Jason Shi (mathapples) - FIDE Master and Blitz Virtuoso
Jason Shi, known in the online chess realm as mathapples, proudly bears the title of FIDE Master, a testament to their deep understanding of the 64 squares and complex tactics that make chess both a science and an art.
With a peak blitz rating soaring to 2481 in April 2021, Jason is no stranger to lightning-fast decision-making. Their blitz games showcase not only speed but a remarkable tactical awareness, boasting a comeback rate of nearly 85% — a clear sign they don’t give up easily, even after losing a piece. In fact, their win rate after losing material stays just above 52%, proving resilience is as much a piece of their style as their favorite openings.
Jason’s favorite playground seems to be the blitz arena, having played over 1,800 games there with a respectable winning rate above 55% in the mysterious “Unknown Opening” category — possibly because their opening strategy strikes fear through unpredictability as they shuffle through their secret arsenal. Not to mention their longest winning streak of 28 games, which surely kept their opponents wondering if they had stumbled into a chess robot’s lair.
Despite the high-paced chaos of rapid and bullet games, Jason holds their own with peak Rapid and Bullet ratings of 2436 and 2021 respectively, balancing speed with finesse. Their average game length suggests a tendency to take battles deep into the endgame, where their endgame frequency of almost 84% hints at a patient and strategic mindset—waiting to outmaneuver opponents long after opening fireworks have settled.
Psychologically, Jason deals with tilt as gracefully as anyone can with a tilt factor of 9 out of 100 — still human, but rarely rattled. The perfect hour for their best moves? 11 AM — the time to set your alarm if you want to challenge them! And if you’re aiming to break their rhythms, beware: they have a current winning streak of 7 games, and counting.
Memorable Moment: Checkmate to Seal the Deal
One of Jason's most glorious finishes came in a recent Live Chess event where they brilliantly executed a mating net after only 26 moves. The climax? A sleek Rbe7# checkmate, showcasing their knack for swift and elegant victories. For those curious, the game featured a Queen's Gambit Declined with the Chigorin flavor — chess poetry in motion!
Playing Style at a Glance
- Wins more often with White: 56.5%
- Wins with Black: 53.3%
- Average moves per win: ~73 moves - a marathoner on the board
- Not a quitter: Early resignation rate just 0.42%
- Wins more vs lower rated opponents: 67.7%, and holds own against equals
Whether blitzing out pre-moves or grinding down opponents in patient endgames, Jason Shi is a force on the board: adaptable, crafty, and always ready to move those pawns like the math-savvy apple fanatic they are.
Recent Game Wins
Jason, your recent win using the King's Indian Defense Orthodox Variation showcased your ability to build a strong central presence and carefully maneuver your pieces toward attack. You made effective use of your rook and knight coordination, leading to your opponent's resignation. This demonstrates solid tactical vision and good endgame awareness.
- Strong control of central squares early in the game.
- Good use of piece exchanges to simplify into a winning endgame.
- Effective pressure on opponent's queenside pawns and pieces.
Keep leveraging these strengths while continuing to look for opportunities to increase activity and pressure in the middlegame.
Areas to Improve from Recent Losses
Your recent losses in the Caro-Kann and Semi-Slav openings indicate some areas to focus on:
- Opening Preparation: The Caro-Kann Karpov Variation has been a challenging area with a lower win rate (~43%). You may benefit from revisiting key lines and typical plans to boost confidence in this opening.
- Time Management: Some critical moments showed time pressure, which can lead to tactical oversights. Work on managing your clock effectively, especially in sharp positions.
- Endgame Technique: The games show positions where precise calculation was needed to avoid checkmate threats. Practicing common endgame patterns and king safety can help improve results.
Improving these areas will support a more consistent performance against strong opposition.
Drawing Tendencies and Opportunities
Your draw rate in recent games is relatively low compared to wins and losses, indicating an aggressive style which is great for progress. However, sometimes securing a draw in difficult positions is valuable:
- Work on recognizing when to simplify and aim for a draw to secure half a point.
