s fork with a peak rating crescendo of 2291. Rapid and daily games haven’t been left out either, with peaks flirting around the 2200 mark, proving Jem’s versatility at all time controls. From an average game lasting about 67 moves when they win, to enduring longer battles of 80 moves when they lose, Jem embodies both endurance and precision.

Playing Style & Psychological Flair

Jem has a peculiar fondness for the Modern Defense, often sprinkling their play with variations like the Averbakh and Standard lines with notable win rates topping 55% in blitz, and even scoring a brilliant 60%+ in bullet. Not one to resign easily, Jem’s early resignation rate hovers around a modest 2.5%, and with a tilt factor of 10 (whatever that means), they keep their cool more than a queen on ice.

Their best hour to play? Hands down, 9 PM, when the stars align, the pieces dance, and the opponents tremble. This timing magic may explain how Jem manages a win rate north of 52% across the week, peaking on Wednesdays.

Record & Rivalries

With over 5,300 blitz wins and more than 2,000 victors in bullet, Jem's scoreboard is definitely one for the books. They're no stranger to drawing swords with regular rivals like aerialsgalore (884 clashes!) and joe_beddoe12 (663 battles), often pushing each other to their limits. Fun fact: Jem boasts a 100% win rate against several opponents—clearly a nightmare on the board for those unfortunates.

Memorable Victories

One of Jem’s recent standout wins was a gripping encounter in the CI Championship 2024 – Round 4, where deploying the Modern Defense, Jem outmaneuvered opponent Jerseypheonix in a prolonged and complex game that ended in a masterful resignation victory. For those who love the gritty details, they can savor the intricacies of the game via the game [link](https://www.chess.com/game/daily/774682985).

In Summary

Whether it’s bullet or daily correspondence, Jem Gurner’s chess journey is marked by steady improvement, fearless resilience, and a touch of brilliance in opening theory. They remind us all that the game of chess is not just about pawns and knights, but the art of patience, psychology, and sometimes a little bit of cheeky fun.

Ready to challenge the Candidate Master? Don’t say we didn’t warn you.


Coach Chesswick's Profile Photo
Coach Chesswick

Positives in Your Recent Rapid Games

Great job on securing wins through strong tactical awareness and strategic positioning. Here are some specific strengths noticed:

  • Active Piece Play: You frequently move your knights and bishops to aggressive squares, putting pressure on your opponent and creating threats. For example, your knight maneuvers in the game against blueberry_avocado were impressive, applying consistent pressure.
  • Effective Use of Checks and Pins: You utilize checks to disrupt your opponent’s development and to gain material advantages, as seen in your interaction with your opponent's weaknesses.
  • Opening Preparation: Your results show solid performance with openings like the Petrov’s Defense (100% win rate) and Amazon Attack variations (above 60% win rate), indicating good familiarity and preparation.
  • Endgame Technique: You convert advantages well, using passed pawns and coordinated attacks to press your advantage and force opponent resignations or deliver checkmate.

Areas to Improve

To continue climbing and sharpen your play further, consider focusing on these areas:

  • Time Management: Some wins came from opponents losing on time. Ensuring you manage your own clock effectively even when ahead will help secure wins more reliably.
  • Defending Against Counterattacks: Although your aggressive style creates threats, be cautious about potential counterattacks. Improving your defensive construction can avoid sudden turnaround tactics by opponents.
  • Expand Opening Repertoire: While you perform well with select openings, incorporating more diversity could give you an edge. Study and practice other defenses and gambits to be comfortable in multiple game types.
  • Positional Planning: Work on deeper long-term planning beyond immediate tactics. Strengthening your understanding of pawn structures and strategic objectives will improve consistency across different opponents.

General Advice and Next Steps

Given your stable rating around 2170 and positive trends in your stats, focus on continuous learning and practicing on various opening lines and strategic concepts:

  • Review your games regularly, especially losses, to identify recurring mistakes or missed opportunities.
  • Study classic games in openings you use to learn common themes and plans.
  • Use puzzles and tactical training to maintain sharp calculation skills — your ability to spot forcing moves contributes to winning play.
  • Maintain balanced time usage during games to avoid time-pressure errors, a common challenge in rapid chess.
  • Consider playing longer time controls occasionally to deepen your understanding of complex positions.

