Avatar of Nikolas Theodorou

Nikolas Theodorou GM

Username: NikoTheodorou

Playing Since: 2020-12-31 (Active)

Wow Factor: ♟♟♟♟♟♟♟

Chess.com

Rapid: 2665
65W / 32L / 57D
Blitz: 3160
3852W / 3076L / 1171D
Bullet: 3097
1635W / 1535L / 294D

Nikolas Theodorou - Grandmaster Extraordinaire

Meet NikoTheodorou, a chess Grandmaster whose reputation on the board is as fierce as a knight on a banquet night! Earning the prestigious Grandmaster title from FIDE, Nikolas has proven to be a formidable opponent in the intense battlegrounds of Bullet, Blitz, and Rapid chess.

A Journey Through the Ranks

Starting with a Bullet rating around 2000 back in 2020, Nikolas quickly amped up their speed and precision, smashing the 3200+ barrier at their peak — a milestone many can only dream of. In Blitz, they soared to a stellar peak rating of 3237 in late 2024, spinning their opponents dizzy faster than a queen can cross the board. Rapid games have seen them hold a solid 2797 peak, proving that even when the clock ticks slower, their dominance remains consistent.

Playing Style & Taste

If you're wondering how Nikolas plays, think of a patient schematic architect who isn't afraid to play a long game — boasting an impressive average of over 85 moves per win in Bullet! They have an endgame frequency close to 85%, and with a comeback rate exceeding 90%, surrender is definitely not in their vocabulary. Opponents beware: they don’t quit early, as early resignation rate is barely above 1%. So, prepare for a battle of wits that could run into the wee hours.

Whether wielding white or black pieces, the win rates hover close to 50% for white and a respectable near 46% for black, showing an adaptable and resilient mindset regardless of starting position. The secret of their success? Two words: Top Secret. This opening strategy yields a win rate just above 52% in Bullet — obviously not for your average club player!

Friend and Foe

Nikolas's record battles include multiple duels against chess giants like danielnaroditsky, nihalsarin, hikaru, and even the legendary magnuscarlsen. While victories against these powerhouses are challenging (win rate vs. Magnus at 18%), our Grandmaster keeps the spirit high and the pieces flying!

Recent Highlight Reel

Recently, Nikolas checked mate opponents with style and precision. In a thrilling encounter playing white, they executed a classic Sicilian Defense Alapin variation to deliver a flawless checkmate in under 50 moves, earning applause from fans worldwide.

Yet, even champions stumble — a lesson Nikolas embraces with sportsmanship, learning from tough losses to the likes of FairChess_on_YouTube. After all, in chess, every defeat is just a setup for a brilliant comeback.

Off the Board

Away from the concentration and tension of online matches, one wonders if Nikolas ponders their next brilliant sacrifice over coffee, or perhaps dreams of knights galloping through open fields. Whatever the case, NikoTheodorou's fusion of tactical brilliance and relentless drive makes them a name to watch — or better yet, avoid at your next tournament!

In summary, Nikolas Theodorou is not just a Grandmaster; they are a chess warrior, strategist, and perhaps a little bit of a chess magician, proving that every game is an adventure, and every move counts.


Coach's Avatar

Hi Nikolas!

Great job maintaining a high level of play around 3237 (2024-12-10). Below is a brief performance snapshot followed by targeted advice.

Quick glance

  • Recent score vs Chesstrix0: 5 wins – 5 losses (all 3 | 0).
  • Favourite openings: King’s Indian as Black, flexible Reti / English set-ups as White.
  • Typical game length: 30-40 moves when you win, 60+ moves when you lose – suggesting conversion speed can improve.
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What you are doing well

  • Active piece play. Your 27.Rf6! and 33.Re8# finish in the recent Caro-Kann game show excellent tactical vision.

  • Central control. In many wins you broke open the centre (e5/f5 thrusts) at the right moment.
  • Confidence with pawn sacrifices. The ...c5 break in your Queen’s Indian win forced weaknesses you exploited efficiently.

Key improvement themes

1. King’s Indian move-order traps

You often push …h5/h4 very early. Against the Kramer Variation (games ending on moves 41 and 87) this created dark-square holes and cost material.

  • Delay …h5 until White has committed g2-g4 or castled short.
  • Memorise the typical idea …e6, …exd5, …Re8 first; then decide if …h5 is necessary.
  • Review model games by Radjabov & Giri in the 6.Ng3 line.

