Avatar of Kevin Qin

Kevin Qin NM

Username: playingWhileSick

Playing Since: 2025-02-03 (Active)

Wow Factor: ♟♟♟♟♟

Chess.com

Daily: 1600
1W / 0L / 0D
Blitz: 2544
731W / 834L / 137D
Bullet: 2540
871W / 968L / 108D

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!


Coach Chesswick's Profile Photo
Coach Chesswick

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.
0123456711121314151617181920212223100%0%Hour of Day

Growth opportunities

  1. 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?”
  2. Resist risky pawn grabs
    In the Caro-Kann loss you played 29…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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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

DayFocus drillTime
MonSelf-analyse each loss (no engine, then engine)45 min
TueBullet opening rehearsal: 20 unrated Scandinavian games30 min
WedEnd-game simulator: R+P vs R30 min
Thu“First-mistake ends” tactics streak20 min
FriReview 5 quick wins for missed faster mates30 min
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun100%0%Day of Week

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
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