Avatar of Serafima Tsiganova

Serafima Tsiganova WFM

Username: Serafima

Location: St. Paul, MN

Playing Since: 2010-08-14 (Active)

Wow Factor: ♟♟♟♟♟♟♟

Chess.com

Daily: 1761
156W / 144L / 50D
Rapid: 1977
6087W / 5789L / 995D
Blitz: 1745
15423W / 15568L / 1731D
Bullet: 1411
0W / 5L / 0D

Serafima Tsiganova - Woman FIDE Master

Meet Serafima Tsiganova, a titled chess enthusiast who juggles the complexities of the 64 squares with the grace and cunning of a grandmaster in the making. Awarded the prestigious Woman FIDE Master title, Serafima is no stranger to the battlefield of strategy, calculation, and nerves!

Since bursting onto the scene around 2010, Serafima’s rapid rating has soared impressively—from humble beginnings around 1441 to peaking above 2050, a clear sign of someone who’s been both learning and winning with gusto. On any given day, playing blitz or rapid, Serafima’s fierce tactical awareness is impossible to ignore, boasting a comeback rate of nearly 85% and winning every game when dropping a piece—talk about resilience!

While some players might throw in the towel when things look bleak, not Serafima. With an early resignation rate of just 0.7%, she’s in it for the long haul, averaging about 70 moves per win and stretching battles to nearly 80 moves even in defeat—proof that every pawn, knight, and bishop counts until the very end.

Serafima enjoys a nearly balanced win rate with White and Black, hovering just under 50%. One might suspect this player is a true chess ninja, equally comfortable wielding the first move’s initiative or counterpunching from the second rank.

If you catch her gaming online, prepare for a battle that spans days and hours, with Serafima’s strategic mind peaking in the evening hours when everyone’s settling in with coffee (or chess-juice). Beware, her streaks could last up to 12 wins—yes, twelve wins in a row! She’s not just playing chess; she’s making a statement.

Notably, Serafima keeps an impressive winning record against “computers-hard” and “beco1954” among other online rivals, showing that whether it’s silicon or human, her chess prowess is an unstoppable force.

Playing Style & Quirks

  • Highly tactical with a snazzy comeback ability—loves turning the tables.
  • Prefers deep endgames, often dragging matches to their full length.
  • Low rate of early resignations; plays to the last move (or the last coffee).
  • Tilt factor? Low enough to keep calm when the board is burning.

Whether she’s squeezing out the tiniest edge or simply enjoying the art of battle, Serafima Tsiganova is a player to watch. With steady growth, a rich history of game counts, and a good dose of mental fortitude, this Woman FIDE Master just might checkmate you before you even realize what happened.

Pro tip: Never underestimate Serafima’s endgame wizardry or her ever-ready comeback!


Coach's Avatar

Hi Serafima Tsiganova!

You have an enterprising, fighting style that scores well against 1900-level opposition. Let’s build on your strengths and patch a few recurring leaks.

What you’re doing well

  • Fearless opening choices. Your repeated use of the Nimzowitsch (1…Nc6) and dynamic Sicilians invites unbalanced middlegames where you thrive.
  • Piece activity. In your wins against chefsonic, IDontKnowOpeningsEither and others you efficiently placed minor pieces on aggressive posts (…Nh4/…Nf4, …Bc5/Bc5-e3) and converted pressure into tactics.
  • Practical time handling. You rarely drop into deep time trouble; most losses stem from board decisions rather than the clock.

Recurring trouble spots

  1. King safety vs. direct attacks.
    Loss to teh000 (Four Knights, 23.Qh7#) shows a tendency to push the f-pawn too early and leave dark squares exposed.
    Mini-exercise: Load the critical position after 13.Bxh7+ in a board and calculate all defensive resources before touching the f-pawn.
  2. Handling of opposite-side pawn storms.
    In the Caro-Kann loss (vs. elroerto4) you played well until declining to trade queens when under pressure; the b- and c-pawns then rolled uncontested. Remember the “stop-block-trade-counter” checklist for passed pawns.
  3. Endgame technique.
    Games vs. 34years and xpanderis slipped from equal to lost in technical endings. Typical issues:
    • Failing to activate the king early.
    • Allowing outside passed pawns to distract your rook.
  4. Over-reliance on one defensive repertoire.
    Most e-pawn games start 1.e4 Nc6 2…e5. Strong opponents will pre-prep sharp lines (e.g., Scotch Four Knights, Vienna). Adding a sound Caro-Kann or French secondary weapon will reduce predictability.

Action plan for the next 30 days

FocusHowGoal
King-safety drills Daily 10-min tactics filtered for “mate in 2-4” where your side defends. Cut blunders leading to direct mates by half.
Endgame basics Play 20 rook-and-pawn endings vs. engine at depth 10; always start from equal. Convert/hold ≥70 % of positions.
Opening diversification Prepare a simple 1…e5 line vs. e4 (e.g., Petroff) and one vs. d4 (e.g., QGD). Use the new line in at least 10 live games.
Post-game reflection Annotate every game for 5 minutes: “critical moment, better move, why missed.” Build a personal pattern notebook.

