Overview
Wouter van Rijn, also known online as Zelfmat76, is a FIDE Master and a well known force on the blitz board. He combines cheeky creativity with serious technique and a fondness for offbeat defenses. Blitz is his comfort zone and his best performances often arrive when the clock is ticking.
Peak blitz rating: 2360 (2021-06-06)
Quick sparkline:
Career highlights
- Title: FIDE Master.
- Memorable streaks - longest winning streak 15 games, current winning streak 4 games, longest losing streak 11 games.
- Remarkable resilience - a comeback rate that keeps opponents nervous.
- Favorite arena - blitz play, where speed and intuition meet deep preparation.
Playing style
Wouter plays long, technical battles and often drags opponents into heavy endgames. He tends to win in long fights rather than quick tactical skirmishes, but his tactical nose makes him dangerous even when material is down.
- Endgame frequency is high - Wouter reaches endgames often and comfortably.
- Average moves per win roughly 75, which shows preference for marathon games.
- Strong under pressure - good comeback rate and solid win rate after losing material.
- Best time of day to challenge him - early morning around 05:00 according to his own data.
Openings and repertoire
Wouter loves provocative defenses and flexible structures. He plays a range of systems with particularly strong results in the Alekhine and Caro-Kann families.
- Alekhine Defense - staple of his black repertoire with excellent win rate. See Alekhine Defense.
- Caro-Kann Defense - rock-solid and highly successful, especially with White facing it. See Caro-Kann Defense.
- Dutch Defense - used often and with creative sub-variations. See Dutch Defense.
- Colle System - niche favorite in some rapid and bullet play.
- He also enjoys surprising opponents with offbeat lines like the Amar Gambit and rare Bird Defense traps. See Amar Gambit and Bird Opening.
Notable games
A compact highlight from the peak blitz era:
- Epic blitz win: Epic Blitz Win
- Replay a tactical sample:
Fun facts and extras
- Online handle: Zelfmat76. You can peek at the profile here: Wouter van Rijn.
- Plays long games so well that opponents sometimes forget the time control exists.
- Favorite tactical motif - quiet knight maneuvers that suddenly reveal a fork or invasion.
- Want to explore his openings visually - try the Alekhine line or Caro-Kann setups mentioned above via the Alekhine Defense and Caro-Kann Defense placeholders.
Quick reference
- Name: Wouter van Rijn (username: Zelfmat76)
- Title: FIDE Master
- Preferred time control: Blitz
- Notable streaks and stats available in the highlights above