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joelmittbena

Playing Since: 2024-06-13 (Active)

Wow Factor: ♟♟♟

Chess.com

Rapid: 392
818W / 827L / 82D

Profile Summary: joelmittbena

Meet joelmittbena, a relentless Rapid chess warrior whose journey through the 64 squares has been anything but boring! With a peak rating of 657 achieved in May 2025, Joel has shown a knack for dramatically improving his game, especially during the intense bouts of Rapid chess.

Joel’s chess saga is filled with thrilling victories, heart-stirring losses, and a few draws that keep the suspense alive. With nearly as many wins (787) as losses (795) and a sprinkle of 81 draws, his career reads like a gripping novel — full of ups, downs, and the occasional surprise twist.

Opening Adventures

When it comes to openings, Joel prefers to start his games with the King’s Pawn Opening, having played nearly 623 games with it. His win rate here hovers just under 50%, proving he’s no stranger to battle in classic territory. For a dash of variety, he dips into the Bishop’s Opening, scoring an impressive 56.8% win rate — that bishop sure knows how to cause some mischief!

But beware! Joel also ventures into the sometimes surprisingly sharp waters of the Scandinavian Defense, sporting an almost even split of wins and losses, showing he’s comfortable with both offense and defense — or at least ready to roll with the punches when it gets complicated.

Playing Style & Psychological Quirks

Not the quitter you’d expect, joelmittbena has an early resignation rate of only 15.6%, demonstrating a fighting spirit that often drags games deep into the endgame, where he gets quite busy with a 39.2% frequency of chasing those final moves. His average game length is around 48 moves for wins, revealing a player who meticulously crafts his victories, and a somewhat shorter 42 moves when defeat sneaks in.

And speaking of fighting spirit — Joel’s “comeback rate” after setbacks is nearly 47%, which means he’s the phoenix of the chessboard, rising again and again. However, beware of his modest 8 point tilt factor, so like any human, the game can sometimes get into his head.

When to Catch Him Playing

Joel’s best performances come at unusual hours — his prime time? Early morning, around 5 AM, where his win percentages hit their peak (and the opponents are probably still hitting snooze). He seems to enjoy a caffeine-fueled chess session since he boasts a 54.76% win rate close to midnight and an 80% win rate at 5 AM — either a true morning knight or a night owl with a confusing schedule.

Notable Recent Battles

In his recent skirmishes, Joel has faced a mix of luck and challenge: a dramatic win by resignation against Benucuz where tactical precision sealed the deal swiftly, and a tough loss against djtou, where the game escaped before he could rally. But his closing moves are sharp, having once secured a victory through a quick and cheeky queen sortie in a Scandinavian Defense battle.

Final Thought

Joelmittbena is the quintessential rapid player who fights hard, learns fast, and keeps the chessboard animated. Whether he’s trapping opponents in the Bishop’s Opening nets or hammering through the King’s Pawn routes, every game is a story and every move a new chapter.

“Why just play chess when you can survive and thrive through it?” – joelmittbena, probably.

Keep an eye on this player – with perseverance like that, the peak is just the beginning!


Coach's Avatar

Hi joelmittbena! 👍 Great job staying active and racking-up a lot of games. Let’s turn that experience into faster improvement.

1. Opening habits – tighten the basics

  • Early queen raids are risky. In almost every PGN (e.g. 1.e4 d5 2.Qh5 …) your queen comes out on moves 2-4. Result: opponents hit you with forks such as …Nxc2+ or …Nd4 and you lose material or time. Action plan: keep the queen home until your minor pieces are out; aim for the sequence 1.e4 2.Nf3 3.Bc4/Bb5 4.0-0.
  • Develop pieces before hunting pawns. In the loss vs djtou, you grabbed a pawn on d5 but fell behind in development and were punished by …Nxa1. Remember the opening priorities → center, pieces, king safety, only then material.
  • Try one “starter” opening for each colour so you can focus on middlegame ideas instead of improvising every time:
    • As White: the Italian Game – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4.
    • As Black: against 1.e4 choose the Scandinavian only if you study the main line 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5; otherwise begin with 1…e5 and copy the Italian set-up.

