Avatar of Mykola Bortnyk

Mykola Bortnyk IM

Username: Mykola-Bortnyk

Location: New York

Playing Since: 2017-05-29 (Active)

Wow Factor: ♟♟♟♟♟♟

Chess.com

Rapid: 2602
100W / 13L / 3D
Blitz: 3226
7984W / 6481L / 1891D
Bullet: 3039
6692W / 5531L / 946D

International Master Mykola Bortnyk

Mykola Bortnyk, also known online as Mykola-Bortnyk, is an International Master recognized by FIDE, who effortlessly combines precocious talent with a hearty dash of competitive spirit. A ruthless tactician on the chessboard, Mykola’s games can sometimes feel like an intense thriller — full of sharp moves, daring risks, and a few hair-raising comebacks.

Rating & Performance Highlights

  • Peak Ratings: Bullet - 3250 (2021), Blitz - 3147 (Jan 2025), Rapid - 3004 (Dec 2021)
  • Current Ratings (2025): Blitz - above 3100, Bullet - above 3100, Rapid - around 3000

With a blitz rating surging past 3100 and bullet rating in the stratosphere, Mykola shows an exceptional skill to dominate quick-paced formats, even while sometimes engaging in epic battles that last hundreds of moves.

Playing Style & Strengths

With an average game length of 88 moves per win and nearly 98 per loss, Mykola doesn't just play chess; they **live** it — embracing complex endgames and lengthy encounters. Their endgame frequency is impressively high, at over 87%, showcasing their prowess when the board is down to the wire.

A particular highlight is an extraordinary psychological resilience: Mykola has a comeback rate nearing 88%, meaning they often bounce back to claim victory even after losing material. Their best time of day to play optimism peaks around 16:00, when their moves probably flow with divine inspiration.

Opening Repertoire

Known for a mixture of classical and "Top Secret" openings, Mykola shines especially with the Italian Game Knight Attack Polerio Kieseritzky Variation boasting nearly 88% win rate, and they make great use of solid defenses like the Caro-Kann and French Defense. Their flexibility is evident, but they particularly enjoy surprising opponents in fast bullet duels!

Worth Noting

  • Mykola’s competitive record is prolific: over 7,600 wins in blitz alone.
  • They have an intriguingly low early resignation rate (0.44%), meaning they rarely give up early — chess battles to the last breath are their style.
  • Beware the white pieces! Mykola’s white win rate is nearly 53%, slightly edging out black.
  • Longest winning streak: 31 games — because once on a roll, they are a force to reckon with.

Recent Notable Victory

In a recent classical-style battle in 2025 against "0gZPanda," Mykola demonstrated mastery in the Caro-Kann Defense Advance variation, clinching victory by resignation after a thrilling 69-move fight. If chess had a highlight reel, this game would be center stage for strategic perseverance and endgame flair!

View the game details

In essence, Mykola Bortnyk is the kind of chess shark who'd probably make you believe knights are actually ninjas and pawns are secret agents—always plotting their way to glory.


Coach Chesswick's Profile Photo
Coach Chesswick

Feedback for Mykola Bortnyk

Dear Mykola,

I've reviewed your recent games, and I want to commend you on several strengths and also highlight areas to focus on to further improve your play.

Strengths:

  • Opening Repertoire and Preparation: Your choice of openings such as the Colle System, Caro-Kann Panov Attack, and defensive setups shows good variety and understanding of structural plans. Your games suggest solid opening preparation and the ability to reach comfortable middlegame positions.
  • Endgame Technique: In your recent wins, you showcased clean technique converting slight advantages and executing mating nets effectively, for example, precise rook and queen coordination in final phases demonstrates good calculation skills and tactical awareness.
  • Active Piece Play: You tend to activate your pieces well and challenge your opponents' weaknesses. Moves like timely pressure on pins, central control, and piece exchanges favoring your plan are well timed.

Areas for Improvement:

  • Time Management: In some games, the clock shows considerable time spent in the opening and middlegame. Managing your time to maintain a comfortable buffer, especially in critical moments, will reduce pressure and improve decision quality.
  • Handling Complex Positions: A few losses indicate moments where defensive resources were missed or better counterplay could have been found. Training on recognizing key defensive moves and simplifying when under pressure can help mitigate this.
  • Pawn Structure and Exchanges: Occasionally, small pawn structure concessions or premature exchanges gave your opponent easier play. Be mindful of the consequences of exchanges on the pawn skeleton and try to maintain tension when beneficial.
  • Endgame Precision Under Pressure: While your endgame technique is solid, some losses show that against strong opposition, being even more precise in rook and minor piece endgames is critical. Reviewing key endgame studies could bolster your confidence here.