2. Calculating long forcing lines under time pressure

Losses on moves 40 & 42 vs Chesstrix0 show that tactical melees went wrong once clocks dipped below 20 seconds.

  • Adopt a simple “check–capture–threat” scan every move; 2-second investment saves blunders.
  • Drill blitz tactics on puzzle rush set to 3 minutes – aim for 30+ each session.

3. End-game conversion

In the 87-move loss you reached a drawn rook & knight ending but let White queen a pawn.

  • Refresh basic K+P vs K technique and fortress ideas – see Opposition.
  • During winning games, simplify earlier; during worse positions, seek counterplay sooner to avoid grinding defence.

4. Opening breadth as White

Your 1.e4 games often transpose to quiet systems (2.Nf3 d3). Consider adding one sharp line to keep opponents guessing:

  • Against Caro-Kann: test 3.e5 Advance or 3.Nc3 Classical.
  • Against French: prepare the Tarrasch (3.Nd2), leveraging your comfort with piece play.

Next steps for the week

  1. Annotate two of your lost King’s Indian games – focus on move 10-20.
  2. Solve 50 tactical puzzles per day, theme “clearance” & “deflection”.
  3. Play three 10 | 0 games to practise deeper calculation without flagging.

Motivation corner

Remember: you’re already producing games worthy of a highlights reel. Tighten the early-middlegame structure and your rating should climb into the 2400s.

Good luck in your training – I’m looking forward to your next miniature!

CoachBot

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🆚 Opponent Insights

Recent Opponents
handplay01 0W / 2L / 0D
Konstantin Popov 5W / 3L / 1D
Wei Yi 20W / 12L / 1D
Antoni Kozak 0W / 1L / 0D
Volodar Murzin 0W / 2L / 0D
Samvel Ter-Sahakyan 5W / 0L / 1D
Magnus Carlsen 71W / 248L / 44D
József Mátyás Herpai 1W / 0L / 0D
Gagik Navoyan 1W / 0L / 0D
wise_guyyy 1W / 0L / 0D
Most Played Opponents
Daniel Naroditsky 187W / 424L / 108D
Nihal Sarin 160W / 339L / 75D
Hikaru Nakamura 86W / 308L / 68D
Ray Robson 207W / 215L / 23D
Magnus Carlsen 71W / 248L / 44D

Rating

Year Bullet Blitz Rapid Daily
2025 3097 3160 2665
2024 3070 3090 2652
2023 3083 3057 2668
2022 3010 3040 2612
2021 3106 2906 2469
2020 2000 2000
Rating by Year20202021202220232024202531602000YearRatingBulletBlitzRapid

Stats by Year

Year White Black Moves
2025 630W / 377L / 170D 577W / 449L / 149D 94.9
2024 720W / 438L / 182D 642W / 532L / 159D 91.7
2023 631W / 548L / 214D 573W / 623L / 187D 86.9
2022 656W / 598L / 192D 628W / 672L / 159D 90.0
2021 579W / 491L / 120D 577W / 514L / 97D 87.1
2020 4W / 0L / 0D 3W / 1L / 0D 20.9

Openings: Most Played

Blitz Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Barnes Defense 364 176 151 37 48.4%
Caro-Kann Defense 312 132 126 54 42.3%
Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit 302 149 122 31 49.3%
Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line 252 113 106 33 44.8%
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation 237 106 90 41 44.7%
East Indian Defense 211 88 80 43 41.7%
Amar Gambit 200 103 72 25 51.5%
Ruy Lopez: Bird's Defense Deferred 198 102 84 12 51.5%
French Defense 188 93 72 23 49.5%
Scandinavian Defense 179 88 66 25 49.2%
Bullet Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Amar Gambit 311 176 125 10 56.6%
Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation 244 120 110 14 49.2%
Barnes Defense 210 93 99 18 44.3%
King's Indian Attack 200 90 93 17 45.0%
Scandinavian Defense 194 101 82 11 52.1%
Caro-Kann Defense 186 95 78 13 51.1%
Czech Defense 143 76 63 4 53.1%
Modern 141 63 67 11 44.7%
Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation 128 61 56 11 47.7%
Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit 114 61 44 9 53.5%

🔥 Streaks

Streak Longest Current
Winning 23 0
Losing 17 2