Scott "Tootz88" Sutherland
Meet Scott Sutherland, better known in the chess world as Tootz88, a rapid and blitz warrior whose games blend fierce determination with occasional moments of “Wait, what just happened?” Scott’s chess journey is a rollercoaster of ups and downs, but hey, who doesn’t love a good thrill ride?
Rating & Performance
Scott’s peak Rapid rating soared to a respectable 574 in March 2025, while his blitz prowess peaked at 233 in May 2025. With nearly a thousand wins in rapid but just as many losses, his style is nothing if not relentlessly competitive. His average game length suggests he’s not one to rush – he likes to savor the drama, lingering on average 43 moves per win.
Playing Style & Strengths
Scott is a master of comebacks, boasting a 70.87% comeback rate – which is arguably code for “never say die.” Even after losing a piece, he still manages to claw out a win almost half the time, showing serious tactical awareness and grit. Early resignations happen about 11.45% of the time, proving even he knows when to cut his losses and regroup for the next battle.
His preferred time to wreak havoc on the chessboard? Definitely 5 AM – apparently, his brain fires best at dawn, while the rest of the world is busy hitting snooze. Also, his "Tilt Factor" is a modest 13, so don’t expect him to throw his king across the room after a bad move.
Opening Repertoire
A fan of classics, Scott frequently navigates the King's Pawn Opening and its many variations, and he’s particularly deadly with the Scandinavian Defense, Englund Gambit, Alekhine's Defense, and even the tricky Sicilian Defense where he boasts an impressive 60.42% win rate. Although some openings have seen him stumble, like the Bishop's Opening where his win rate dips to 43.42%, he’s always ready to turn the tide.
Recent Battle Highlights
Scott’s most recent victories include a beautifully executed Bishop's Opening game against olllayoo, finishing with flair by resignation at move 18. His tactical fireworks also shone through in quick wins over opponents like prospendeo and srisurya31, displaying a penchant for sharp, aggressive play.
Of course, every hero has his missteps. Scott recently faced defeat against minazzzzz and Xamthi – a reminder that even the best can have an off day or two… or thirteen (his longest losing streak, but hey, who's counting?).
Fun Facts
- Longest winning streak: 12 games – sounds like someone was on fire!
- Current winning streak: 2 games – momentum’s building again.
- Nicknamed the “5 AM Gladiator” for dominating games at dawn.
- Enjoys keeping opponents guessing with his unexpected tactical flair.
Whether battling on the board or analyzing his next opening, Scott never loses his cheeky charm and love for the game. Keep an eye out, because the saga of Tootz88 is far from over!
Visualize the journey:
[[Chart|Rating|Rapid|2025-01-2025-06]]
Hi Scott!
Great job stringing together several convincing wins recently. I took a close look at your latest games (especially the win against olllayoo and the loss to minazzzzz) and have outlined the main trends I see in your play.
What’s working well
- Sharp tactical instincts. In your wins you never hesitate to sacrifice material for the attack (9.Bxf7+, 12.Nh6+, etc.). Your eye for forcing lines is a real asset at this level.
- Confidence with open positions. Whenever the center opens early you usually seize the initiative and coordinate your pieces quickly.
- Time usage when you’re winning. During successful games your clock stays healthy – evidence that you are spotting ideas rapidly.
Main improvement areas
-
Early-queen habits.
• The loss vs minazzzzz shows how bringing the queen out on move two (…2.Qh5/2…Bc5 lines) can backfire. • Challenge: Play 20 rapid games where you keep your queen home until at least move 6 unless you are recapturing material. -
King safety & castling discipline.
• In several defeats your king remained in the center (Alekhine’s Defence game vs Anhelina0007, Vienna vs Xamthi). • Drill: After every opponent move, ask “Have I castled yet? If not, is it safe and useful to do so now?” -
Handling counter-sacrifices.
• You punish weak replies well, but when an opponent defends accurately you sometimes continue the attack instead of consolidating. • Try analysing lost games with the computer only after you annotate them yourself. Write down where you could have switched from attack to consolidation. -
Clock management in worse positions.
• Two time-forfeit losses occurred when you were slightly worse. You spent a long time looking for tactics that weren’t there. • Practical tip: If the position is bad but simple, move quickly and save time for a potential endgame defence.
