Avatar of Vladislav Kovalev

Vladislav Kovalev GM

Username: vladislavkovalev

Location: Minsk

Playing Since: 2017-01-14 (Inactive)

Wow Factor: ♟♟♟♟

Chess.com

Rapid: 2623
213W / 136L / 118D
Blitz: 2844
2254W / 1582L / 493D
Bullet: 2786
742W / 680L / 113D

Vladislav Kovalev - Grandmaster of the 64 Squares

Vladislav Kovalev, known in the digital chess arenas as vladislavkovalev, proudly holds the distinguished title of Grandmaster, granted by FIDE. A formidable force in the world of chess, Vladislav is no stranger to intense battles on the board — whether blitz, bullet, or rapid, his presence is always felt.

Since the early days of 2017, Vladislav’s blitz rating soared dramatically, reaching an impressive peak of 2975 in July 2023 — a lightning-fast mind capable of shaking even the toughest opponents. When the clock ticks down to bullet time, he strikes with equal ferocity, hitting a peak rating of 2848. In the classical rapid games, his strategic prowess shines brightest, peaking at a staggering 3013 rating in August 2022. It’s as if the slow burn suits him, but don’t be fooled — he can snap into action with bullet speed or blitz flair anytime.

Vladislav is the kind of player who treats every game as an epic saga. Known for his tactical wizardry, he boasts an incredible 82.94% comeback rate, turning losing positions into dazzling victories. And with a tilt factor of just 11 — yes, even when the pressure mounts, Vladislav keeps his cool better than most of us keep coffee mugs intact.

His favorite openings remain shrouded in mystery — or "Top Secret," as his stats cheekily call it — but he has demonstrated mastery in well-known classics like the Ruy Lopez and Sicilian variations. He is not just a sharp tactician but a strategist who thrives in complex endgames, with an 84.06% frequency of endgame play.

Recent Performances

  • Latest victory: Dominated the Ruy Lopez Morphy Defense, forcing his opponent to resign after a clinical display of positional mastery and tactical strikes.
  • Recent defeats remind us even grandmasters are human; losses by resignation and on time don’t slow him down but fuel his hunger for improvement.

Off the board, Vladislav probably enjoys explaining his favorite moves in intricate detail — to a chessboard, of course. Opponents beware: this Grandmaster never resigns early (early resignation rate a mere 4.3%) and fights to the last move, making every game a thrilling drama.

Whether you encounter vladislavkovalev online or witness his electrifying play in live events, one thing is clear: chess is not just a game for Vladislav, it's a battlefield of brilliance, wit, and relentless passion.


Coach's Avatar

Positive Aspects from Recent Blitz Games

Vladislav, your most recent win demonstrated several strengths that are important in blitz chess:

  • Opening Preparation: You chose the Scandinavian Defense (Mieses-Kotrc Main Line), a solid and aggressive response to e4, and followed it up with logical developing moves. This gave you a good early control of the center.
  • Piece Activity and Coordination: You actively placed your pieces, especially your rooks and knights, to control key lines and squares. Maneuvering your knights well and quick castling helped maintain good king safety and structural integrity.
  • Endgame Technique: Your final moves showed good awareness of promotion threats and building a strong passed pawn supported by king and pawns. This helped you force resignation effectively.
  • Resource Management: You managed your clock well during the game, ensuring you had enough time for critical decisions.

Areas for Improvement from Recent Losses

Your recent losses offer good areas to focus on:

  • Time Management: One loss was due to running out of time while in a complex middle game position. Improving your time allocation and playing more confidently under time pressure will help avoid losing on the clock.
  • Midgame Defense: In one game, opponents pressured you aggressively with pawn advances and tactical threats. Consider practicing defensive techniques and studying typical pawn breaks and piece activity in openings such as the English Opening and Ruy Lopez to better counter aggressive plans.
  • Opening Variety & Preparation: Experiment with deepening your repertoires beyond your most played openings, such as the Scandinavian and Caro-Kann. This can help avoid opponents getting comfortable and reduce surprises against your setup.
  • Calculation and Tactical Awareness: In some losing games, your evaluation of exchanges and knight maneuvers could be sharpened. Tactical exercises focusing on knight forks, pins, and skewers could enhance your resilience.