Keep up the great effort, and with focused training, you'll see further progress!



🆚 Opponent Insights

Recent Opponents
chessmdb 0W / 1L / 0D View
Most Played Opponents
aerialsgalore 482W / 317L / 85D View Games
joe_beddoe12 608W / 44L / 11D View Games
eudo1 162W / 15L / 3D View Games
lightweight009 77W / 51L / 10D View Games
eudo1769 82W / 7L / 5D View Games

Rating

Year Bullet Blitz Rapid Daily
2025 2228 2196 2172 1978
2024 2246 2234 2172 2008
2023 2136 2197 2184 1922
2022 2049 2170 2116 1998
2021 2173 2078 1926
2020 1954 1980 1904 1764
2019 1880 1966 1435 1864
2018 1710 1719 1468 1758
2017 1698 1731 1319
2016 1494 1548 1237 1555
2015 1307 1367 1478 1419
2014 1041 1213 1181 1322
2013 954 1187 1424
Rating by Year20132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252246954YearRatingBulletBlitzRapidDaily

Stats by Year

Year White Black Moves
2025 23W / 19L / 5D 31W / 20L / 2D 55.5
2024 175W / 147L / 15D 150W / 166L / 17D 76.5
2023 424W / 388L / 50D 355W / 445L / 47D 77.6
2022 376W / 326L / 47D 372W / 336L / 56D 77.2
2021 366W / 256L / 32D 334W / 288L / 35D 78.1
2020 937W / 510L / 83D 879W / 560L / 86D 73.3
2019 603W / 465L / 58D 571W / 489L / 66D 73.4
2018 280W / 209L / 25D 299W / 193L / 29D 70.9
2017 193W / 152L / 25D 167W / 178L / 12D 70.5
2016 187W / 106L / 12D 184W / 126L / 11D 68.3
2015 222W / 181L / 24D 186W / 194L / 32D 80.7
2014 170W / 166L / 13D 138W / 187L / 14D 75.7
2013 11W / 29L / 3D 18W / 21L / 2D 64.5

Openings: Most Played

Blitz Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Modern 1033 517 458 58 50.0%
Australian Defense 511 244 233 34 47.8%
Modern Defense 325 172 134 19 52.9%
Amazon Attack 307 168 124 15 54.7%
Sicilian Defense: Closed 302 155 136 11 51.3%
Unknown 274 153 120 1 55.8%
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation 254 115 124 15 45.3%
Caro-Kann Defense 251 106 133 12 42.2%
Czech Defense 221 107 108 6 48.4%
Amar Gambit 216 116 86 14 53.7%
Bullet Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Modern 452 259 168 25 57.3%
Australian Defense 334 208 108 18 62.3%
Amar Gambit 167 108 54 5 64.7%
Modern Defense 124 66 49 9 53.2%
French Defense 111 72 33 6 64.9%
Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation 94 55 29 10 58.5%
Nimzo-Larsen Attack 94 53 36 5 56.4%
Barnes Defense 81 43 33 5 53.1%
Scandinavian Defense 81 46 32 3 56.8%
Czech Defense 75 44 28 3 58.7%
Daily Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Modern 22 13 8 1 59.1%
Australian Defense 11 11 0 0 100.0%
Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack 10 5 4 1 50.0%
Modern Defense 9 3 3 3 33.3%
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation 9 5 2 2 55.6%
Sicilian Defense 7 6 0 1 85.7%
Caro-Kann Defense 7 6 1 0 85.7%
Sicilian Defense: Closed 6 6 0 0 100.0%
Amazon Attack 6 3 2 1 50.0%
French Defense: Advance Variation 6 5 1 0 83.3%
Rapid Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Modern 12 6 3 3 50.0%
Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack 8 5 3 0 62.5%
Amazon Attack 8 5 2 1 62.5%
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation 7 4 2 1 57.1%
Caro-Kann Defense 5 3 2 0 60.0%
Modern Defense 5 3 1 1 60.0%
Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack 5 2 1 2 40.0%
Sicilian Defense 4 2 1 1 50.0%
Australian Defense 4 2 1 1 50.0%
Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation 3 1 2 0 33.3%

🔥 Streaks

Streak Longest Current
Winning 28 0
Losing 10 2
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