Sadok Znaidi: The Blitz Maestro with a Dash of Humor
Chess.com’s own SadokZenaidi15 is a force to be reckoned with on the 64 squares, especially when the clock is ticking fast. With a peak blitz rating soaring to an impressive 2460 in May 2025, Sadok has shown that speed and strategy can dance a beautiful tango.
Starting at a respectable 1777 in early 2022, Sadok's blitz rating has zigzagged, climbed, and occasionally stumbled, but the trajectory is clear: relentless improvement peppered with a dedication to endure long, complicated endgames — averaging nearly 80 moves per win!
Notorious for his "Top Secret" opening repertoire (which might just be him improvising on the spot), Sadok boasts over 1300 blitz games in this mysterious category, maintaining a modestly impressive 50.52% win rate. His forays into classical openings like the Caro-Kann Defense and Philidor Defense end with smiles (and wins) more often than not.
When it comes to bullet games, Sadok is equally fearless. He hit a peak bullet rating of 2510 in early 2025, a testament to his lightning-fast tactical awareness. With a bullet win count matching his losses, this player knows how to thrill fans and keep opponents on their toes.
Playing Style & Personality
Sadok’s games are a rollercoaster ride — characterized by an astonishing 87.9% comeback rate and a willingness to battle fiercely even when a piece is lost, winning nearly half of such down-to-the-wire encounters. He’s an endgame enthusiast who embraces the grind, reflecting a stubborn refusal to surrender without a fight.
True to human nature, Sadok experiences a bit of tilt (rated at 11), but is known to perform best at the early bird hour of 7 AM—a curious choice that may surprise many night owls!
Most Memorable Recent Victory
On May 13, 2025, Sadok sealed a victory in a blitz game using the Caro-Kann Defense against the formidable kaustubh85, who unfortunately resigned after 41 moves of intense tactical jousting. Sadok’s cool under pressure and strategic prowess turned the tide spectacularly.
Fun Fact
Despite his serious skills, Sadok’s preferred “opening” is still officially Top Secret, stirring hope among fans that there’s some clandestine chess pizzazz yet to be fully unveiled. Meanwhile, he’s also known for rarely giving up early — only resigning in less than 0.5% of games — showing a fighting spirit that refuses to quit.
In sum, Sadok Znaidi is a thrilling blend of speed, resilience, and mystery on the chessboard. If you encounter SadokZenaidi15 online, prepare for an electrifying match filled with clever tactics, fierce endgames, and maybe a secret or two!
Quick summary — recent bullet form
Nice run: you're winning complicated positions and converting pressure quickly — your recent win against %3Ckoussayficher%3E shows excellent piece activity and a clean tactical finish. Your overall strength‑adjusted win rate (~52%) and the rising rating trends show you’re improving quickly in fast time controls.
- Good: active knights and piece play, creating outposts and tactical shots.
- Needs work: occasional mating nets and back‑rank/a‑file weaknesses, and a few calculation misses under time pressure.
Game highlight (study this one)
Replay the tactical sequence where your knight penetrated to e3 and ended the game — it’s a compact example of turning activity into a win.
What you’re doing well
- Active piece play: you frequently improve piece placement and find strong jumps (Ne3 in the highlighted game was decisive).
- Opening choices that suit bullet: your use of systems like the
(good win rate) and dynamic Caro‑Kann lines gives you comfortable, practical positions. - Psychological pressure: you convert small advantages quickly and you’re comfortable squeezing opponents on the clock (several wins by time and quick resignations).
- High tactical awareness in many positions — you spot forks, checks and direct targets under time pressure.
Recurring weaknesses to fix
These are the spots that cost you the most in bullet:
- King safety when castling long or pushing the a/c pawns — the Qxa2# loss shows how a vulnerable a2/king on b1 can be exploited. Before advancing pawns on the flank, check for enemy queen/knight tactics aimed at a2 and b2.
- Back‑rank and mate nets — you’ve been mated twice in the sample set. Always ask: “Can my opponent mate me in one or two?” after each move.
- Missed defenses under time pressure — quick recaptures and single‑move defenses sometimes get overlooked. Slow the clock by a second to check forcing lines when necessary.
- Opening choice mismatches — some openings you play (e.g. Amar Gambit, certain Colle lines) have lower long‑term win rates; favour the systems with proven win rates in your database for bullet play.
Concrete, short‑term fixes (apply in your next 50 bullet games)
- Two‑second safety check: before you move, give yourself 1–2 seconds to scan for checks, captures and threats — it prevents most tactical losses (especially back‑rank and Q+a2 style mates).
- King safety checklist when castling long: is a2/b2 defended? Any enemy knight/queen eyeing those squares? Can I create luft or exchange a dangerous attacker?
- Trade selectively in time trouble: swap into simpler endgames if you’re low on time and materially equal — fewer tactics to calculate.
- Practice a short, solid bullet repertoire: keep 2–3 go‑to opening setups for White and Black (include the
and one Caro‑Kann line you’re comfortable with). - Pre‑move hygiene: use pre‑moves only when the reply is forced and safe — avoid auto‑premove in tactically sharp positions.
