Marco Santomassimo - aka saintmax96
Meet Marco Santomassimo, a chess player whose journey is as colorful as his username suggests! Known online as saintmax96, Marco has battled countless opponents across rapid, daily, and bullet games, showcasing a mix of grit, occasional missteps, and moments of brilliance.
Rating Rollercoaster
Marco’s peak rapid rating hit a modest 653 back in May 2021, while his daily chess prowess soared to an impressive 1217 as of May 2025. Bullet chess? Let’s just say it’s a work in progress, with a peak around 168. His journey is a thrilling ride through wins, losses, and draws, with an enduring passion for the game.
Playing Style & Personality
With a win rate hovering around 41% playing with white and nearly 40% with black, Marco balances cautious openings and daring tactics. But don't be fooled: his early resignation rate of 15% might suggest a man who knows when to cut his losses (or sometimes just succumbs to the pressure of the ticking clock).
His average game length tips towards the long side for wins (~49 moves), hinting at persistence in endgames, where he stays engaged about 41% of his games. His psychological resilience shines with a comeback rate over 63%, proving he’s no stranger to turning the tide after losing material.
Favored Openings
Marco enjoys the classical feel of the King's Pawn Opening, having played it over 280 times in rapid games. Vienna Game Anderssen Defense seems to be a lucky charm with a 50% win rate, while some adventurous attempts at the Englund Gambit and Scandinavian Defense have had mixed results (sometimes thrilling, sometimes... not so much).
Epic Streaks & Fierce Battles
Though he's suffered a gnarly 25-game losing streak at one point (ouch!), Marco also enjoyed sweet moments like a 7-game winning streak that surely boosted his confidence. Currently, he’s riding a small dip in luck but with a track record that proves resilience.
Notable Games
Recently, saintmax96 dazzled with aggressive Queen maneuvers against cremator1a, snatching a win by time—a classic blend of strategy and time management! Against jjjjer4 and alainbeir, he concluded games with slick checkmates that would make any grandmaster nod in approval. But like everyone, some losses (e.g., to RaulGdP) remind him there’s always room to grow.
When to Challenge Marco?
Pro tip: Try your luck around 4 AM, Marco’s statistically best time of day to play, when his win chances peak at 75%. Also, Friday night battles around 20:00 showcase his sharpest play with over 52% wins—so bring your A-game!
Final Thoughts
Marco Santomassimo’s chess profile is proof that passion outweighs perfection. Whether he's launching daring gambits or patiently crafting endgames, he's a player who embraces both the joys and trials of the 64 squares. If you see saintmax96 on the board, be prepared for an entertaining duel that’s never boring.
Quick Stats:
- Rapid: 405 wins / 545 losses / 42 draws
- Daily: 2 wins / 0 losses
- Bullet: 0 wins / 3 losses
- Longest Winning Streak: 7 games
- Longest Losing Streak: 25 games
Coach’s Feedback for Marco Santomassimo (saintmax96)
What you’re already doing well ✅
- Tactical alertness: You quickly notice unguarded pieces & weak back-rank squares. This is why you score many quick wins with 2.Qh5 and related tricks.
- Confidence: You’re not afraid to calculate forcing lines and go for material right from move 2. That fighting spirit is a real asset—let’s channel it into sounder positions!
- Clock management: In most wins you keep a comfortable time edge—good habit for rapid growth.
Key improvement themes 🛠️
-
Early-queen dependency
• 10 of your last 12 openings began with Qh5/Qf3. • When opponents reply accurately (e.g. raulgdp: 2…g6 3…Nf6 6…e5) your queen becomes a target and you fall behind in development.
➜ Aim to delay queen moves until at least move 5–6, after two minor pieces are developed. -
King safety & castling
In four recent losses you remained un-castled past move 15, giving opponents counter-play on the open e-file. Castle early unless you have a concrete reason not to. -
Opening fundamentals
Follow the “three golden rules”: control the centre, develop pieces, castle. A simple repertoire suggestion: • As White: Italian Game – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4. • As Black: Scandinavian (1.e4 d5) or the Classical 1…e5 with 2…Nc6, 3…Nf6—both have clear plans and few traps to memorise. -
Tactical blunder check
Loss vs KaiKo80 collapsed after 14…Bxd2+? overlooking 15.Nb5!. Add one step to your move checklist: “What does my opponent threaten if I play this?”
Practice plan for the next two weeks ⏳
- Play 20 games where you promise yourself not to move the queen before move 5. Track the score.
- Daily tactic routine: 10 puzzles focused on forks & pins. Try to score 80 % or better.
- Mini-endgames: King & pawn vs king; opposition; basic mates. Spend 15 min a day—these endings convert your material gains.
- After every game, replay it once and note: a) first moment you left opening principles, b) first unforced error. This reflection is more valuable than an extra blitz game.
Illustrative example
Your fastest win yesterday came from a sharp queen raid. Let’s store it for inspiration, but strive to achieve the same result with healthier development:
Progress tracker
Peak rapid rating so far: 653 (2021-05-06) – let’s aim to add 100 points by focusing on the fundamentals above.
Glossary
• Development – bringing new pieces into play.
• Fork – a single piece attacks two or more enemy pieces.
• Opposition – key king vs king concept in pawn endings.
Encouragement 🌟
Marco, your tactical eye is already stronger than many players at your rating. By blending that gift with solid opening & endgame habits you’ll climb quickly. Keep the curiosity high and the queen a little lower on the board, and great results will follow. Good luck! 💪
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Recent Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| aathiirajan | 0W / 0L / 1D | |
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| gatto_illegale | 11W / 144L / 2D | |
| rennakadiu | 13W / 5L / 0D | |
| regaio | 0W / 5L / 0D | |
| kiarashhavasi | 1W / 3L / 0D | |
| funi_queen | 3W / 0L / 0D | |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 160 | 495 | 1217 | |
| 2021 | 352 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 329W / 397L / 32D | 330W / 385L / 42D | 48.6 |
| 2021 | 0W / 5L / 0D | 0W / 3L / 0D | 40.0 |
Openings: Most Played
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes Opening: Walkerling | 412 | 178 | 218 | 16 | 43.2% |
| Amar Gambit | 130 | 62 | 61 | 7 | 47.7% |
| Bishop's Opening | 106 | 49 | 54 | 3 | 46.2% |
| Elephant Gambit | 87 | 40 | 42 | 5 | 46.0% |
| Australian Defense | 84 | 33 | 45 | 6 | 39.3% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 69 | 21 | 45 | 3 | 30.4% |
| French Defense | 63 | 27 | 34 | 2 | 42.9% |
| Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense | 61 | 23 | 35 | 3 | 37.7% |
| Barnes Defense | 51 | 21 | 29 | 1 | 41.2% |
| Amazon Attack | 48 | 25 | 21 | 2 | 52.1% |
| Daily Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes Opening: Walkerling | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Sicilian Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amar Gambit | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Amazon Attack | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 7 | 0 |
| Losing | 25 | 0 |