Next Steps:

  • Analyze critical moments and turning points in your losses using the PGNs to understand alternatives.
  • Practice time management drills in rapid games to find balance between accuracy and speed.
  • Review thematic endgames that occur from your favored openings and practice technique.
  • Consider focusing on the pawn structures of your chosen openings and typical plans to improve strategic understanding.

Keep up the good work and continue playing strong! Your recent performances show great potential and with focused study, you can take your game to the next level.



🆚 Opponent Insights

Recent Opponents
kairos-23 12W / 4L / 1D View
James Mortimer 7W / 2L / 1D View
Aditya Mittal 13W / 7L / 4D View
Dariusz Swiercz 23W / 23L / 4D View
Nacer Alvarez 3W / 1L / 1D View
Elham Amar 33W / 22L / 8D View
Tanitoluwa Adewumi 41W / 13L / 5D View
Ray Robson 40W / 52L / 11D View
Szymon Gumularz 6W / 13L / 3D View
Arman Mikaelyan 18W / 3L / 5D View
Most Played Opponents
Daniel Naroditsky 1058W / 2255L / 422D View Games
Oleksandr Bortnyk 179W / 274L / 52D View Games
Tuan Minh Le 181W / 218L / 48D View Games
Hikaru Nakamura 60W / 333L / 45D View Games
Brandon Jacobson 168W / 186L / 48D View Games

Rating

Year Bullet Blitz Rapid Daily
2025 3020 3189
2024 3023 2984 2602
2023 3045 3054 2627
2022 2872 2940 2446
2021 3055 3009 2516
2020 3007 2883 1904
2019 2768 2832
2018 2804 2840 1804
2017 2816 2788
Rating by Year20172018201920202021202220232024202531891804YearRatingBulletBlitzRapid

Stats by Year

Year White Black Moves
2025 1009W / 704L / 135D 856W / 804L / 185D 90.9
2024 927W / 636L / 154D 850W / 687L / 173D 98.6
2023 1826W / 1156L / 284D 1606W / 1329L / 323D 94.2
2022 903W / 841L / 184D 822W / 885L / 209D 97.9
2021 612W / 359L / 109D 549W / 415L / 108D 93.4
2020 1010W / 852L / 203D 913W / 948L / 208D 97.3
2019 462W / 362L / 101D 430W / 423L / 85D 91.8
2018 796W / 512L / 116D 671W / 594L / 124D 92.6
2017 416W / 280L / 63D 383W / 314L / 68D 94.7

Openings: Most Played

Blitz Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation 1803 1017 597 189 56.4%
Alekhine Defense 1240 681 453 106 54.9%
Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation 745 371 295 79 49.8%
Caro-Kann Defense 436 214 168 54 49.1%
Modern 382 180 159 43 47.1%
Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation 363 205 119 39 56.5%
Amazon Attack 334 138 153 43 41.3%
Barnes Defense 299 143 120 36 47.8%
Sicilian Defense 278 132 120 26 47.5%
Unknown 271 134 136 1 49.5%
Bullet Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Alekhine Defense 1389 756 543 90 54.4%
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation 993 562 375 56 56.6%
Modern 838 402 375 61 48.0%
Scandinavian Defense 570 325 200 45 57.0%
Amar Gambit 555 276 246 33 49.7%
Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation 535 272 215 48 50.8%
Nimzo-Larsen Attack 503 219 243 41 43.5%
King's Indian Attack 493 202 257 34 41.0%
Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation 443 242 173 28 54.6%
Barnes Defense 354 217 117 20 61.3%
Rapid Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Alekhine Defense 30 29 1 0 96.7%
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation 11 8 2 1 72.7%
Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation 6 4 1 1 66.7%
Evans Gambit Accepted, 5.c3 5 4 1 0 80.0%
Caro-Kann Defense 5 4 1 0 80.0%
Petrov's Defense 4 3 0 1 75.0%
Barnes Defense 3 3 0 0 100.0%
Amazon Attack 3 2 0 1 66.7%
French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Wolf Gambit 3 1 1 1 33.3%
Evans Gambit: 5...Ba5 6.d4 3 3 0 0 100.0%

🔥 Streaks

Streak Longest Current
Winning 31 4
Losing 23 0
🐞 Report a Problem