Ivan Zemlyanskii - The Chess Enigma
Known online as Prizant_academy, Ivan Zemlyanskii is a formidable Grandmaster certified by FIDE whose fingers fly faster than his opponents’ blinks. With a blitz peak rating soaring above 3100, he navigates the chessboard with the precision of a maestro conducting a symphony—except his orchestra is a battalion of knights, bishops, and rooks.
Career Highlights
- Grandmaster Title: Earned from FIDE, the ultimate chess badge of honor.
- Peak Blitz Rating: An eye-popping 3191 achieved in August 2024.
- Rapid and Daily Play: Quick on his feet and steady in longer time controls with peak ratings of 2032 and 1562 respectively.
Playing Style & Lifeblood of Chess
Ivan’s chess games aren’t just battles; they’re rollercoaster rides full of comebacks (with an astonishing comeback rate of over 83%) and tactical fireworks. Don’t try to rattle him—his tilt factor is a low 8, meaning he keeps cool when pawns fly and queens fall.
He likes to finish his battles slowly and steadily - averaging about 81 moves per win - proving patience truly is a virtue in the endgame realm. When playing as White, his chances to win climb to an impressive 66%, and even with Black, he maintains a strong 61% victory rate.
Record & Rivals
With nearly 2,900 recorded blitz games, Ivan boasts a solid win rate of 62%, crushing opponents left and right. His longest winning streak whispers tales of 52 consecutive victories, an unstoppable streak any chess fan would envy. However, even a grandmaster meets his match sometimes, with a not-so-painful longest losing streak capped at 8.
Some of his most frequent and respected opponents include the likes of Daniel Naroditsky, Hikaru Nakamura, and Pavelvs2023. And while some players have never escaped his grasp, Ivan shows sportsmanship with diverse performances, keeping the chess world on its toes.
Peak Moments and Wit
Among Ivan’s recent wins was a dazzling checkmate victory in a daily game where his opponent was left gasping as Ivan’s pieces danced towards the king like a choreographed whirlwind. He’s a master of the “Top Secret” openings strategy, winning more than 60% of his Blitz games with it, and dominating numerous other time controls.
Despite his serious prowess, Ivan might just be the kind of player who laughs when he accidentally leaves a rook hanging, probably saying: “It’s all part of the plan… or a warm-up exercise for the comeback!”
When to Challenge Ivan
Looking to test Ivan’s mettle? Your best shot is probably not on Fridays or at 4 AM, when his win rate peaks near 74% and even 81%, respectively. Beware the early morning hours — the Grandmaster is wide awake and ready to strike.
About the Man Behind the Moves
While Ivan Zemlyanskii may remain a mysterious figure off the board, his presence online and in tournaments paints a picture of dedication, intellect, and a bit of cheeky charm. With an impeccable record and a strategic mind, chess enthusiasts worldwide watch his games hoping to learn from, or at least enjoy watching, the prowess of Prizant_academy.
Whether it’s a blitz blitzkrieg or a tactical marathon, Ivan Zemlyanskii’s name is etched into the pixelated annals of chess glory—and perhaps the occasional sarcastic tweet.
Feedback for Ivan Zemlyanskii
What you are already doing well
- Dynamic play & tactics: Your wins often feature resourceful piece activity. A recent example is the neat finishing sequence
. - Balanced opening repertoire: You handle both 1.d4 and 1.Nf3 positions comfortably and show good familiarity with the London, Reti and various Indian set–ups.
- Practical fighting spirit: In blitz you are willing to complicate matters instead of drifting into equal endings—this is a valuable skill at every rating level.
Key areas to improve
-
Time management (critical):
Five of your last seven losses (three Daily, two Blitz) were on time.
• In Daily games, add a daily reminder or move-planner; aim to move within 24 h of each notification.
• In Blitz, adopt a “spend 10 %, save 90 %” rule: do not drop below 90 % of the starting time before move 10.
• Practice one-minute “visualisation drills” away from the board so the first candidate move comes faster. - King safety & prophylaxis: Several defeats started with optimistic pawn pushes (e.g. …g5 or h4) that weakened your own king. Before advancing a wing pawn, ask “Which squares become weak and can my opponent invade?” A quick way to train this sense is to review five grand-master games where the losing side was mated on a weakened diagonal and summarise the common patterns.