Statistics snapshot

Blitz peak: 1937 (2020-10-04)
Rapid peak: 2357 (2014-11-11)

01234567891011121314151617181920212223100%0%Hour of Day
 
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun100%0%Day of Week

Key improvement example

Winning conversion vs. elhieho – leverage this pattern!

Notice how activating the queen before pawn breaks increased mating threats without weakening your own king. Replicate this timing in similar structures.

Final encouragement

You’re hovering just below the 2000 mark; tightening king safety and polishing endgames should be enough to push you through. Keep the fighting spirit but add a dose of prophylaxis—your creative flair will then shine even brighter!

Good luck, and see you over the board!



🆚 Opponent Insights

Recent Opponents
kim910322 1W / 0L / 0D
kylebova 0W / 0L / 1D
ahmetlicina 1W / 0L / 0D
husni_mv33 0W / 0L / 1D
esthet2 0W / 0L / 1D
mathioli 0W / 0L / 1D
melton11 0W / 2L / 1D
mao1059 2W / 0L / 0D
alojzy_trabka 0W / 0L / 1D
dn_omega 0W / 1L / 0D
Most Played Opponents
beco1954 21W / 15L / 6D
nathanhoover 3W / 32L / 6D
baseballnut 18W / 9L / 7D
Alan Piper 10W / 22L / 1D
franciscrick 15W / 15L / 2D

Rating

Year Bullet Blitz Rapid Daily
2025 1945
2024 1745 1959 1761
2023 1411 1647 1916 1801
2022 1743 1807 1844
2021 1732 2008 1908
2020 1868 1754
2019 1782 2078
2018 1750 1688
2017 1597 1736 1665
2016 1677 1708 2216
2015 1702
2014 1698 2357
2013 1603 1441
2012 1200 1707
2011 1687 1200
2010 1782 1200
Rating by Year201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024202523571200YearRatingBulletBlitzRapidDaily

Stats by Year

Year White Black Moves
2025 685W / 674L / 100D 679W / 662L / 115D 78.5
2024 750W / 655L / 124D 688W / 723L / 118D 79.2
2023 749W / 636L / 120D 676W / 715L / 118D 78.2
2022 796W / 706L / 128D 733W / 757L / 117D 78.8
2021 760W / 680L / 116D 732W / 703L / 113D 76.2
2020 1098W / 1041L / 158D 1054W / 1049L / 150D 76.5
2019 866W / 877L / 88D 867W / 851L / 86D 74.3
2018 603W / 633L / 73D 595W / 650L / 78D 75.1
2017 599W / 643L / 75D 580W / 650L / 69D 74.4
2016 703W / 630L / 76D 617W / 702L / 82D 76.4
2015 835W / 802L / 126D 848W / 819L / 101D 77.9
2014 723W / 666L / 71D 750W / 647L / 63D 74.9
2013 500W / 651L / 50D 497W / 646L / 58D 74.0
2012 352W / 498L / 30D 370W / 457L / 41D 76.0
2011 579W / 504L / 34D 562W / 503L / 49D 73.6
2010 345W / 237L / 23D 318W / 275L / 17D 73.4

Openings: Most Played

Blitz Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Australian Defense 3501 1907 1406 188 54.5%
Scotch Game 2221 1074 1018 129 48.4%
Ruy Lopez 2120 1009 1012 99 47.6%
French Defense 1654 796 780 78 48.1%
Blackburne Shilling Gambit 1036 499 485 52 48.2%
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense 908 406 446 56 44.7%
Four Knights Game 865 372 430 63 43.0%
Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Accelerated Dragon 827 428 349 50 51.8%
KGD: Falkbeer, Marshall/Nimzowitsch, 4.dxc6 799 392 373 34 49.1%
Scandinavian Defense 762 351 364 47 46.1%
Rapid Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Australian Defense 1329 690 533 106 51.9%
Scotch Game 1047 517 454 76 49.4%
Ruy Lopez 642 327 257 58 50.9%
Caro-Kann Defense 607 281 265 61 46.3%
French Defense 556 272 249 35 48.9%
Blackburne Shilling Gambit 460 201 224 35 43.7%
London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation 421 187 200 34 44.4%
Barnes Defense 416 201 185 30 48.3%
Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Accelerated Dragon 371 205 132 34 55.3%
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense 370 187 153 30 50.5%
Daily Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Australian Defense 37 19 14 4 51.4%
London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation 35 21 10 4 60.0%
Unknown 25 0 25 0 0.0%
Scotch Game 20 11 6 3 55.0%
Ruy Lopez 15 7 7 1 46.7%
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense 8 3 5 0 37.5%
Modern Defense: Pterodactyl Variation 8 6 0 2 75.0%
Four Knights Game 8 5 1 2 62.5%
Barnes Defense 7 2 4 1 28.6%
Bishop's Opening: Vienna Hybrid, Hromádka Variation 7 2 3 2 28.6%
Bullet Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Four Knights Game 1 0 1 0 0.0%
French Defense 1 0 1 0 0.0%
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Ragozin Variation 1 0 1 0 0.0%
Scandinavian Defense 1 0 1 0 0.0%

🔥 Streaks

Streak Longest Current
Winning 12 1
Losing 22 0