Craig Hilby - International Master Extraordinaire
Known in chess circles as TheNomNomFactor, Craig Hilby is an International Master who embodies cunning, resilience, and a dash of humor on the 64 squares. With a peak daily rating of 2364 and a bullet blitz peak soaring beyond 2700, Craig has navigated the wild wild west of chess openings and time controls with remarkable tenacity.
From Humble Beginnings to Chess Dominance
Starting with a modest daily rating in the low 1300s back in 2012, Craig's career can best be described as a thrilling rollercoaster — but instead of screams, it features victorious checkmates and clever sacrifices. The climb was steady and fierce, culminating in a peak blitz rating of 2727 in May 2025 and a bullet zenith of 2739 in July 2024. This guy doesn’t just play; he dominates time scrambles with the flair of a magician pulling rabbits out of a hat – except the rabbits are chess pieces, and the hat is a ticking clock!
Playing Style & Tactical Brilliance
With an impressive average of nearly 70 moves per winning game, Craig relishes the long, strategic battles that test both patience and chutzpah. His endgame frequency is high, suggesting he is not afraid to duke it out until the bitter end, and his comeback rate is a whopping 81.88%. Losing a piece? No problem. Craig turns setbacks into setups for victory faster than you can say "checkmate."
Signature Openings
Craig's opening repertoire is shrouded in secrecy—literally named "Top Secret" for daily games with a stellar 75% win rate, showing that even his openings need not be known to crush opponents. In bullet and blitz he throws kings and knights in many formations, including the French Defense Kings Indian Attack and the Lion Defense Anti Philidor Lions Cave Variation, where he boasts perfect records. Expect creativity, unexpected maneuvers, and the occasional sneaky knight fork.
Psychological Edge & Gaming Habits
Craig seems to hit his stride around 6 PM, when his psychological tilt factor drops, and his win rate in this "golden hour" peaks. Monday slump? Not for Craig—he’s busy prepping the perfect pawn storm. His win rates against lower, equal, and higher-rated opponents show a fighter who enjoys proving doubters wrong while gracefully handling the giants of the chess world.
Recent Triumphs & Humbling Lessons
His latest games are a testament to his skill and unpredictability. Recently, he crushed opponents with masterful endgame precision in games like the fiery Austrian Dragon and the tricky Evans Gambit. Of course, even masters face defeats, and his losses by time and resilience—like the match against VladimirBelous—only fuel his hunger for improvement.
Fun Facts
- Longest winning streak: 35 games — a marathon, not a sprint.
- Current streak status: Coming off a fresh win, so watch out!
- Favorite time control: Bullet and blitz, where reflexes meet genius.
- Psychological traits: Known for bouncing back swiftly after setbacks, with a “never say die” attitude.
Craig Hilby’s chess journey is one that combines passion, precision, and a pinch of panache, making every game a spectacle. Whether you’re an aspiring chess player or just someone looking for an enthralling match, keep an eye on TheNomNomFactor—because when Craig’s on the board, dinner isn’t served until the game is won.
Overall Performance and Rating Progress
Craig, your recent games show a solid and steady improvement in your chess skills, highlighted by a strength adjusted win rate of approximately 52%. Over the last six months, you have gained about 129 rating points, with an encouraging upward trend, especially visible over the past three months with a trend slope of 61.5. This consistent progress reflects your dedication and growing understanding of the game.
Recent Game Insights
Examining your most recent wins and losses provides valuable insights into your gameplay strengths and areas to work on:
- Strengths: Your attacking play is impressive, especially in sharp positions such as those from the Italian Game and the Caro-Kann Defense. You successfully capitalize on opponent inaccuracies and manage to convert winning chances effectively.
- Opportunities for growth: Some losses, like the one against tr7ingToplaywell, involved endgame positions where time pressure and piece activity became critical. Enhancing your time management and refining endgame technique could turn close situations in your favor.
- Opening choices demonstrate a flexible repertoire, including responses to e4 and d4 openings, but deepening your preparation in key lines, like the French Defense or Slav Defense, can provide a stronger foundation for early middle-game positions.
Opening Performance
Your use of common openings such as the Italian Game and variations of the King's Pawn openings serve you well, but careful review of recent games suggests that reinforcing your understanding of pivotal opening concepts can improve your position in the early phases. Consider focusing on:
- Controlling the center effectively.
- Rapid development and king safety, especially castling timing.
- Anticipating opponent's tactical themes based on opening choices.
Next Steps for Improvement
To leverage your existing strengths and address areas of improvement, try integrating the following approaches into your training:
- Time Management: Practice managing your clock better in blitz games to avoid losses from time pressure, especially in complex endgame scenarios.
- Endgame Study: Strengthen your endgame skills by reviewing fundamental positions, which will increase your confidence to convert favorable endgames into wins.
- Opening Repertoire: Deepen your knowledge of openings you frequently play, using game analysis to identify typical plans and pitfalls.
- Game Analysis: Regularly analyze both your wins and losses to understand tactical mistakes and missed opportunities, helping to avoid repeating them.
