FIDE Master Sinisa S Popov (Popovbm)
Sinisa S Popov, known in chess circles by the somewhat mysterious handle Popovbm, is a formidable FIDE Master whose blitz skills could give even the most seasoned grandmasters pause. With a peak blitz rating soaring above 2600 in 2024, Sinisa embodies a whirlwind of tactical prowess and strategic depth.
Career Highlights & Style
Sinisa’s journey through the ranks has been anything but sleepy. Averaging a blitz win rate of nearly 58%, and boasting a tremendously impressive comeback rate of over 86%, Sinisa thrives under pressure—and if things look grim, don't count them out just yet! Their calculated risk-taking and knack for squeezing out victories even after losing material make watching their games a thrilling rollercoaster.
Playing Habits & Quirks
- Prefers long, grueling endgames with an 83.4% frequency, showing endurance and technique that could rival endurance runners.
- Average length of wins and losses hover around 74-75 moves, proving that they like to fight till the last pawn.
- Psychologically, Sinisa keeps a tilt factor of 10 – a level indicating near-immunity to frustration, but hey, nobody is perfect!
- Fun fact: their best times to play are in the dark hours of the night (around 1 AM), proving that chess really is a sport for night owls and caffeine aficionados.
Notable Openings & Performance
While much of Sinisa’s opening repertoire remains intriguingly Top Secret, they’ve shown a liking and strong performance with aggressive lines like the Benko Gambit and the Slav Defense, boasting win rates up to an eye-watering 80% in some variations. Versatility is Sinisa’s middle name—or at least an alias.
Record & Recent Games
With nearly 10,000 wins in blitz alone, it’s safe to say Sinisa has battled on more boards than you’ve had hot dinners. Their tactical sharpness is reflected in numerous victories by resignation, timeout, or checkmate. Of their recent play, victories often come by wearing down the opponent’s will to continue—after all, surrendering to Sinisa is a common theme!
Recent Matches
In a recent classic, Sinisa tactically dismantled the Kings Indian Attack (Yugoslav Variation), forcing resignation after a nail-biting struggle lasting over 30 moves. Other recent wins include solid performances in Queens Indian Defense-like positions, showcasing positional mastery blended with tactical strikes.
Outside the Board
Sinisa might not reveal much off the board, but their games tell a story of a fiercely competitive spirit, relentless study, and a love for the game that blends calculation with a dash of cheeky bravado. Whether it's blitz or bullet, they play quick but think deep, sometimes leaving opponents wondering if it was magic or madness.
In summary: Sinisa S Popov is a chess fighter, a tactical wizard, and arguably the best player you haven’t heard about yet. Watch out for Popovbm—they might just blunder you into submission before your coffee even cools.
Overall Performance Insights
Sinisa, your recent game record and rating trend show positive progress with a steady rating increase over the past 6 months. Despite a slight dip last month, your strength-adjusted win rate is close to 50%, indicating solid competitiveness against similarly skilled opponents.
- 6-month rating gain: +61 points
- Recent 1-month change: minor drop of 13 points
- Trend slopes suggest: consistent improvement over time, especially in the last 3 months with a strong upward slope (~28.5)
Key Strengths in Your Blitz Games
- Opening knowledge: You comfortably handle classical openings like the Semi-Slav, Nimzo-Indian, and French Defense variations, which suggests a solid foundational repertoire.
- Endgame technique: Games like your victory against kulandy show patience and good endgame process, often seizing advantage from small inaccuracies.
- Positional understanding: You make strategic pawn breaks and piece placements to put pressure on opponents effectively.
- Time management: Winning some games on time shows you maintain good control over the clock while balancing quality moves.
Areas to Focus On for Further Improvement
Analysis of your recent losses reveals a few recurring themes to target:
- Midgame tactics: In some losses, opponents capitalized on tactical shots or better coordination, so sharpening tactical pattern recognition may help.
- Opening precision: While your opening choices are sound, exploring deeper theory or typical plans in lines like the Queens Gambit Declined and Italian Game could reduce early disadvantages.
- Time pressure: Some losses occurred when under time pressure; practicing quick decision-making in critical moments can boost your chances in blitz.
