Sofia Pogorelskikh - Woman International Master
Known in the chess world as Pumpkin_in_moonlight, Sofia Pogorelskikh basks in the glow of her Woman International Master title awarded by FIDE. With a flair for blitz games and a tactical eye that can spot a winning move faster than you can say "checkmate," Sofia has made quite the name for herself on the 64 squares.
Rating & Game Style
Her peak blitz rating soared to an impressive 2376 in October 2023, while her bullet rating hit an eye-popping 2422 in August 2024. Sofia isn't just a speed demon—she's also a thoughtful player who loves maneuvering in endgames, which make up over 87% of her games, proving she’s in for the long haul, squeezing advantage from even the tightest spots.
Win-Loss Chronicles
Over hundreds of blitz battles, Sofia managed 109 wins out of 326 games, keeping opponents guessing with a steady 33% win rate. She tends to shine brightest on Saturdays with a perfect 100% win rate that day—yes, she probably schedules all her brilliant victories then! When the clock strikes 10:00 AM, she’s at her tactical peak, delivering some of her most brilliant performances.
Quirks & Psychology
Sofia has zero tolerance for early resignations—she fights every battle until the bitter end, with an admirable comeback rate near 88%. Though the tilt factor is at a calm 10, suggesting she keeps her cool well, her bafflingly high loss count suggests opponents sometimes just know how to rattle her cage. But no worries—she bounces back fast, ready to hunt down victory in the next game.
Recent Triumph
In a dazzling recent game on April 19, 2025, Sofia (playing White) showcased her strategic prowess in a Queen’s Pawn Opening (Zukertort Variation). Controlling the center and outmaneuvering her opponent (“cdgrzes”), she forced a resignation after an elegant queen and rook assault. For as much as she loves complexity, Sofia proves she can end games with style and ruthless precision.
The Opponents & Rivalries
She has tussled with familiar foes like fbertona and lifeisallaboutchess23 multiple times, giving them a run for their rating points. Some rivals she absolutely dominates (100% win rate!), while others seem to have her number. But hey, even champions have their nemeses!
Fun Fact
Sofia’s chess nickname, Pumpkin_in_moonlight, perfectly captures her contradictory style—sometimes sweet and precise, other times mysterious and fiercely competitive under the spotlight of a ticking clock.
Watch out chess world, Sofia Pogorelskikh is here to turn pawns into pumpkins... and victories into fairy tales!
Feedback for Sofia Pogorelskikh
Hi Sofia! I've reviewed your recent games and would like to share some constructive feedback to help you continue improving:
Strengths
- Opening knowledge: You demonstrate solid understanding in various popular openings, such as the Sicilian Defense and Queen’s Pawn structures. Your choice of moves early in the game establishes a good foundation for middlegame play.
- Positional Play: You often find strong squares for your pieces and take advantage of your opponent’s weaknesses effectively. Moves like Ne5 to exert pressure and timely exchanges show good strategic thinking.
- Endgame technique: In your wins, you convert advantages efficiently with active rook and queen maneuvers and calculated pawn pushes.
Areas for Improvement
- Tactical awareness: Occasionally, small tactical oversights have led to losing material, especially in complex positions. For example, watch out for tactical motifs like forks, pins, and discovered attacks around move 13 to 20 in some games.
- Time management: In faster time controls, managing your clock better can help avoid rushed moves in critical moments. Try to balance thinking time per move to maintain accuracy deep into the game.
- Piece activity and exchanges: Avoid unnecessary exchanges that relieve pressure on your opponent or diminish your attacking chances. Evaluate each exchange’s impact carefully, especially in the middlegame.
Suggestions for Training
- Work on tactical puzzles daily to sharpen recognition of opportunities and threats in complex positions.
- Analyze your losses to identify recurring mistakes, focusing on moves that change the evaluation drastically.
- Consider practicing some specific endgames to improve conversion skills under time pressure.
- Use time management techniques during games, such as budgeting time for different phases.
Keep up your hard work and curiosity! Your passion and solid fundamentals are laying a great base for your chess journey.
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| fbertona | 2W / 3L / 0D | |
| lifeisallaboutchess23 | 0W / 3L / 0D | |
| cdgrzes | 2W / 0L / 0D | |
| Daniel Aguiar De Sousa | 1W / 1L / 0D | |
| vacheh009 | 0W / 2L / 0D | |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2069 | 2299 | ||
| 2024 | 2191 | 2283 | 2202 | |
| 2023 | 2313 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5W / 16L / 1D | 8W / 10L / 2D | 79.5 |
| 2024 | 38W / 53L / 4D | 30W / 62L / 10D | 85.2 |
| 2023 | 24W / 32L / 1D | 16W / 43L / 4D | 79.5 |
Openings: Most Played
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caro-Kann Defense | 14 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation, Haag Gambit | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 33.3% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 45.5% |
| Four Knights Game | 11 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 18.2% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 33.3% |
| French Defense: Burn Variation | 9 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 11.1% |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense | 8 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 12.5% |
| Döry Defense | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 25.0% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 16.7% |
| Barnes Defense | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Amar Gambit | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Hungarian Opening: Wiedenhagen-Beta Gambit | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Center Game: Berger Variation | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Czech Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0% |
| Modern Defense: Pterodactyl Variation | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Modern | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| French Defense: Classical Variation, Svenonius Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Catalan Opening: Open Defense | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Barnes Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 4 | 0 |
| Losing | 10 | 1 |