Тетяна Скарбарчук, known in the online chess world as Тетяна Скарбарчук, is a titled player who proudly carries the National Master title awarded by National. A bright, combative presence at the board, she blends sharp tactical intent with stubborn endgames and a generous sense of humor. Her preferred time control is Rapid, and she treats every game like a mini-drama where the clock is a cheeky adversary and the pieces are her chorus of characters.
Career and style
Beginning her climb in 2016, she has shown a remarkable trajectory from a 1200-level start to daily performances around the 2100s, with Peak Daily ratings in the 2100s by 2024. In the faster formats, her blitz and rapid results have stood out, with a Blitz peak near 2490 in mid-2025 and a Bullet peak around 2403 in July 2025. Her endgames are famously resilient, reflecting an endgame frequency listed at about 63.6%, and her practical approach to solving problems under time pressure is a hallmark of her play.
Her opening repertoire highlights include the French Defense (Advance Variation and Exchange Variation), Queen's Gambit Declined structures (such as D02 and related lines), and the Amar Gambit, among others. This diverse toolkit allows her to steer games into dynamic middlegames and tough endgames, where her persistence often pays off.
Openings and results
Amar Gambit: a solid 33-game footprint with a strong win rate around 57.6%.
French Defense variants: a staple across rapid and blitz, with multiple sublines such as the Advance and Exchange Variations well represented.
Queen's Gambit Declined family (including 3.Nc3 Bb4 and related lines): proven durable across time controls.
Australian Defense, QGD-based lines, and a splash of Unknown/openings showing versatility and willingness to experiment.
Legacy and presence
As a National Master and active competitor, Тетяна embodies the modern chess professional: technically proficient, creatively aggressive when the nets are tight, and funny enough to keep her opponents off balance. She remains a compelling figure on the online scene, where rapid-fire decisions meet patient endgames and a calm, analytical mind behind every move.
Coach Chesswick
What you’re doing well
You show solid practical play in rapid games. Your decisions tend to keep pieces active and you’re comfortable handling a variety of openings, which helps you adapt to different opponents. You’ve demonstrated good resilience in middlegame transitions and can convert pressure into favorable outcomes when your position is coordinated.
King safety and rapid development are often solid after the opening phase.
Ability to press on the kingside in some structures, creating practical chances even when the position isn’t crystal clean.
Consistency in maintaining activity through piece coordination and timely rook activity.
Key areas to improve
Time management in dynamic positions: allocate a small but steady amount of thinking time per move, and avoid rushing critical tactical or positional decisions in the later stages of the game.
Endgame technique: work on converting advantages in rook and minor piece endgames. Practice simple rook endings and technique for converting passed pawns.
Middlegame planning: after the first 15–20 moves, set a concrete plan (e.g., open a file, target a weak pawn, or improve the worst-placed piece) rather than reacting move-to-move.
Repertoire consolidation: you perform well with a range of openings, but a focused core repertoire can help you understand typical plans and not get lost in unfamiliar lines during fast games.
Tactical vigilance: continue regular tactical training to sharpen pattern recognition for forks, pins, and discovered attacks that often arise in rapid games.
Opening sense and repertoire ideas
You show comfort with several solid systems. To sharpen results in rapid games, consider refining a compact White repertoire and a reliable Black reply set. This helps you quickly reach familiar middlegame plans rather than spending time on early decisions. Focus on:
For White: establish a main path (for example, a reliable setup after 1.d4 or 1.e4) and learn 2–3 common middle-game plans for each major variation you expect to face.
For Black: pick 1–2 flexible defenses to 1.d4 and 1.c4 (or your preferred White reply) and study typical pawn structures, common breaks, and key piece maneuvers.
Study a few model games in your chosen lines to internalize typical middlegame themes (active rooks on open files, central breaks, piece coordination).
Practical 4-week plan to accelerate improvement
Week 1: Tactics and time feel
Do 15–20 minutes of daily tactical puzzles focusing on basic motifs (pins, forks, skewers, discovered attacks).
Play one 15-minute game per day with a plan: write down a short objective at move 15 (e.g., control the open file, target the backward pawn).
Week 2: Opening focus and plan-making
Choose a main White setup and a main Black defense. Learn 2 representative lines for each, including typical middlegame ideas.
Annotate one game per day after play: note the moment you formed your plan and any deviation from it.
Week 3: Endgames and conversion
Practice rook endings and simple king-and-pawn endings (rotate through a small set of standard positions).
Play 10–15 minute games focusing on simplifying when ahead and keeping activity when behind.
Week 4: Review and refine
Review your last 8–12 rapid games with a focus on recurring mistakes (time trouble, tactical oversights, missed plan shifts).
Solidify a one-page quick-reference checklist for the middlegame plans in your main openings.
Quick reminders you can apply in your next games
At the start of a critical game, set a simple objective for the first 15 moves, then evaluate whether you’re closer to that goal or need a different plan.
After exchanges, pause to assess what changes in the pawn structure mean for your plan (who controls open files, weaknesses vs. strengths).
Keep a short post-game note for each rapid game: one positive, one improvement, and one idea to test next time.
Would you like a tailored 6-week plan?
I can tailor a focused plan based on the specific openings you enjoy, your typical middlegame themes, and your time controls. If you share a couple of favorite lines or opponent tendencies you encounter most, I’ll build a week-by-week program with target drills and sample games.