Drills & study plan (20–40 minutes daily)
- 10 min tactics: focus on mating nets, back‑rank mates, knight forks and discovered checks. Prioritize patterns that have cost you games.
- 5–10 min opening review: pick one line you play (e.g. a Caro‑Kann or Scandinavian sub‑variation). Memorize the typical tactical theme and the common trap your opponents use.
- 5 min blitz practice with a safety check: play 3–5 two‑minute games where you force yourself to pause 1 second and run the two‑second safety check.
- Weekly post‑mortem: pick 3 losses and 3 wins and tag the decisive tactical motif — write 1 sentence on what you missed and how to prevent it next time.
Quick checklist before every bullet game
- Which opening am I playing? (Pick one from your strongest list.)
- Is my king safe after castling? (Especially if castling long.)
- Are any enemy pieces aiming at a2/b2/back rank? — defend or neutralize immediately.
- Am I low on time? Trade or simplify if yes.
Final notes — encouragement + where to focus
Your recent form and rating trends are excellent — keep the opening choices that give you practical play and prioritise tiny, repeatable habits (the two‑second safety check, pre‑move discipline). Small, consistent improvements in those areas will convert many of the close losses into wins.
If you want, I can:
- Make a 2‑week micro‑repertoire (1 White, 1 Black) tuned for bullet.
- Generate a custom tactic set focused on the mating nets and knight forks you encounter most.
- Annotate one of the losses in full with move‑by‑move practical checks you should make in bullet.
Which one would you like next?
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Recent Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| yassinekksibi15 | 0W / 2L / 0D | View |
| mohamed_jellid2 | 12W / 0L / 1D | View |
| koussayficher | 4W / 1L / 0D | View |
| vviageiro | 0W / 1L / 0D | View |
| thebluetime | 1W / 1L / 0D | View |
| nhagiakim21 | 1W / 0L / 0D | View |
| shantia-s | 1W / 1L / 0D | View |
| joylesssizzles | 1W / 1L / 0D | View |
| vlada1313 | 1W / 0L / 0D | View |
| gm420420 | 1W / 1L / 0D | View |
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mohamed Nouali | 89W / 179L / 24D | View Games |
| diemer1245 | 36W / 1L / 0D | View Games |
| elrekik | 7W / 10L / 1D | View Games |
| zandiania | 5W / 8L / 5D | View Games |
| dreadmonster2025 | 7W / 4L / 5D | View Games |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2539 | 2430 | 2028 | 1661 |
| 2024 | 2306 | 2240 | 1704 | 2002 |
| 2023 | 2112 | 2072 | 1924 | 2000 |
| 2022 | 2221 | 2106 | 1941 | 2000 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 407W / 344L / 70D | 360W / 397L / 72D | 87.2 |
| 2024 | 181W / 113L / 15D | 138W / 143L / 25D | 83.6 |
| 2023 | 168W / 123L / 28D | 148W / 140L / 30D | 85.2 |
| 2022 | 43W / 26L / 8D | 41W / 33L / 4D | 76.8 |
Openings: Most Played
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caro-Kann Defense | 291 | 138 | 127 | 26 | 47.4% |
| Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation | 52 | 26 | 22 | 4 | 50.0% |
| Czech Defense | 46 | 26 | 16 | 4 | 56.5% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 43 | 18 | 22 | 3 | 41.9% |
| Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack | 43 | 22 | 19 | 2 | 51.2% |
| Blackburne Shilling Gambit | 30 | 19 | 8 | 3 | 63.3% |
| Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation | 30 | 16 | 13 | 1 | 53.3% |
| Italian Game: Classical Variation, Ghulam-Kassim Variation | 25 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 52.0% |
| Giuoco Piano: Tarrasch Variation | 24 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 79.2% |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense | 24 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 37.5% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caro-Kann Defense | 275 | 112 | 139 | 24 | 40.7% |
| French Defense: Exchange Variation | 62 | 28 | 22 | 12 | 45.2% |
| Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation | 57 | 26 | 27 | 4 | 45.6% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 56 | 35 | 18 | 3 | 62.5% |
| Amar Gambit | 53 | 19 | 27 | 7 | 35.9% |
| Modern | 43 | 18 | 22 | 3 | 41.9% |
| Nimzo-Larsen Attack | 39 | 21 | 15 | 3 | 53.9% |
| Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation | 35 | 8 | 23 | 4 | 22.9% |
| Barnes Defense | 32 | 15 | 15 | 2 | 46.9% |
| Alekhine Defense | 29 | 14 | 12 | 3 | 48.3% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caro-Kann Defense | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 85.7% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Blackburne Shilling Gambit | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Sherzer Variation | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Sicilian Defense | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Modern Defense: Pterodactyl Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Daily Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes Defense | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Unknown | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack, Flank Variation | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0% |
| Gruenfeld: 4.e3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Amazon Attack | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| English Opening: Symmetrical Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 12 | 0 |
| Losing | 11 | 2 |