Closing Encouragement
Keep up the great work, Craig! Your positive rating trajectory and ability to win in tactical positions show that you're on the right path. With continued focus on the details mentioned, your blitz play will become even stronger. Best of luck with your upcoming games!
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| trickytrapchess | 135W / 87L / 16D | View Games |
| fmchesskid | 77W / 55L / 13D | View Games |
| Cameron Wheeler | 69W / 51L / 12D | View Games |
| socaljuniorchess | 52W / 65L / 3D | View Games |
| Joshua Sheng | 19W / 72L / 1D | View Games |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2706 | 2739 | 2456 | 2437 |
| 2024 | 2681 | 2571 | ||
| 2023 | 2733 | 2664 | 2440 | |
| 2022 | 2715 | 2571 | ||
| 2021 | 2604 | 2655 | 2439 | |
| 2020 | 2563 | 2526 | 2306 | |
| 2019 | 2344 | 2471 | 2420 | 2030 |
| 2018 | 2443 | 2378 | 2382 | 2028 |
| 2017 | 2503 | 2414 | 2319 | 2177 |
| 2016 | 2483 | 2266 | 2191 | |
| 2015 | 2310 | 2170 | 2276 | |
| 2014 | 2246 | 2137 | 2287 | 1628 |
| 2013 | 2181 | 1924 | 1811 | 1943 |
| 2012 | 2046 | 1922 | 1682 | 1755 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 68W / 25L / 7D | 67W / 20L / 9D | 80.5 |
| 2024 | 30W / 7L / 0D | 24W / 6L / 2D | 58.6 |
| 2023 | 5W / 1L / 2D | 11W / 1L / 0D | 71.8 |
| 2022 | 18W / 10L / 2D | 15W / 11L / 1D | 57.2 |
| 2021 | 32W / 29L / 6D | 24W / 42L / 6D | 79.0 |
| 2020 | 186W / 93L / 26D | 159W / 119L / 20D | 75.4 |
| 2019 | 97W / 30L / 13D | 89W / 43L / 10D | 72.8 |
| 2018 | 157W / 126L / 33D | 136W / 153L / 32D | 75.9 |
| 2017 | 408W / 257L / 51D | 371W / 282L / 55D | 67.5 |
| 2016 | 552W / 250L / 36D | 507W / 286L / 58D | 73.7 |
| 2015 | 332W / 115L / 28D | 299W / 121L / 30D | 74.6 |
| 2014 | 738W / 273L / 64D | 668W / 319L / 76D | 74.7 |
| 2013 | 629W / 334L / 43D | 638W / 317L / 58D | 71.8 |
| 2012 | 363W / 132L / 12D | 360W / 113L / 21D | 68.7 |
Openings: Most Played
| Daily Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 27 | 24 | 0 | 3 | 88.9% |
| Blackburne Shilling Gambit | 24 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 75.0% |
| Unknown | 19 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 73.7% |
| Amazon Attack | 15 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 93.3% |
| Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation | 13 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 76.9% |
| Scotch Game | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50.0% |
| Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 90.0% |
| Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 40.0% |
| Czech Defense | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 77.8% |
| Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 88.9% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amar Gambit | 522 | 313 | 183 | 26 | 60.0% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 349 | 241 | 95 | 13 | 69.0% |
| Modern | 293 | 182 | 94 | 17 | 62.1% |
| Czech Defense | 276 | 184 | 80 | 12 | 66.7% |
| Australian Defense | 238 | 142 | 84 | 12 | 59.7% |
| Amazon Attack | 211 | 138 | 62 | 11 | 65.4% |
| Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation | 206 | 128 | 68 | 10 | 62.1% |
| Barnes Defense | 147 | 87 | 51 | 9 | 59.2% |
| Nimzo-Larsen Attack | 142 | 79 | 51 | 12 | 55.6% |
| Döry Defense | 122 | 71 | 43 | 8 | 58.2% |
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 192 | 107 | 67 | 18 | 55.7% |
| Unknown | 145 | 89 | 55 | 1 | 61.4% |
| Blackburne Shilling Gambit | 131 | 91 | 32 | 8 | 69.5% |
| Czech Defense | 120 | 70 | 43 | 7 | 58.3% |
| Modern | 103 | 67 | 32 | 4 | 65.0% |
| Amazon Attack | 98 | 77 | 17 | 4 | 78.6% |
| Amar Gambit | 90 | 54 | 30 | 6 | 60.0% |
| Australian Defense | 80 | 42 | 27 | 11 | 52.5% |
| Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation | 74 | 44 | 26 | 4 | 59.5% |
| Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack | 73 | 45 | 23 | 5 | 61.6% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Defense | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 72.7% |
| Blackburne Shilling Gambit | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 72.7% |
| Amar Gambit | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 37.5% |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 85.7% |
| Czech Defense | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Modern | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 16.7% |
| English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 16.7% |
| Gruenfeld: Exchange Variation | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 16.7% |
| Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 83.3% |
| Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation, Cobra Variation | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 66.7% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 35 | 5 |
| Losing | 25 | 0 |