General Improvement Suggestions

Based on your overall statistics and recent games, here are some strategic recommendations:

  • Focus on Openings with Higher Win Rates: You perform strongly with openings such as the Caro-Kann Defense and Bird Opening Batavo Gambit, with over 60% win rates. Consider reinforcing these lines for more dependable results.
  • Analyze Recent Setbacks: Use your recorded games where you lost or struggled to identify recurring mistakes or weak spots in your play, especially relating to time usage and critical position assessment.
  • Improve Endgame Knowledge: Although your endgame technique in the win was strong, consistent reinforcement of fundamental endgames will boost your confidence in converting slight advantages under blitz time constraints.
  • Maintain Positive Momentum: Your recent rating trend shows steady improvement with positive short-term slopes, so maintaining a balanced training schedule with both tactical and strategic elements will be beneficial.
  • Optimize Time Usage: Enhancing ability to quickly recognize common positions and typical plans in your preferred openings can reduce time spent in early moves and provide more room for critical moments.


🆚 Opponent Insights

Most Played Opponents
Vladimir Fedoseev 38W / 61L / 14D
Sergei Zhigalko 31W / 37L / 8D
Igor Kovalenko 25W / 35L / 5D
Alireza Firouzja 13W / 44L / 7D
David Paravyan 25W / 30L / 9D

Rating

Year Bullet Blitz Rapid Daily
2025 2844 2623
2024 2851 2603
2023 2929 2650
2022 2786 2362 2632
2021 2844 2789
2020 2698 2805 2550
2019 2651 2841
2018 2672 2809
2017 2651 2731
Rating by Year20172018201920202021202220232024202529292362YearRatingBulletBlitzRapid

Stats by Year

Year White Black Moves
2025 35W / 16L / 10D 32W / 24L / 6D 88.7
2024 218W / 92L / 36D 182W / 108L / 38D 75.8
2023 155W / 63L / 24D 139W / 70L / 22D 79.2
2022 165W / 90L / 44D 155W / 83L / 47D 85.6
2021 105W / 33L / 17D 104W / 36L / 8D 78.0
2020 256W / 115L / 43D 219W / 126L / 60D 86.4
2019 233W / 192L / 43D 213W / 212L / 50D 87.7
2018 316W / 308L / 72D 279W / 324L / 89D 88.5
2017 363W / 299L / 65D 340W / 330L / 76D 85.1

Openings: Most Played

Blitz Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Unknown 288 196 91 1 68.1%
Ruy Lopez: Closed 218 109 88 21 50.0%
Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack 173 63 86 24 36.4%
Four Knights Game 155 90 45 20 58.1%
Caro-Kann Defense 151 93 36 22 61.6%
Blackburne Shilling Gambit 147 71 61 15 48.3%
Amazon Attack 134 57 64 13 42.5%
Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit 113 71 27 15 62.8%
Sicilian Defense 112 68 38 6 60.7%
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense 105 57 37 11 54.3%
Rapid Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Four Knights Game 39 11 14 14 28.2%
Blackburne Shilling Gambit 28 13 7 8 46.4%
Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation 23 7 7 9 30.4%
Ruy Lopez: Closed 23 10 5 8 43.5%
Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Berlin Wall 20 8 4 8 40.0%
Caro-Kann Defense 19 10 6 3 52.6%
Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit 14 10 3 1 71.4%
Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation 14 6 6 2 42.9%
Bogo-Indian Defense 13 4 7 2 30.8%
London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation 12 6 1 5 50.0%
Bullet Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Nimzo-Larsen Attack 271 145 111 15 53.5%
Modern 76 31 42 3 40.8%
Amar Gambit 66 28 31 7 42.4%
King's Indian Attack 62 32 25 5 51.6%
Hungarian Opening: Wiedenhagen-Beta Gambit 58 30 27 1 51.7%
East Indian Defense 55 20 28 7 36.4%
Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack 50 27 22 1 54.0%
Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation 44 27 12 5 61.4%
Amazon Attack 40 24 14 2 60.0%
Four Knights Game 39 23 12 4 59.0%

🔥 Streaks

Streak Longest Current
Winning 17 0
Losing 11 1