- Invest time in learning defensive resources and fortress ideas to salvage tricky situations.
Opening Choices and Performance
Your preferred openings have varying success rates. Notable points include:
- Caro-Kann Exchange Variation: Excellent performance here with a solid 67% win rate. Continue to deepen your understanding to capitalize on this strength.
- Semi-Slav Defense: Good success around 62% win rate. Maintain your study of main lines and typical thematic ideas.
- Caro-Kann Karpov Variation: This is an area to focus more attention on to improve your win ratio and reduce losses.
Consider expanding your opening repertoire gradually to cover weaknesses while reinforcing your strong lines.
Overall Progress and Next Steps
Your current rating has been trending upward steadily with a recent monthly increase of about 51 points and a strength adjusted win rate near 50.5%. This reflects solid skill development and competitive strength.
- Continue your study of key openings with focused training on weaker lines.
- Work on time management and tactical sharpness under blitz time controls.
- Review endgame fundamentals regularly to convert advantages and defend difficult positions.
- Analyze your games deeply to spot recurring mistakes and common strategic themes.
This balanced approach will support your climb up the rating ladder effectively.
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| miso2211 | 55W / 34L / 6D | View Games |
| tonyq11 | 24W / 14L / 6D | View Games |
| MF Álvaro Aranha | 11W / 9L / 3D | View Games |
| Murcio | 8W / 10L / 2D | View Games |
| Juan Jose Campos Castillo | 9W / 7L / 3D | View Games |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2454 | 2199 | ||
| 2024 | 2424 | |||
| 2023 | 2429 | |||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2394 | 2181 | |
| 2021 | 2021 | 2445 | 2139 | |
| 2020 | 1964 | 2364 | 2290 | |
| 2019 | 1964 | 2282 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 80W / 47L / 16D | 60W / 62L / 19D | 85.8 |
| 2024 | 19W / 6L / 0D | 12W / 11L / 2D | 78.5 |
| 2023 | 17W / 13L / 2D | 16W / 14L / 1D | 86.5 |
| 2022 | 33W / 19L / 5D | 26W / 27L / 8D | 83.0 |
| 2021 | 182W / 118L / 25D | 171W / 141L / 26D | 85.8 |
| 2020 | 229W / 134L / 39D | 231W / 131L / 35D | 78.2 |
| 2019 | 63W / 43L / 15D | 62W / 50L / 8D | 79.6 |
Openings: Most Played
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caro-Kann Defense | 217 | 117 | 84 | 16 | 53.9% |
| Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation | 147 | 95 | 38 | 14 | 64.6% |
| Caro-Kann Defense: Karpov Variation | 114 | 49 | 54 | 11 | 43.0% |
| Catalan Opening | 73 | 41 | 25 | 7 | 56.2% |
| Slav Defense: Czech Variation, Classical System, Main Line | 68 | 39 | 25 | 4 | 57.4% |
| QGD: 3.Nc3 Bb4 | 65 | 31 | 29 | 5 | 47.7% |
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 61 | 34 | 21 | 6 | 55.7% |
| Semi-Slav Defense: Accelerated Meran Variation | 57 | 37 | 16 | 4 | 64.9% |
| Slav Defense | 56 | 31 | 23 | 2 | 55.4% |
| Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation | 51 | 25 | 25 | 1 | 49.0% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caro-Kann Defense | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 80.0% |
| Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 40.0% |
| Catalan Opening | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.7% |
| Amazon Attack | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| QGD: Albin, 3.dxe5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Semi-Slav Defense Accepted | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0% |
| Slav Defense: Czech Variation, Classical System | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Benoni Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Hastings Defense, Main Line | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0% |
| Semi-Slav Defense: Bogoljubow Variation | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Diemer-Duhm Gambit (DDG): 4...f5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slav Defense | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Modern Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Slav Defense: Exchange Variation | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| QGD: 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Catalan Opening: Open Defense | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0% |
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Keres Defense | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 28 | 1 |
| Losing | 9 | 0 |