Kevin Qin - National Master Extraordinaire
Meet Kevin Qin, also known in the chess realm as playingWhileSick—a fitting username given their relentless drive at the board even when feeling less than 100%. Awarded the prestigious title of National Master, Kevin is a force to be reckoned with in the fast-paced world of online blitz and bullet chess.
Rating & Playing Style
As of 2025, Kevin has dazzled opponents with a bullet high rating of 2700 and a blitz peak of 2672. With a blitz average rating creeping up to the mid-2500s, Kevin’s games blend tactical sharpness with a stubborn resilience: a comeback rate of a staggering 91.14% speaks volumes about their never-say-die attitude.
Their endgame endurance is legendary, featuring an 80.18% frequency of reaching endgame phase and an average of over 84 moves per win. Kevin’s blunt weapon? The ability to turn losing positions around and win after losing material nearly 43% of the time. Opponents beware: giving Kevin a pawn might just be handing them the trophy.
Opening Repertoire & Quirks
Kevin’s openings are as eclectic as their username. In blitz, they frequently dabble in the Scandinavian Defense with an impressive win rate over 70%, and the tricky Sicilian Defense Smith Morra Gambit which garners a solid 57% success. Bullet games often see a penchant for the Englund Gambit and Modern Defense, showcasing their love for unorthodox and sharp positions. The style might be risky, but it pays off more often than not.
Psychological Prowess and Timing
Kevin’s psychological resilience is notable, although even masters have their off days with a tilt factor of 12. Most deadly at dawn (or, more precisely, 7 AM), their win rates peak when the coffee kicks in. And speaking of streaks, Kevin’s longest winning spree hit double digits - a 10-game winning run that likely made their opponents question reality.
Recent Battles
Recent games shine with dramatic flair - wins by checkmate and time mastery, but also lessons learned from losses to crafty challengers. One memorable victory came against "Rodalquilar," where Kevin’s seasoned nerves claimed success on the clock, reminding all that the final tick matters just as much as the final move.
In Summary
Kevin Qin is not just a National Master; they’re a whirlwind of creative openings, dogged endgames, and razor-sharp comebacks. Like a chess ninja in pajamas, their handle playingWhileSick perfectly captures their passion—because no matter the fever or sniffles, the game must go on!
Hi Kevin Qin, here’s your post-session report
What you’re already doing well
- Opening variety With White you rotate Colle, Réti and Queen’s-pawn lines; with Black you mix the Scandinavian, Caro-Kann Two Knights and even the daring Englund Gambit. This keeps opponents guessing and often hands you the initiative in bullet.
- Piece activity Your rooks are rarely passive. The nice finish
47.Rf8⁺in the latest win shows how quickly you convert once a rook reaches the 7th rank. - Clock management In a 60-second time-control you still reach middlegames with 50 s on the clock. That “spare time” lets you calculate key tactics while many bullet players are forced to premove.
Growth opportunities
- Pawn storms vs king safety
Several losses began with automatic …h5/…g5 (e.g. vs Felix Ilinca, EGK_06). Before pushing flank pawns ask: “What squares am I leaving weak and is my king safe if queens stay on?” - Resist risky pawn grabs
In the Caro-Kann loss you played29…Nxa5?. The loose pawn was not worth opening lines toward your own king. Build the habit “king safety > pawn profit” when queens are still on. - End-game technique under bullet pressure
Against Maj Zirkelbach you reached multiple extra-pawn rook endings that drifted. Drill K+R vs K+R+p and basic pawn endings daily so conversion becomes automatic and costs zero time. - Streamline your defence to 1.e4
Splitting prep between the Scandinavian and Caro-Kann halves your pattern memory. Stats already show a ~7 % higher win-rate with the Scandinavian; specialise in it for the coming month.
