My 2025 Year In Chess

Hello chess friends!

As I get to the end of the year, I like to look back on some of my personal chess highlights. Fortunately, 2025 had many! Let's jump in.

2900 Blitz!

I first hit 2800 blitz in 2023, after years of work. My practice has continued to pay off and I've managed to make 2800 the norm this year. I still wasn't confident that I'd ever hit the next 100 point mark. In September I crossed my previous personal best, but was still short of my goal. Fortunately, I was still at a solid 2875 before a three game series against GM Tigran Gharamian. The first game I blundered a piece, but one incautious move allowed me to swindle the win.

In contrast to the mess above, the next game was a very clean draw, with mutual 98% game review scores.  That brought my rating to 2889 and he rematched once more. In an important game, it was time to turn to my trusted Trompowsky. I don't just write about my favorite opening. I play it in most of my white games.

That game brought my rating to exactly 2900, which remains my peak to this date.

The Chess.com Meetup

It was great seeing my coworkers and a host of streamers at the annual Chess.com meetup in October. As usual, I was too tired and underperformed in the FIDE rated blitz event. I made up for it in the more casual staff bughouse tournament, partnering with NM Todd Bryant to win the event. My strategy of playing very quickly and not getting mated worked out perfectly, as he won nearly every game for us.

3 0 Thursdays

I don't frequently take time out of my workday to play tournaments, but I was encouraged to play some of the new 3 0 Thursday events and on my second event I got off to a fantastic start. After five rounds, I was on four points, right above Magnus in the standings. 

The first highlight from the event was against super GM Aravindh Chithambaram.

A win and a loss later I faced another 3000+ GM, Pablo Salinas Herrera and played my best game of the event.

Bullet Tactic Of The Year

You might have seen this one as a Daily Puzzle.

Tarrasch Of The Year

I'm proud of my course on the Tarrasch Defense that came out this year. It was nice to get to use some of that prep in my own games. The one below received a perfect score from Game Review.

Another Tromp

My older Chessable course is on the Trompowsky and I'm still scoring well there. This might have been my most fun Tromp of the year, using a tactical motif covered in the course.

More Crushes With That Crazy Exchange Slav

If you liked the g4 Exchange Slav line against Avarindh, then you might enjoy some more highlights in that variation. I don't think it's in a course yet. Should I write one?

And I've played this final game, or something similar, a few times. It might be my deepest piece of prep these days.

Wrapping up with what might be my final and also maybe my best game of the year. 

Thanks for reading and here to a great 2026.