Avatar of Margarita Novikova

Margarita Novikova WCM

Username: ritanovikova

Playing Since: 2016-09-21 (Active)

Wow Factor: ♟♟♟♟♟♟♟

Chess.com

Daily: 1987
2W / 2L / 3D
Rapid: 1991
7W / 3L / 3D
Blitz: 2274
4232W / 5192L / 615D
Bullet: 2010
335W / 451L / 41D

Profile

Margarita Novikova is a titled chess player and a lively presence in the online chess world. She holds the FIDE title Woman Candidate Master and pursues competition with curiosity, humor, and a steady focus on improvement. A dedicated streamer, Margarita brings her board-to-screen insights to a growing community of fans and fellow players.

Chess career

With a steady rise through the ranks, Margarita earned the Woman Candidate Master title from FIDE. She specializes in fast time controls, excelling in Blitz and maintaining a strong presence in Bullet, Rapid, and Daily formats. Her peak Blitz rating reached 2373 in October 2025, a testament to sharp calculation under pressure. Her diverse play demonstrates a flexible approach to openings and middlegame plans.

  • Title: Woman Candidate Master (FIDE)
  • Preferred time control: Blitz
  • Notable Blitz peak: 2373 (October 2025)
  • Active in Blitz, Bullet, Rapid, and Daily formats

Streaming and online presence

Beyond the board, Margarita is a popular chess streamer who shares lessons, game analyses, and witty commentary. Her streams are approachable for players of all levels, blending clear explanations with a light-hearted vibe that keeps viewers coming back for more.

  • Regular game analyses and openings demonstrations
  • Community Q&A and interactive critique sessions
  • Profiles and content accessible to a wide audience

See her profile: Margarita Novikova

Playing style and openings

Margarita favors dynamic, principled play and adapts her repertoire to opponents and time pressure. In Blitz she leans on solid defenses that lead to sharp middlegames. Her Blitz opening choices include:

  • Scandinavian Defense
  • Sicilian Defense: Closed
  • Australian Defense
  • French Defense: Exchange Variation
  • Alekhine Defense
  • Czech Defense

Her years of exploration across these openings reflect a thoughtful, adaptable approach to the game.

Blitz Rating20162018201920202021202220232024202522561857YearBlitz Rating

Legacy and influence

As a rising star in the womenโ€™s chess scene and a streaming educator, Margarita inspires aspiring players to study, compete, and share their love of the game. Her blend of competitive drive and entertaining communication makes her a champion of modern, accessible chess culture.


Coach Chesswick's Profile Photo
Coach Chesswick

Feedback for Margarita Novikova

Dear Margarita,

You've shown great resilience and tactical awareness in your recent games. Your victories demonstrate effective handling of complex positions, especially in the middlegame. For example, in your recent win against sun_chan_lee, your timely piece activity and exploitation of opponent's weaknesses were impressive. Your understanding of Queens Gambit Declined structures and related tactical motifs is a notable strength.

Areas to focus on for further improvement:

  • Opening Consistency: While your familiarity with openings like the Scandinavian Defense and the Closed Sicilian is solid, refining your move orders could help avoid early uncomfortable positions. Study mainline theory and typical plans to increase confidence in the opening phase.
  • Time Management: Some of your losses occurred with low remaining time. Improving your clock management will help reduce pressure in critical moments and allow you to think deeper.
  • Endgame Technique: A few endgames in your losses suggest opportunities to strengthen calculation and technique in simplified positions. Practicing fundamental endgames and studying practical endgame plans could boost your conversion rate.
  • Positional Understanding: Consider spending more time analyzing pawn structure and long-term weaknesses in your games. This will enhance strategic decision-making and help you avoid positional concessions that opponents can exploit.

I encourage you to continue reviewing your games and working on these aspects. Your solid foundation and fighting spirit show great potential for growth. Keep up the excellent work, and let's aim to sharpen your opening repertoire and endgame precision next!

Keep training and good luck at the board!

Margarita Novikova


๐Ÿ†š Opponent Insights

Most Played Opponents
caupolican1111111 13W / 12L / 0D View Games
nissou-ach 3W / 21L / 1D View Games
drstillestein 11W / 9L / 3D View Games
Evgenij Miroshnichenko 2W / 14L / 2D View Games
Igor Shapoval 6W / 11L / 1D View Games

Rating

Year Bullet Blitz Rapid Daily
2025 2010 2274
2024 2115 2211 1987
2023 2148 2112 1991
2022 2131
2021 1878 1982 2140 1963
2020 1679 2156 1704 2077
2019 1767 2007
2018 1965
2016 1857
Rating by Year20162018201920202021202220232024202522741679YearRatingBulletBlitzRapidDaily

Stats by Year

Year White Black Moves
2025 286W / 353L / 56D 276W / 375L / 51D 82.9
2024 495W / 704L / 71D 451W / 748L / 69D 82.6
2023 409W / 511L / 57D 372W / 541L / 57D 83.3
2022 128W / 155L / 25D 139W / 150L / 18D 82.8
2021 104W / 127L / 19D 106W / 135L / 14D 79.1
2020 414W / 342L / 56D 384W / 362L / 58D 80.8
2019 511W / 579L / 58D 498W / 595L / 60D 80.8
2018 2W / 2L / 0D 3W / 1L / 0D 58.8
2016 21W / 15L / 1D 15W / 22L / 0D 76.7

Openings: Most Played

Blitz Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Scandinavian Defense 2264 979 1130 155 43.2%
Sicilian Defense: Closed 1481 667 719 95 45.0%
Australian Defense 552 244 284 24 44.2%
French Defense: Exchange Variation 348 149 179 20 42.8%
Modern 263 111 137 15 42.2%
Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack 254 101 139 14 39.8%
Barnes Defense 213 92 109 12 43.2%
Alekhine Defense 203 88 95 20 43.4%
Czech Defense 202 89 100 13 44.1%
Amazon Attack 200 87 99 14 43.5%
Bullet Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Amar Gambit 97 41 52 4 42.3%
Scandinavian Defense 90 39 47 4 43.3%
Amazon Attack 46 23 20 3 50.0%
Australian Defense 45 17 26 2 37.8%
Czech Defense 40 15 21 4 37.5%
Sicilian Defense: Closed 33 14 17 2 42.4%
Modern Defense 32 12 18 2 37.5%
French Defense: Exchange Variation 28 10 15 3 35.7%
Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation 22 9 12 1 40.9%
Diemer-Duhm Gambit (DDG): 4...f5 21 7 12 2 33.3%
Daily Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Scandinavian Defense 3 1 1 1 33.3%
Sicilian Defense: Closed 2 1 0 1 50.0%
French Defense: Exchange Variation 1 0 0 1 0.0%
Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation 1 0 1 0 0.0%
Rapid Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Scandinavian Defense 8 5 1 2 62.5%
Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation 2 0 1 1 0.0%
Sicilian Defense: Closed 2 2 0 0 100.0%
Sicilian Defense 1 0 1 0 0.0%
Barnes Defense 1 1 0 0 100.0%

๐Ÿ”ฅ Streaks

Streak Longest Current
Winning 12 0
Losing 16 0
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