Tran Khoa, Van Dang — The Rapid Rook Renegade
Meet Tran Khoa, Van Dang, also known by the cunning handle khoaandxiu, a chess player whose game is as dynamic as his username is mysterious.
Over the course of 2025, Khoa has traversed the fast lanes of the chessboard with notable peaks: a rapid rating soaring up to 571, blitz rating daringly hitting 568, and even a bullet peak at 542. If speed chess were an Olympic sport, Khoa would be sprinting for gold — or at least trying hard not to accidentally flag himself!
His favourite battlefield? Blitz, where moves happen faster than a caffeine-fueled knight jump. But don't underestimate his daily games either, where he maintains a cool and steady 400 rating, proving that slow and steady sometimes does win the race (or at least some games).
A Quick Peek at the Style
- Opening repertoire: Khoa is a fan of the classic King’s Pawn Opening, but watch out for his sneaky Three Knights Opening boasting an 83% win rate — that’s not beginner’s luck!
- Psychological edge: Comes back fiercely with a comeback rate of 64.94%; apparently, giving up is not in his vocabulary, even if his “Tilt Factor” sits at a cheeky 5 out of 10 — just enough to keep the game spicy.
- Average game length: About 48 moves per game — enough time to hatch a plan, see it crumble, and then hatch a new one.
Fun Facts & Quirks
- Khoa's motto might as well be "Resign after making them work for it." With 109 losses by resignation but a whopping 88 wins by the same method, he knows when to bow out — and when to make opponents pack up early.
- Has held a winning streak of 10 games straight — enough to make even Magnus do a double take.
- Prefers to sharpen his tactical blade in the early morning hours: his best time to play is 2:00 AM. Night owls, you’ve got a new chess buddy!
Recent Heroics
One of Khoa’s recent victories was a strategical masterclass where he forced resignation in a Philidor Defense after meticulous positioning and patience. Spoiler alert: Queen and rook coordination was lethal!
Peek the latest winning game
Nemeses and Victories
Khoa is not shy in rivalry — having faced many opponents multiple times with varied success. Perhaps his best record is against sonic1102 (3 wins, 0 losses) and sj_lyn0 (100% win rate!), where he strikes swiftly and decisively.
On the other hand, some opponents have managed to get under his skin, such as husseinjalalhusseinjalall and tony_rss, where he is hunting to even the score.
Summary
Tran Khoa, Van Dang is a competitive, strategic, and sometimes amusingly intense player who approaches chess with passion — and an eye for the unexpected. Whether facing a blitz barrage or cautiously plotting his rapid attack, he embodies the spirit of a fighter, always ready to knock kings off their thrones... or at least threaten a few pawns along the way.