2. Recurring tactical themes to drill

The same motifs appear in both wins and losses. Master them and you’ll jump a few hundred points quickly:

  1. Knight forks on c2/c7 and e2/e7. You’ve been hit by Nxc2+ several times. Practice spotting forks → do 5-10 tactical puzzles a day that feature the fork.
  2. Loose back-rank and diagonal pins. Moves like …Bg4 pin your knight to the queen/king. Get in the habit of asking, “What’s undefended?” before every move.
  3. Basic mating nets. Your nicest win (Tal_Darim322) ended with a clean rook+queen mate. Good instinct! Keep sharpening it with checkmate drills.

3. Time management & game selection

  • Many games end “abandoned”. That suggests flagging or frustration. Try 10|5 or 15|10 games twice a week. The extra increment gives you breathing room to think.
  • Review at least one finished game immediately: flip through the moves and ask, “Where did the evaluation swing?” Even 5-minute self-analysis is powerful.

4. Micro-goals for the next month

  1. Play 50 games where your queen does not move before move 7 unless it’s to recapture a piece.
  2. Finish the “Fork” and “Pin” sections in Chess.com puzzles (or any tactic set) – aim for 100 correct puzzles.
  3. Reach 657 (2025-05-18) + 100 by applying the solid opening structure above.

5. Quick reference – what to avoid / what to aim for

Common slipSafer alternative
2.Qh5?!2.Nf3
Grabbing the a1/a8 rook with …Nxa1 still availableFinish development, guard c2
Leaving king in the centreCastle by move 8 whenever possible

6. Your performance snapshots

01234567891011121314151617181920212223100%0%Hour of Day
 
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun100%0%Day of Week

7. Highlight reel (study these briefly)

Win vs vocalcat03 – punish an exposed king
Loss vs djtou – how an early queen rush backfires

Keep it up!

You’re enthusiastic and tactical. Blend that with sound development and a few targeted drills, and you’ll blast through 600-800 in no time. Good luck, and see you on the board! 🚀



🆚 Opponent Insights

Recent Opponents
adetunji9 0W / 1L / 0D
mike776yy 0W / 1L / 0D
ballz_manscaping 0W / 1L / 0D
lukkkk3 1W / 0L / 0D
c-dawg2016 0W / 1L / 0D
ytt55ggv 0W / 1L / 0D
afusbdbd 0W / 1L / 0D
darkside0017 0W / 1L / 0D
furkan12345678998 0W / 1L / 0D
lealeaaa66 0W / 1L / 0D
Most Played Opponents
duckdukk1 0W / 6L / 0D
jeffreybrown35 1W / 4L / 0D
athaatsil 2W / 1L / 1D
iochessxd 1W / 3L / 0D
mahones48 1W / 3L / 0D

Rating

Year Bullet Blitz Rapid Daily
2025 384
2024 364
Rating by Year20242025384364YearRatingRapid

Stats by Year

Year White Black Moves
2025 323W / 292L / 25D 282W / 326L / 29D 47.1
2024 116W / 94L / 15D 96W / 115L / 13D 46.8

Openings: Most Played

Rapid Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Barnes Opening: Walkerling 665 313 317 35 47.1%
Elephant Gambit 107 45 61 1 42.1%
Scandinavian Defense 105 47 54 4 44.8%
Amar Gambit 103 54 48 1 52.4%
Australian Defense 93 46 42 5 49.5%
French Defense 77 36 40 1 46.8%
Barnes Defense 76 40 30 6 52.6%
Bishop's Opening 45 26 16 3 57.8%
Amazon Attack 45 25 17 3 55.6%
Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense 44 19 20 5 43.2%

🔥 Streaks

Streak Longest Current
Winning 9 0
Losing 8 3