Opening roadmap (next 4 weeks)
| Week | White repertoire | Black vs 1.e4 | Focus theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bishop’s Opening (continue) | Classical 1…e5 | Castling by move 7 |
| 2 | Italian Giuoco Pianissimo | French Defence (Rubinstein) | Slow, strategic pawn breaks |
| 3 | Vienna Game (without early Qf3) | Scandinavian Defence | Piece development race |
| 4 | Review & blend | Pick your favourite | Balanced decision making |
Tactical warm-up (from your own win)
Try to calculate the full winning line after 8…g6 in the diagram below before revealing the PGN.
Stats & tracking
Keep an eye on your progress:
- Peak Rapid rating: 574 (2025-03-26)
- Hourly performance:
- Day-to-day consistency:
Next steps
- Play three 15|10 games this week focusing on safe development and not launching the queen early.
- Annotate one loss and one win in detail – note where you considered retreating the queen or castling.
- Review concept: zwischenzug – learning to spot intermediate moves will tighten your calculation.
Keep the energy and creativity, Scott – with a bit more structure your rating should jump quickly. Good luck and have fun!
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Recent Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| mello_26 | 1W / 1L / 0D | |
| tiebaputkatamaina | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| julien_1312 | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| lobo-a | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| smwtk | 0W / 0L / 1D | |
| nightqueenmove | 0W / 0L / 1D | |
| m31152124 | 0W / 0L / 1D | |
| ts_pmo_ngl_gng | 0W / 1L / 0D | |
| arshia9029 | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| proraj7351 | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| deejay131 | 28W / 1L / 0D | |
| bigshot888 | 3W / 0L / 1D | |
| chesslord69696912 | 0W / 2L / 1D | |
| j_i_y_u | 0W / 3L / 0D | |
| wahideshan58 | 0W / 2L / 0D | |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 203 | 131 | 394 | 974 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1201W / 1167L / 98D | 1148W / 1206L / 111D | 49.6 |
Openings: Most Played
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes Opening: Walkerling | 301 | 150 | 140 | 11 | 49.8% |
| Barnes Defense | 286 | 143 | 130 | 13 | 50.0% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 282 | 132 | 137 | 13 | 46.8% |
| Australian Defense | 267 | 143 | 112 | 12 | 53.6% |
| Amar Gambit | 236 | 127 | 95 | 14 | 53.8% |
| Elephant Gambit | 193 | 94 | 91 | 8 | 48.7% |
| Alekhine Defense | 188 | 103 | 78 | 7 | 54.8% |
| Bishop's Opening | 163 | 69 | 83 | 11 | 42.3% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 157 | 72 | 79 | 6 | 45.9% |
| Amazon Attack | 153 | 66 | 80 | 7 | 43.1% |
| Daily Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes Defense | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Amar Gambit | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Australian Defense | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.7% |
| Barnes Opening: Walkerling | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Unknown Opening* | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Fegatello Attack, Leonhardt Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| English Opening: Drill Variation | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Alekhine Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Modern Defense: Pterodactyl Variation | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes Opening: Walkerling | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 58.3% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Amar Gambit | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Amazon Attack | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 85.7% |
| Australian Defense | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 42.9% |
| Center Game | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 42.9% |
| Barnes Defense | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 40.0% |
| Elephant Gambit | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 25.0% |
| Bishop's Opening | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scandinavian Defense | 183 | 84 | 91 | 8 | 45.9% |
| Australian Defense | 86 | 47 | 39 | 0 | 54.6% |
| Amazon Attack | 83 | 39 | 41 | 3 | 47.0% |
| Elephant Gambit | 68 | 26 | 38 | 4 | 38.2% |
| Barnes Opening: Walkerling | 62 | 27 | 35 | 0 | 43.5% |
| Amar Gambit | 59 | 28 | 30 | 1 | 47.5% |
| Center Game | 45 | 23 | 21 | 1 | 51.1% |
| Barnes Defense | 44 | 16 | 27 | 1 | 36.4% |
| French Defense | 44 | 27 | 16 | 1 | 61.4% |
| KGD: Classical, 3.Bc4 | 34 | 15 | 17 | 2 | 44.1% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 12 | 4 |
| Losing | 13 | 0 |