Mau Romano is a dedicated blitz chess enthusiast known by many opponents for his tenacity and diverse opening repertoire. Over the years, Mau has demonstrated remarkable consistency and an impressive competitive spirit in fast-paced matches.
Playing Style & Strengths
Mau prefers blitz chess, where he can leverage quick decision-making and tactical awareness. His style combines practical play with a balanced approach to openings, endgames, and psychological resilience.
Enjoys exchanges and calculated risk — evident from his average moves per win (~58) compared to loss (~64)
Strong comeback rate: wins 81% of games where he was initially losing
Maintains a tilt factor of 14, meaning he keeps cool even under pressure
Best time of day to play: 10:00 AM — early birds catch the castles!
Opening Choices
Mau’s opening repertoire in blitz demonstrates a fondness for dynamic play:
Englund Gambit Accepted — A daring choice with a 53% win rate out of 466 games!
Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit — Another adventurous gambit, winning 52% of 310 games
Center Game — A classic choice yielding a solid 55% win rate
Caro-Kann (2.Nf3) — Balanced and reliable, with a 52% success rate
Performance Highlights
Over the years, Mau Romano has steadily climbed the ranks, peaking in blitz with an impressive 1416 rating in June 2024. His rapid and bullet performances also show a player comfortable with quick decisions and sharp tactics.
More than 11,300 blitz games played, demonstrating dedication and experience
Preferred time control: Blitz, where he truly shines
Notable winning streak of 12 games and resilience against losing streaks
Most frequent opponent: "joebruin" with over 330 games played, exemplifying fierce rivalries
Mau’s overall blitz win rate hovers around 49%, a testimony to the high level of competition he regularly engages with.
Fun Facts
Mau has an 80% comeback rate when losing pieces, proving he never gives up without a fight.
Despite his tactical mindset, he sometimes resigns early — but hey, everybody’s got their quirks!
He has best win percentages during early morning hours — apparently, coffee and chess make a great combo.
Facing opponents with usernames like "snaveharas" and "loboueagle" must make for some colorful battles.
Looking Forward
With a passion for blitz chess and constantly improving ratings, Mau Romano continues to pursue mastery on the board. Whether pulling off gambit surprises or grinding out endgames, Mau’s chess journey promises exciting future chapters.
Mau Romano, your recent blitz games demonstrate solid play with a steady but cautious rating trend. While your 1 month rating change shows a slight dip of 1 point, your medium and long-term trends are very positive, with a 3-month increase of 203 and a 6-month increase of 43 rating points. The upward slopes for 1, 3 and 6 month intervals (3.5, 17.5, and 30.9 respectively) indicate that you're improving, especially over longer periods. Your strength adjusted win rate of approximately 50% reflects competitive matches against opponents around your level.
Highlights from Recent Games
Opening Play: You frequently employ classical openings such as the Italian Game and Giuoco Piano. These openings suit your style and allow for tactical and positional play. Your knowledge in these lines is evident.
Attack Execution: In several wins, you successfully capitalized on tactical opportunities like checkmates and exploiting opponent weaknesses, showing sharp attacking instincts.
Time Management: Many games ended due to opponents flagging or resigning, indicating effective use of time pressure on your side.
Areas to Improve
Defense Against Early Attacks: Some losses involved early attacks against your king, even quick mating nets (for example, the game lost in 11 moves by an early queen checkmate). Reviewing typical mating patterns and improving opening defense could help.
Tactical Awareness: While you have sharp attacking moves, some games show vulnerabilities to opponents' tactical resources (forks, pins). Regular training on tactical puzzles focused on defense can solidify your safety.
Endgame Technique: A few positions were lost or complicated in the endgame phase. Strengthening fundamentals in rook and pawn endgames will improve conversion of advantages.
Handling Pressure: In blitz, maintaining calm under time pressure is crucial. Balancing speed with accuracy will help you avoid simple blunders.
Suggested Next Steps
Study your losses focusing on defense to early attacks and common mating patterns for the openings you encounter.
Incorporate daily tactical exercises emphasizing defensive patterns and counterattacks.
Review endgame principles and practice fundamental rook and minor piece endgames.
Practice time management skills to enhance decision-making speed without sacrificing accuracy.
Continue playing your favored openings, possibly researching deeper variations to surprise opponents.
Keep up the Great Work!
Your recent results show promising growth. By addressing these focused areas, you can convert more games into wins and further raise your blitz rating. Remember consistency, practice, and reviewing your games are keys to improvement. Keep enjoying the game!