- Conversion technique in won end-games: Games against Nihal Sarin show you reaching winning positions but letting the advantage slip. Pick one such ending per week and replay it against the engine from move 25; force yourself to convert three times in a row before moving on.
- Opening depth vs. breadth: Your results are best when you reach familiar pawn structures (Slav, King’s Indian, London). Against 1.e4 as Black your score is lower and move-times spike, suggesting less comfort. Consider building one mainline defence (e.g. the Caro-Kann) and study only the top two sidelines for now. This will free mental energy for middlegame calculation.
Suggested training plan (next 4 weeks)
| Day | Task | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mon / Wed / Fri | 30 tactic puzzles with strict 2-minute limit | 45 min |
| Tue / Thu | Replay one classic game guessing each move | 30 min |
| Sat | Analyse one of your own losses without an engine, then compare | 60 min |
| Sun | Play two 15 | 10 games focusing on clock discipline | 60 min |
Your performance snapshot
Peak Rapid rating: 2032 (2022-10-08) • Peak Blitz rating: 3191 (2024-08-15)
When do you win most?
Which day treats you best?
Mindset tip
Before every move, run a quick “LPDO” scan (Loose Pieces Drop Off). Ask: “Are any of my pieces or my opponent’s pieces unprotected?” This single habit will reduce 70 % of tactical oversights.
Next milestone
Aim for a stable Blitz rating of +50 points over the next month by:
1) moving within 10 seconds for the first 10 moves,
2) refusing “hope chess” (moves that rely on a single reply), and
3) analysing every loss for at least five minutes immediately after the game.
Stay consistent and enjoy the climb, Ivan – your tactical eye is already a strong asset; polish the time-management and you’ll feel the rating jump quickly.
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| Daniel Naroditsky | 53W / 80L / 11D | View Games |
| Hikaru Nakamura | 10W / 44L / 9D | View Games |
| Aleksei Sarana | 7W / 15L / 5D | View Games |
| pavelvs2023 | 26W / 1L / 0D | View Games |
| Nihal Sarin | 9W / 9L / 3D | View Games |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3183 | 1508 | ||
| 2023 | 2514 | 3003 | ||
| 2022 | 400 | 2009 | 2032 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 225W / 114L / 35D | 197W / 127L / 39D | 97.0 |
| 2023 | 346W / 151L / 36D | 277W / 197L / 46D | 94.2 |
| 2022 | 458W / 155L / 28D | 456W / 158L / 26D | 75.2 |
Openings: Most Played
| Daily Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 80.0% |
| Bishop's Opening | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Amazon Attack | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Amar Gambit | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.0% |
| King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Aronin-Taimanov Defense | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| QGD: 4.Nf3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0% |
| Pirc Defense: Classical Variation | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0% |
| French Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalan Opening | 184 | 117 | 57 | 10 | 63.6% |
| Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, American Attack | 150 | 100 | 40 | 10 | 66.7% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation | 104 | 55 | 42 | 7 | 52.9% |
| Diemer-Duhm Gambit (DDG): 4...f5 | 100 | 58 | 27 | 15 | 58.0% |
| Grünfeld Defense: Counterthrust Variation | 85 | 53 | 26 | 6 | 62.4% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Sherzer Variation | 82 | 54 | 25 | 3 | 65.8% |
| QGD: 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 | 79 | 46 | 25 | 8 | 58.2% |
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 78 | 48 | 21 | 9 | 61.5% |
| Amazon Attack | 72 | 39 | 26 | 7 | 54.2% |
| English Opening: Agincourt Defense | 69 | 39 | 23 | 7 | 56.5% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Defense | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 25.0% |
| King's Indian Attack | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, American Attack | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Döry Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Benoni Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Main Line | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Barnes Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Slav Defense: Bonet Gambit | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Sherzer Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Grünfeld Defense: Counterthrust Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scandinavian Defense | 30 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Sicilian Defense | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 88.9% |
| KGA: Fischer, 4.Bc4 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Amar Gambit | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 83.3% |
| Australian Defense | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 83.3% |
| Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| KGD: Classical, 3.Bc4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.0% |
| French Defense | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 52 | 0 |
| Losing | 8 | 3 |