Marcin Szymański - International Master
Also known by the username Tsubasa, Marcin Szymański is a formidable chess player whose journey up the rating ladder is as captivating as a thrilling chess endgame. Holding the esteemed International Master title from FIDE, Marcin blends deep strategic understanding with a dash of tactical wizardry.
Playing Profile
Marcin is primarily known for his prowess in Bullet and Blitz formats where lightning-fast decisions and nerves of steel dominate. His peak bullet rating soared to a staggering 2601 in December 2024, making him a formidable presence on online chess battlefields. Not to be outdone, his blitz peak reached an impressive 2556 just one month prior. And in rapid chess, Marcin has cracked the 2586 rating milestone, proving versatility across time controls.
Signature Style
Marcin’s style could be described as a mix of patience and precision. With an average of 68 moves per win and a healthy endgame frequency above 80%, he’s a player who doesn’t just sprint to victory but also plays the long strategic game when necessary. His comeback rate after setbacks is an astonishing 78.5%, indicating a psychological resilience that often rattles opponents — a true chess phoenix rising from the ashes of lost pieces.
Opening Repertoire and Favorite Battlegrounds
While Marcin opts for a "Top Secret" opening repertoire online (likely a quirky placeholder or a masterful disguise), his recent wins feature sharp and dynamic lines:
- Sicilian Defense - Smith Morra Gambit Accepted: A sacrificial, sacrilegious style demanding nerves of steel and tactical flair.
- Pirc Defense Classical Variation: Solid yet flexible, showing his ability to adapt mid-game.
- Queen's Pawn Opening - Chigorin Variation: A nod to classical principles blended with unexpected modern twists.
This suggests Marcin relishes both sharp tactical melees and deep positional battles—perhaps reflecting his double-edged personality both on and off the board.
Match Highlights & Memorable Stats
Marcin’s recent victories are proof of his tenacity and style:
"1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. f4 e6 ..." leading to a brilliant win by resignation in a daring Smith Morra Gambit encounter.
His opponents fear his quick transitions from opening theory to tactical fireworks. And while every chess warrior knows the pain of defeat, Marcin’s longest winning streak stands tall at 21 games, demonstrating that streaky domination is well within his grasp.
Personality & Fun Facts
Despite his grand title and serious online accomplishments, Marcin’s games tease a playful touch—opting for gambits and piece sacrifices designed to confound and entertain rather than simply bulldoze through opponents. His early resignation rate is a humble 0.35%, showing he battles on rather than tosses in the towel prematurely.
Also, his peak hours of peak performance are around early morning (01:00 AM), possibly the time when most grandmasters conjure their finest chess spells—or just the result of burning the midnight oil chasing elusive endgame secrets!
In Summary
Marcin Szymański is a strong International Master with a keen eye for dynamic, challenging play. Whether blitzing opponents with lightning speed or methodically grinding them down in longer games, this Polish chess talent keeps fans and foes alike on the edge of their seats. So if you play him, beware: behind that calm facade lies a chess fighter who's ready to conjure up a surprise and prove that every pawn push can be a small revolution.
May your openings be sharp and your endgames ever victorious—Tsubasa style!
Personalised Feedback for Marcin Szymański
Quick Snapshot
• Current peak blitz rating:
• Typical playing window:
• Consistency by weekday:
What You Are Doing Well
- Enterprising openings. In recent wins you have embraced sharp systems such as the Smith-Morra (B21) and aggressive French-Advance structures. You often reach positions with the initiative and open lines for your pieces early.
- Tactical alertness in complex middlegames. The 26.Rxc8! 27.Rxc8+ sequence in your latest victory shows confident calculation under time pressure.
- Piece activity over material. Several games illustrate a healthy willingness to sacrifice pawns (or exchange) for long-term pressure, e.g. 23.Rxd5 vs PeterPetrik.
Recurring Issues to Address
- King safety in flank-pawn structures.
• Loss vs CoachBucci: early h4 combined with delayed castling let Black break through with …Qg3+ and …Qd3#.
• When you play 3.f4 / 5.h4 setups, castle by move 9–10 or close the centre with d4–e5 before pushing wing pawns. - Over-ambitious pawn grabs in slower time controls.
• In the daily French (C05) you committed the queen to b2-a2 and were punished by a direct attack. Ask “What can go wrong if my queen remains off-side for 3 moves?” before capturing loose pawns. - Converting advantages.
• Even in wins you sometimes drift (e.g. missed faster mates in the Smith-Morra). Create a simple mental checklist in won positions: 1) King safety, 2) Piece coordination, 3) Force exchanges, 4) Pass pawns. - Time management.
• Blitz losses show critical decisions taken with <10 seconds. Allocate time consciously: opening (10 %), early middlegame (40 %), critical middlegame (40 %), conversion/endgame (10 %).