- Defensive resilience: Strengthening defensive technique to handle opponent initiatives may reduce loss frequency.
Practical Recommendations
- Incorporate tactical puzzle training daily to improve calculation speed and accuracy.
- Review critical moments from recent losses, focusing on opening move orders and missed tactical resources.
- Study model games in your preferred openings (Sinisa S Popov's recent wins include strong handling of Semi-Slav and Nimzo-Indian lines).
- Work on time management drills to avoid time trouble, especially in tight positions.
- Analyze endgames periodically to convert advantages more consistently and save difficult positions.
Encouragement
Your upward rating trend and competitive results in blitz show promising growth. Keep studying and practicing regularly to continue this progress. Blitz is a fast-paced format that demands sharp instincts and solid fundamentals — both areas where you are already demonstrating strength. With focused work on the highlighted areas, you can raise your play to even higher levels.
Keep up the good work, and enjoy the journey of improvement!
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Recent Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| michael124667 | 98W / 73L / 25D | |
| Andreas Druckenthaner | 16W / 9L / 3D | |
| ancient-of-days | 7W / 12L / 3D | |
| David Pruess | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| samehsadek | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| scylla_138 | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| jasonrbt | 3W / 5L / 0D | |
| russianpapaya | 1W / 1L / 1D | |
| pajuca | 0W / 1L / 1D | |
| lordpyrrhicvictory | 1W / 3L / 0D | |
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| michael124667 | 98W / 73L / 25D | |
| Trainingbg81 | 57W / 25L / 5D | |
| Barnabás Emődi | 36W / 40L / 9D | |
| Mario Sibilio | 45W / 29L / 7D | |
| sinisa kovacevic | 33W / 17L / 12D | |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2190 | 2526 | 1450 | |
| 2024 | 2282 | 2477 | ||
| 2023 | 2314 | 2422 | ||
| 2022 | 2288 | 1400 | ||
| 2021 | 2309 | |||
| 2020 | 1840 | 2474 | ||
| 2019 | 2298 | |||
| 2018 | 1847 | 2386 | ||
| 2017 | 2314 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 865W / 520L / 133D | 833W / 556L / 120D | 79.4 |
| 2024 | 735W / 426L / 112D | 692W / 480L / 103D | 80.2 |
| 2023 | 865W / 365L / 101D | 855W / 379L / 109D | 76.7 |
| 2022 | 536W / 194L / 47D | 462W / 252L / 59D | 73.6 |
| 2021 | 689W / 387L / 84D | 617W / 455L / 90D | 78.3 |
| 2020 | 662W / 414L / 84D | 631W / 444L / 82D | 77.2 |
| 2019 | 555W / 325L / 72D | 509W / 365L / 74D | 79.8 |
| 2018 | 668W / 340L / 82D | 571W / 449L / 87D | 77.7 |
| 2017 | 58W / 26L / 2D | 59W / 26L / 8D | 75.8 |
Openings: Most Played
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Döry Defense | 691 | 375 | 253 | 63 | 54.3% |
| Grünfeld Defense: Counterthrust Variation | 667 | 422 | 202 | 43 | 63.3% |
| Bogo-Indian Defense | 568 | 316 | 208 | 44 | 55.6% |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense | 507 | 288 | 186 | 33 | 56.8% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 397 | 230 | 139 | 28 | 57.9% |
| Benko Gambit Accepted: Central Storming Variation | 392 | 218 | 146 | 28 | 55.6% |
| Benoni Defense: Classical Variation | 380 | 233 | 131 | 16 | 61.3% |
| Slav Defense: Alekhine Variation | 378 | 237 | 113 | 28 | 62.7% |
| English Opening: Symmetrical Variation | 361 | 199 | 135 | 27 | 55.1% |
| Slav Defense | 353 | 205 | 122 | 26 | 58.1% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French Defense | 13 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 76.9% |
| Döry Defense | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 83.3% |
| QGD: 3.Nc3 Bb4 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Benoni Defense: Modern Variation | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 90.0% |
| French Defense: Exchange Variation | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 77.8% |
| Modern | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 60.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 60.0% |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 80.0% |
| Old Indian Defense: Normal Variation | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 60.0% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 23 | 1 |
| Losing | 10 | 0 |