Key moment to study
From the loss to EGK_06 (Caro-Kann):
[[Pgn|1.e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Qe2 Nxe4 6.Qxe4 Be6 7.Bc4 Bd5 8.Bxd5 Qxd5 9.Qe2 e6 10.d3 Be7 11.O-O O-O 12.Bf4 Nd7 13.Bg3 Nf6 14.Rfe1 c5 15.a4 Bd6 16.b3 Bxg3 17.hxg3 a6 18.Ne5 Rad8 19.Rad1 Qd6 20.Nc4 Qc7 21.a5 Nd5?] ]Instead of 21…Nd5? the simple 21…h6 keeps the knight defending b7 and avoids the a-pawn avalanche.
1-week action plan
| Day | Focus drill | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Self-analyse each loss (no engine, then engine) | 45 min |
| Tue | Bullet opening rehearsal: 20 unrated Scandinavian games | 30 min |
| Wed | End-game simulator: R+P vs R | 30 min |
| Thu | “First-mistake ends” tactics streak | 20 min |
| Fri | Review 5 quick wins for missed faster mates | 30 min |
Motivational snapshot
Your current bullet peak: 2719 (2025-06-21). Let’s target +50 elo over the next 100 games—totally realistic once king safety and end-game technique tighten up.
Keep up the great work, and bring any positions that stump you to our next session!
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Recent Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| metallchessbullet | 0W / 2L / 1D | View |
| Kevin_Arquero | 0W / 1L / 0D | View |
| 🪳🪲Just a glamorous cockroach | 5W / 11L / 0D | View |
| josjimal | 1W / 1L / 1D | View |
| CanadianDragon | 1W / 1L / 0D | View |
| 777458962147o | 0W / 1L / 1D | View |
| 69360420obama | 1W / 0L / 0D | View |
| Levente Marosi | 0W / 2L / 1D | View |
| rip-danielnaroditsky | 0W / 2L / 0D | View |
| sebas419 | 2W / 0L / 0D | View |
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| Arsal Gardezi | 20W / 21L / 0D | View Games |
| Kent Slate | 10W / 30L / 0D | View Games |
| mt104 | 22W / 10L / 3D | View Games |
| ErnestoGuevaraLynch | 15W / 12L / 1D | View Games |
| jimmyjoy23 | 15W / 10L / 2D | View Games |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2605 | 2544 | 2017 | 1600 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 880W / 905L / 125D | 841W / 958L / 118D | 77.6 |
Openings: Most Played
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caro-Kann Defense | 157 | 65 | 81 | 11 | 41.4% |
| Amar Gambit | 134 | 50 | 77 | 7 | 37.3% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 128 | 69 | 53 | 6 | 53.9% |
| Australian Defense | 121 | 64 | 51 | 6 | 52.9% |
| Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation | 111 | 37 | 68 | 6 | 33.3% |
| Modern | 64 | 35 | 28 | 1 | 54.7% |
| Barnes Defense | 45 | 19 | 24 | 2 | 42.2% |
| Nimzo-Larsen Attack | 40 | 19 | 20 | 1 | 47.5% |
| Czech Defense | 39 | 18 | 20 | 1 | 46.1% |
| Sicilian Defense | 37 | 19 | 15 | 3 | 51.4% |
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 197 | 114 | 83 | 0 | 57.9% |
| Australian Defense | 118 | 57 | 56 | 5 | 48.3% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 103 | 37 | 56 | 10 | 35.9% |
| Elephant Gambit | 93 | 42 | 43 | 8 | 45.2% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 49 | 26 | 20 | 3 | 53.1% |
| Four Knights Game | 47 | 24 | 19 | 4 | 51.1% |
| Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit | 42 | 25 | 11 | 6 | 59.5% |
| Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation | 39 | 17 | 18 | 4 | 43.6% |
| French Defense: Exchange Variation | 39 | 21 | 14 | 4 | 53.9% |
| Sicilian Defense | 31 | 13 | 14 | 4 | 41.9% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Daily Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes Opening: Walkerling | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 14 | 0 |
| Losing | 14 | 6 |