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.
Legacy and influence
As a rising star in the womenโs 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.
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 Novikova๐ 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 |
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% |
๐ฅ Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 12 | 0 |
| Losing | 16 | 0 |