Avatar of Mark L Hebden

Mark L Hebden GM

Username: mhebden

Location: Leicester

Playing Since: 2014-10-18 (Inactive)

Wow Factor: ♟♟

Chess.com

Rapid: 2061
10W / 6L / 2D
Blitz: 2497
649W / 205L / 62D
Bullet: 2445
89W / 46L / 2D

Mark L Hebden - Grandmaster of the Chessboard

Mark L Hebden, known in the chess world by the sleek handle mhebden, is a force to be reckoned with on the 64 squares. Awarded the prestigious title of Grandmaster by FIDE, Mark's chess career is a thrilling saga of strategy, calculation, and occasionally, theatrical checkmates.

Blitz Brilliance

Mark’s lightning-fast reflexes and razor-sharp instincts shine brightest in blitz chess. With a peak blitz rating flirting impressively with 2693 in May 2020, he dazzles opponents at breakneck speed. His blitz win rate hovers around a staggering 71%, proving he's a master of crushing attacks and nimble defenses alike. Notably, he once unleashed a staggering 66-game winning streak – talk about unstoppable momentum!

Rapid & Bullet - The Other Arenas

While blitz is his pièce de résistance, Mark also showcases solid performances in rapid and bullet formats. Comfortable under various time controls, his bullet peak rating of 2305 (September 2015) and rapid peak of 2444 (December 2020) highlight his adaptability and all-around chess prowess. Fun fact: his opening secrets remain, well, top secret—his preferred openings have netted him impressive win rates across all formats, keeping opponents guessing.

Playing Style & Psychological Game

Mark likes his games long and gritty: expect an average of over 70 moves per win and nearly 85 moves before a loss. Slow burns and strategic scheming are clearly his forte, with endgames featuring in almost 80% of his matches. Although he has a modest tilt factor of 7 (yes, even grandmasters have their moments), his comeback rate is an incredible 86%, showing resilience worthy of a chess superhero.

Trophy Case & Records

  • Total blitz victories: 650 wins out of 917 games played in a signature "Top Secret" opening repertoire.
  • Bullet wins: 89 out of 137 games, a lethal click-fest.
  • Rapid wins: 10 from 18 games, proving speed and thoughtfulness can coexist.

Recent Chess Drama

Just days ago, Mark secured a beautiful checkmate against ExceptionallyNooby with the Queen's Gambit Declined. His games reveal a flair for dynamic play and clinical finishes, no doubt entertaining both fans and foes.

Off The Board

When not maneuvering knights or plotting pawn storms, Mark is likely pondering the mysteries of life, wondering if that last coffee was worth losing a rook or sneaking in a cheeky blitz game at 8 AM (his prime time for play!). One thing’s for sure: chess isn't just a game for him; it’s a lifelong passionate pursuit—sometimes funny, often thrilling, and always masterful.

Follow Mark’s exploits on Chess.com under the username mhebden and marvel at a grandmaster who combines skill, wit, and a top-secret arsenal of openings that keep the chess world on its toes!

Coach Chesswick's Profile Photo
Coach Chesswick

Hi Mark!

Quick Snapshot

• Current form: strong tactical performance (5 wins / 3 losses in last eight games)
• Main openings: King’s Indian as Black (E9x family) and QGD / Trompowsky as White
• Typical session times: late-evening UTC → see

012891011121314151617181920212223100%0%Hour of Day

• 2693 (2020-05-09) shows you are close to personal best – a few tweaks could push you higher.

Your Biggest Strengths

  • Dynamic Piece Play. The win vs ExceptionallyNooby (E94) is textbook: ...f5, ...g5 and a ​beautiful exchange-sac on g2. Your pieces swarm the king the moment the centre closes.
  • Calculation & Tactical Alertness. In the QGD Modern (D50) you spotted 25.Nd5!, forcing concessions and finishing with 33.Rxf8#. Crisp, accurate and fast.
  • Opening Repertoire Coherence. KID + Modern/King’s Indian setups give you familiar pawn structures every round, saving clock time.

