Phenyl2: The Chess Adventurer
Meet Phenyl2, a daring chess enthusiast whose journey through the chequered battlefield is nothing short of epic – and occasionally hilarious. With a peak rapid rating just north of 1040 in early 2021, and a blitz high soaring to 763 in April 2025, Phenyl2 has shown a remarkable flair for both swift assaults and thoughtful skirmishes.
Known for an adventurous opening repertoire in rapid games, Phenyl2 favors the King’s Pawn Opening and its many offshoots, showing particular love for the quirky Van 't Kruijs Opening with an impressive 55% win rate – a surprise weapon that confounds opponents and delights fans alike. Meanwhile, the Scandinavian Defense and the Queen's Pawn Zukertort Chigorin Variation make regular appearances, proving adaptability is key in Phenyl2's arsenal.
Blitz games tell a slightly different story; Peaceful pilgrims beware! Phenyl2's tactical daring bends the rules, sometimes bowing out early with a respectable 21% early resignation rate – maybe a cheeky escape artist or just saving energy for the fiery comebacks, which occur an impressive 60% of the time after being behind on material.
Interesting tidbit: Phenyl2’s black pieces win nearly as often as white, with almost a 43% success rate holding the dark squares. And if you catch Phenyl2 playing around 4 AM – don’t blink; that’s when the magic happens! Their “best time of day to play” isn’t a mystery but a true prime-time for tactical fireworks.
Streaks & Slumps
- Longest winning streak: 6 games – fierce and focused
- Longest losing streak: 11 games – humility is the best teacher
- Current streak: A modest 3-game losing run, but all great heroes face trials
Recent Battles
Just days ago, Phenyl2 delivered a stunning checkmate victory against mr-18 in a live blitz encounter, executing a sharp Vienna Game variation that left the opponent no chance of escape.
However, the journey isn’t always victorious. In a recent tough rapid duel against xmalykha, Phenyl2 gracefully succumbed after fierce resistance — a reminder that even the boldest warriors face setbacks.
Playing Style and Attitude
With an average win game lasting 46 moves and losses typically shorter at around 35 moves, Phenyl2’s approach blends perseverance with tactical flair. Not one to shy away from the endgame, about a third of their games reach the final trenches, showing patience and strategic depth.
Although their tilt factor is manageable at 11%, Phenyl2 is candid about the psychological battlefield; rated games can be ~12% tougher than casual bouts. Whether under pressure or cruising in a casual, they always bring their chess spirit to the board.
Fun Fact
Phenyl2 has a penchant for the underdog story: 70% of wins come from facing higher-rated opponents, proving a penchant for punching above their weight class and a knack for upset victories.
If you want to delve deeper into the Phenylic chess adventures, check out this memorable victory:
Phenyl2 may not have a GM title yet, but with this mix of tenacity, creative openings, and a dash of comic relief ("Did I just blunder my queen again?"), they’re a memorable character on any ladder or casual match.
Hi Phenyl2 – Coaching Notes
What you’re already doing well
- Initiative hunter: In your Vienna wins (e.g. vs. mr-18) you used quick development and early castling to seize the attack. The fork 7.Nxc7+! is a textbook shot.
- Tactical eye: You spot forks and mating nets (28.Qxg6# vs. AlexFlutt). That’s a great foundation; keep sharpening it.
- Clock management: In most victories you kept a healthy lead, giving yourself time at critical moments.
Recurring issues in your recent losses
- Lagging development: In the Four Knights loss to xmalykha, quiet moves …h6 / …Bd6 let White grab space and tempo.
- Over-ambitious pawn pushes: Moves like 7…g5 in the Sicilian left dark-square holes and invited tactics after 13…Rxc2? 16…Rxd2?.
- King safety: Several defeats featured a castled king with pawn shields weakened (…g6, …h6). Every pawn move in front of your king is a permanent hook.
- Early resignations: Against aeqqfggsafhjfwet you resigned in a materially equal (yet worse) position. Fight on unless you’re certain it’s lost.
Priority fixes for the next 50 games
-
Opening discipline
- White: stick with the Vienna; learn the first 8-10 moves vs. …Qf6, …Nf6 and …Bc5, and castle by move 6.
- Black: choose ONE reply to 1.e4 (e.g. Caro-Kann) and learn its basic plans instead of mixing …e5/…c6/…g6 setups.
-
Tactical hygiene
- Before any capture ask “What is their best reply?” – a 5-second check that prevents blunders like 13…Rxc2?.
- Do 10 puzzles a day focused on mates-in-2 and hanging pieces.
-
Pawn-shield discipline
- Aim to move no more than one pawn in front of your king unless forced.
- When you push a pawn, picture the square it leaves – can an enemy piece land there?
-
Resilience
- Resign only when down a rook (or facing forced mate) with no compensation. Otherwise, make your opponent prove it.
Illustrative moment
Replay these moves slowly. Note how development, centralization and a tactical fork work together.
Your progress at a glance
Peak rapid rating so far: 1040 (2021-01-18)
7-day training menu
- Day 1-2: 20 min Vienna theory video + 15 puzzles (rating 400-600).
- Day 3-4: Caro-Kann mini-games vs. computer (first 12 moves only).
- Day 5: Annotate one of your own losses; mark where the eval swung.
- Day 6: Play two 10|5 games focusing only on development & king safety; ignore material grabs.
- Day 7: Rest, then review the week’s missed tactics.
Concepts to revisit
tempo, initiative, pawn structure, fork, blunder
Keep the board busy and the blunders few — you’ve got this!
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| xxspectrumikon | 5W / 1L / 2D | View Games |
| peter093070 | 3W / 1L / 1D | View Games |
| vt06ss | 2W / 3L / 0D | View Games |
| nader252560 | 2W / 2L / 0D | View Games |
| dunsin12 | 3W / 0L / 0D | View Games |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 260 | 539 | 765 | |
| 2022 | 483 | |||
| 2021 | 464 | 1200 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 266W / 240L / 17D | 250W / 249L / 13D | 50.0 |
| 2022 | 1W / 1L / 0D | 1W / 0L / 0D | 74.7 |
| 2021 | 127W / 136L / 6D | 124W / 132L / 22D | 39.9 |
Openings: Most Played
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes Opening: Walkerling | 145 | 69 | 67 | 9 | 47.6% |
| Amazon Attack | 93 | 36 | 49 | 8 | 38.7% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 85 | 39 | 44 | 2 | 45.9% |
| Blackburne Shilling Gambit | 85 | 40 | 42 | 3 | 47.1% |
| Amar Gambit | 80 | 43 | 32 | 5 | 53.8% |
| Elephant Gambit | 63 | 29 | 34 | 0 | 46.0% |
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 59 | 29 | 30 | 0 | 49.1% |
| Scotch Game | 57 | 30 | 24 | 3 | 52.6% |
| Four Knights Game | 56 | 25 | 30 | 1 | 44.6% |
| Barnes Defense | 54 | 28 | 22 | 4 | 51.9% |
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackburne Shilling Gambit | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Scotch Game | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.7% |
| Bishop's Opening: Horwitz Gambit | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Barnes Opening: Walkerling | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation, Cobra Variation | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Sicilian Defense | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Amazon Attack | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Bird Opening: Dutch Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Four Knights Game | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes Defense | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Scotch Game | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Daily Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amar Gambit | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 13 | 0 |
| Losing | 11 | 1 |