Avatar of Claudia Mencos

Claudia Mencos WIM

Username: mmc_08

Playing Since: 2019-09-22 (Active)

Wow Factor: ♟♟♟♟♟♟

Chess.com

Rapid: 1795
14W / 15L / 6D
Blitz: 1781
696W / 605L / 91D
Bullet: 2149
1W / 0L / 0D

Claudia Mencos (mmc_08) - Woman International Master

Known to the chess world as mmc_08, Claudia Mencos is a fierce competitor whose strategic mind earned her the title of Woman International Master from FIDE. With a career punctuated by relentless study and sharp play, Claudia has dazzled opponents across blitz, rapid, and bullet formats. Though her rating dance takes her from the mid-1700s to a blistering peak above 2000 in blitz (and a bullet high of 2149!), she treats every game like a thrilling battle of wits — with a flair for endgames that keeps fans on the edge of their seats.

Playing Style & Strengths

Claudia's approach to chess can be described as tenacious yet pragmatic. She averages over 70 moves in wins, which means she enjoys the long haul and knows her way around complex endgame positions, showing an enviable commitment to precision. She possesses a notable comeback rate of nearly 80%, mastering the art of bouncing back from adversity — perfect for those nail-biting moments when all seems lost. Be warned: her early resignation rate is impressively low, so never count her out early in the game!

The Stats Whisperer

  • Peak Ratings: Blitz 2017 (May 2024), Rapid 1889, Bullet 2149
  • Lifetime Blitz Record: 620 wins, 518 losses, 81 draws
  • Preferred Openings: Friendly with Unknown Openings (probably just a tactic surprise), but don't underestimate her 100% win rate with the Caro-Kann Defense Classical Spassky Variation.
  • Longest Winning Streak: 10 games, because streaks are cool and confidence is king.

Timing Is Everything

She tends to shine brightest early in the morning (6 a.m.), so if you find yourself facing her then, prepare for a chess workout. Claudia's morning sharpness could explain her ability to keep a cool head and not tilt too much, despite the psychological pressures — a tilt factor of just 7 on a scale where losing your cool means losing the game.

Memorable Moments

One of Claudia's most recent triumphs was a dazzling checkmate victory against "kebunito1" at the end of May 2025, where she expertly deployed Sicilian Defense tactics to outplay her opponent in under 40 moves. Although occasional losses happen (she’s human after all), Claudia's resilience always comes roaring back, proving that failing once is just rehearsal for success.

Off the Board

Behind the tough player is someone with a sense of humor — possibly why she plays so aggressively, striking fear and smiles in equal measure among her opponents. Chess is serious business, but mmc_08 shows you can have fun while checkingmate looms.

Whether blitz or bullet, Claudia Mencos is a brilliant mind, a respected competitor, and a delightful character all rolled into one. Watch out when you face her — she might just win your queen and your heart!


Coach's Avatar

Coach's Feedback for Claudia Mencos

Hi Claudia! I've reviewed some of your recent games and here are some constructive suggestions to help you improve your chess skills:

Strengths

  • Opening Knowledge: You have a solid understanding of popular openings like the Caro-Kann and Sicilian Defense, and you follow opening principles well, such as development and castling early.
  • Aggressive Play: You are not afraid to launch attacks, especially on the kingside, which shows good tactical awareness as seen in your win against Acranis.
  • Good Tactical Vision: You successfully execute tactical shots such as knight forks and timely sacrifices to gain material advantage.
  • Endgame Techniques: You often push your opponents to resign before the endgame is fully played out, showing you convert advantages efficiently.

Areas for Improvement

  • Move Timing and Time Management: In some games, your clock dropped significantly in the middlegame, which may affect decision quality under time pressure. Try to balance your thinking time, especially in critical positions.
  • Positional Understanding in Complex Middlegames: Some losses occurred due to strategic mistakes rather than tactical blunders. Spend time studying pawn structures and key squares to make stronger positional plans.
  • Opening Repertoire Depth: While you have a good handle on your main openings, expanding your knowledge to cover alternative lines and typical plans can improve your confidence versus various opponents.
  • Defensive Play: In a few games, defenses against pressure could be improved by anticipating opponent threats earlier and maneuvering pieces to safer or more active squares.

Specific Insight from Your Most Recent Win (Caro-Kann Defense)

You executed a well-timed kingside pawn push with h4-h5 to destabilize Black’s bishop and then created tactical weaknesses that you exploited with your knights and queen. Your decision to castle queenside and initiate attack with Rh3 and Rg3 was very effective, creating pressure on Black's kingside and culminating in a strong combination. Fantastic understanding of attack timing!

Suggestions to Focus On Next

  1. Practice organizing your defense in complex positions to reduce mistakes under pressure.
  2. Study typical pawn breaks and structures in your favorite openings.
  3. Work on time management so you have enough time for tactical and strategic critical moments.
  4. Review critical moments in your losses to identify recurring themes or errors.

Keep up the hard work and enjoy the journey of improvement! If you want, I can help you analyze specific games in more detail.



🆚 Opponent Insights

Recent Opponents
ollarov 1W / 0L / 0D
zatras 2W / 0L / 0D
monuscarlsen 1W / 0L / 0D
chenxran 0W / 1L / 0D
richardjjrzhang 1W / 0L / 0D
garfild22 0W / 0L / 1D
lemorphydupauvre 1W / 0L / 0D
padfootking 0W / 1L / 0D
shanevillavelez 0W / 1L / 0D
pablocalello 0W / 1L / 0D
Most Played Opponents
afrolitious1 1W / 1L / 2D
Daniela Juarez 1W / 2L / 1D
fastermouse 0W / 2L / 1D
mohammed_519 2W / 0L / 1D
rfmt2 3W / 0L / 0D

Rating

Year Bullet Blitz Rapid Daily
2025 1766
2024 1775
2023 2149 1903 1795
2022 1820 1795
2021 1828 1830
2020 1771 1843
Rating by Year20202021202220232024202519031766YearRatingBlitzRapid

Stats by Year

Year White Black Moves
2025 91W / 61L / 7D 68W / 81L / 10D 73.2
2024 74W / 74L / 8D 74W / 69L / 12D 70.4
2023 77W / 69L / 11D 79W / 67L / 11D 73.5
2022 33W / 37L / 7D 45W / 29L / 4D 74.2
2021 88W / 56L / 11D 74W / 65L / 12D 65.9
2020 6W / 6L / 3D 7W / 7L / 1D 78.7

Openings: Most Played

Blitz Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation 98 54 38 6 55.1%
Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Knight Variation 75 44 30 1 58.7%
Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation 65 32 26 7 49.2%
Sicilian Defense: Closed 58 30 21 7 51.7%
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Sherzer Variation 52 22 28 2 42.3%
Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit 46 22 20 4 47.8%
Slav Defense 46 25 21 0 54.4%
Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation 45 26 13 6 57.8%
Scandinavian Defense 43 25 15 3 58.1%
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation 39 15 20 4 38.5%
Bullet Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Knight Variation 1 1 0 0 100.0%

🔥 Streaks

Streak Longest Current
Winning 10 3
Losing 7 0