Recurrent Leaks

  1. Time Trouble. Five of the last six defeats were lost on the clock while the board was equal or winning (e.g. vs chrisblitz482 & blitzking82).
    • You often dip under 90 seconds before move 20.
    • Bullet-speed flurries follow, increasing blunder rate.
  2. Over-ambitious Pawn Pushes. Early h-pawn storms (h4–h5 vs edwfidel1) or a-pawn thrusts (a4/a5 in several QGD games) sometimes leave holes you later fight to plug. Keep an eye on dark-square control after …g6 setups.
  3. Conversion Technique vs Passed Pawns. Endgame vs blitzking82 reached a won rook ending, yet flagging occurred after 40...Rb2+. Practice converting with an increment to hard-wire the technique.

Action Plan (Next 2 Weeks)

FocusWhy it MattersPractical Drill
Clock Management You score 71 % when ahead on time, only 46 % when behind. • Play 10 games of 3 | 2 to habituate using increment.
• Verbal countdown: aim to have ≥ 3 min on the clock by move 15.
• Use “safe-move” pre-moves in familiar KID structures (…d6, …Nbd7, …e5).
Critical Moment Identification Avoid reflex pawn grabs that burn time later. After each game, mark three moves where you spent >40 s. Ask: “Could I sense this was critical earlier?” Repeat for 20 games and chart progress.
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End-game Clean-ups Many time losses occur in winning endings. • 20 positions from Dvoretsky’s Rook Endings – set a 30-second limit per move.
• Replay the sequence
vs blitzking82 until you can finish under 30 s.

Targeted Opening Tweaks

• When White plays 9.b4 in the Bayonet, shift to the modern plan …a5/…Nh5 instead of …Ne8 to reduce theory reliance.
• In QGD Modern, consider 7…h6 instead of 7…Be7 to avoid the pin and keep the queen free (reduces early clock drain).

Mindset Reminder

Your style thrives on initiative. Guard the energy bar—both on the clock and on the board. If a position is already won, channel the same killer instinct into pragmatic finishing moves rather than additional complications. Think “simplicity, then brilliance”.

Good luck in your next session!



🆚 Opponent Insights

Most Played Opponents
graham-h 16W / 0L / 0D View Games
Asa Hoffmann 13W / 1L / 0D View Games
Martin Bækgaard 6W / 7L / 0D View Games
okhaithenoo 12W / 1L / 0D View Games
Viktor Ianov 8W / 4L / 1D View Games

Rating

Year Bullet Blitz Rapid Daily
2024 2497
2023 2518
2022 2451
2021 2601 2061
2020 2560 2063
2016 2478
2015 2295 2405
2014 1821
Rating by Year2014201520162020202120222023202426011821YearRatingBulletBlitzRapid

Stats by Year

Year White Black Moves
2024 2W / 5L / 0D 4W / 0L / 0D 75.6
2023 26W / 8L / 2D 28W / 2L / 2D 78.1
2022 126W / 33L / 13D 126W / 32L / 12D 79.0
2021 53W / 33L / 11D 59W / 39L / 3D 85.5
2020 106W / 22L / 9D 101W / 31L / 10D 77.5
2016 7W / 3L / 1D 8W / 2L / 0D 80.7
2015 51W / 23L / 2D 45W / 24L / 1D 64.8
2014 3W / 0L / 0D 4W / 0L / 0D 55.4

Openings: Most Played

Blitz Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Döry Defense 47 35 11 1 74.5%
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense 45 35 7 3 77.8%
Amazon Attack 42 27 7 8 64.3%
Ruy Lopez: Closed 38 26 8 4 68.4%
Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack 28 21 4 3 75.0%
Modern 25 22 2 1 88.0%
Four Knights Game 23 15 7 1 65.2%
East Indian Defense 19 16 2 1 84.2%
Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack 18 14 3 1 77.8%
Scotch Game 16 14 2 0 87.5%
Bullet Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense 11 8 3 0 72.7%
King's Indian Defense 8 5 3 0 62.5%
Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation 5 5 0 0 100.0%
East Indian Defense 5 3 2 0 60.0%
King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Aronin-Taimanov Defense 5 3 2 0 60.0%
KGD: Classical, 3.Bc4 4 3 1 0 75.0%
Four Knights Game 4 2 2 0 50.0%
Modern 4 1 3 0 25.0%
Scandinavian Defense 4 2 2 0 50.0%
Amar Gambit 4 1 3 0 25.0%

🔥 Streaks

Streak Longest Current
Winning 66 0
Losing 7 2
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