Targeted Training Plan
| Focus Area | Action | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| King-side safety | Play 20 puzzles/day with themes h-pawn storms against un-castled king and zwischenzug. | Build reflexes to meet flank pawn pushes with central counterplay or timely castling. |
| French & Sicilian repertoire as Black | Prepare one solid line vs 3.Nd2 (French) and a calm …e6 Sicilian to complement the sharp …h5 ideas. | Reduces preparation burden and lessens risk of early tactical blows. |
| Endgame technique | Weekly study of one classical rook endgame; replay Carlsen–Karjakin 2016 g3 rook endgame & mimic moves. | Raises conversion rate when material up & low on time. |
| Clock handling | Set a soft alert at 60 s; force yourself to make a move within 15 s after the beep. | Prevents last-second blunders and distributes thinking time. |
Model Game to Review
Below is the critical phase from your latest win. Try to pause before each of Black’s moves and predict the best continuation.
Next Steps
- Play a mini-match (10 blitz games) focusing on only quiet king-side development—no early flank pawn pushes. Compare results with your usual style.
- Every Monday, annotate one of your own losses without an engine, then compare to the engine afterwards. This will sharpen self-diagnosis skills.
Keep up the creative play, Marcin! Addressing the few structural weaknesses above will quickly convert more of your promising positions into wins.
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Recent Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| fish_club | 2W / 0L / 0D | |
| Tran Thanh Tu | 0W / 2L / 0D | |
| cuths16 | 1W / 0L / 1D | |
| johnbarleycorn | 1W / 0L / 1D | |
| zombiakot | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| vvlad22 | 2W / 0L / 0D | |
| faridkalakbarli | 1W / 1L / 0D | |
| wolf183 | 1W / 0L / 1D | |
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| superrubinka | 7W / 13L / 5D | |
| JohnsonXi | 15W / 2L / 1D | |
| fualls2 | 10W / 5L / 1D | |
| luis_rey | 10W / 5L / 0D | |
| Ілля Бєлов | 11W / 4L / 0D | |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2493 | 2519 | 2217 | |
| 2024 | 2601 | 2484 | 2503 | 1686 |
| 2023 | 2432 | 2460 | 2446 | 2280 |
| 2022 | 2427 | 2372 | 2489 | 2311 |
| 2021 | 2398 | 2410 | 2468 | 2339 |
| 2020 | 2359 | 2404 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 73W / 23L / 11D | 66W / 21L / 17D | 72.2 |
| 2024 | 424W / 222L / 46D | 386W / 245L / 45D | 79.3 |
| 2023 | 224W / 100L / 27D | 206W / 109L / 34D | 74.0 |
| 2022 | 250W / 120L / 21D | 232W / 129L / 32D | 75.5 |
| 2021 | 276W / 122L / 43D | 250W / 156L / 36D | 79.9 |
| 2020 | 183W / 94L / 15D | 144W / 121L / 18D | 79.4 |
Openings: Most Played
| Daily Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Defense | 52 | 49 | 0 | 3 | 94.2% |
| Unknown | 47 | 45 | 2 | 0 | 95.7% |
| French Defense | 43 | 35 | 3 | 5 | 81.4% |
| French Defense: Advance Variation | 42 | 33 | 5 | 4 | 78.6% |
| Bogo-Indian Defense | 38 | 25 | 4 | 9 | 65.8% |
| Amar Gambit | 35 | 29 | 1 | 5 | 82.9% |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation | 31 | 22 | 4 | 5 | 71.0% |
| Slav Defense | 27 | 17 | 4 | 6 | 63.0% |
| English Opening: Agincourt Defense | 24 | 17 | 3 | 4 | 70.8% |
| QGD: 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 | 24 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 87.5% |
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French Defense | 36 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 50.0% |
| French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Botvinnik Variation | 25 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 56.0% |
| Bogo-Indian Defense | 24 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 45.8% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 21 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 38.1% |
| Döry Defense | 21 | 6 | 14 | 1 | 28.6% |
| French Defense: Exchange Variation | 20 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 55.0% |
| Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation | 19 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 52.6% |
| French Defense: Advance Variation | 17 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 58.8% |
| Slav Defense | 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 53.3% |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 42.9% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Attack | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 44.4% |
| Amar Gambit | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 28.6% |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 25.0% |
| Bogo-Indian Defense | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75.0% |
| French Defense: Advance Variation | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.7% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.7% |
| French Defense | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.3% |
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33.3% |
| Bishop's Opening | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33.3% |
| Barnes Opening: Walkerling | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.3% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French Defense | 226 | 126 | 88 | 12 | 55.8% |
| Australian Defense | 179 | 108 | 59 | 12 | 60.3% |
| French Defense: Exchange Variation | 132 | 78 | 48 | 6 | 59.1% |
| Döry Defense | 121 | 65 | 48 | 8 | 53.7% |
| Amar Gambit | 104 | 56 | 44 | 4 | 53.9% |
| English Opening: Agincourt Defense | 91 | 56 | 32 | 3 | 61.5% |
| Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted | 86 | 47 | 34 | 5 | 54.6% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 80 | 42 | 32 | 6 | 52.5% |
| French Defense: Advance Variation | 75 | 42 | 30 | 3 | 56.0% |
| QGD: 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 | 73 | 37 | 30 | 6 | 50.7% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 21 | 1 |
| Losing | 12 | 0 |