Avatar of Sebastien Joie

Sebastien Joie IM

Username: Aariow

Location: Genève

Playing Since: 2017-03-15 (Inactive)

Wow Factor: ♟♟♟♟

Chess.com

Daily: 1766
9W / 1L / 1D
Rapid: 1991
0W / 1L / 0D
Blitz: 2382
1415W / 911L / 205D
Bullet: 2362
148W / 112L / 19D

Sebastien Joie (aka Aariow)

International Master Extraordinaire

Meet Sebastien Joie, the International Master who has made chess battles look like an art form mixed with a sprinkle of tactical wizardry and a dash of relentless grit. Known in the online chess circles as Aariow, Sebastien’s games are a thrilling rollercoaster where opponents often feel like they entered a labyrinth with no exit.

A Career of Peaks and Pawns

Since 2017, Sebastien has blitzed through ranks with a peak Blitz rating soaring up to 2639 in September 2023—a rating that could probably solve quantum physics if given the chance. With over 2,600 Blitz games under their belt, this player doesn’t just play chess; they practically live it. Bullet chess? No problem. That peak Bullet rating of 2537 in late 2023 proves lightning-fast reflexes and razor-sharp intuition are core to Sebastien’s style.

Playing Style & Brainpower

Sebastien’s playing style is a marvel of patience and precision: an average of about 73 moves per game—whether winning or losing—shows an affinity for epic battles that unfold like chess novels. Known for a steady win rate (~56% in Blitz), they effortlessly juggle early resignations at a mere 3.6% (because why quit early when you can dazzle?).

With a remarkable 84.6% comeback rate, Sebastien has turned more lost positions into victories than a magician pulling rabbits from hats. Losing a piece? No sweat—there’s still about a 54% chance victory is around the corner.

When and How Sebastien Shines

Chess fans will find Sebastien to be a morning bird—playing best around 5 AM with a perfect 100% win rate recorded at 5 AM and 2 AM. A mysterious power hour, perhaps fueled by caffeine or quiet inspiration. The player prefers white with a 57.5% win rate, but black fights fiercely too at 54.25%.

Friday through Sunday are prime days for success, with win rates hovering around or above 60%. Strategic planning or weekend warrior spirit? We’ll never know.

Records, Rivals, and Reputation

Across thousands of games, Sebastien’s signature “Top Secret” opening repertoire has yielded a solid ~56% win rate in Blitz—enough to keep opponents scratching their heads. Fierce rivalries with usernames like sebthebest1 and speedluxus08 have crafted some of the most intense, sweat-inducing games around.

The Recent Gladiator

Just recently, on December 28, 2024, Sebastien wrapped up a stunning checkmate victory against a formidable opponent (with an elo of 2415!) in a grueling English Opening encounter. The game highlighted Sebastien’s unwavering focus and tactical awareness, ending with a flourish that screams “IM-quality!”

Off the Board

When not dismantling chessboards or collecting wins, Sebastien is probably concocting new strategies or marveling at the beauty of a well-executed queen sacrifice. One might say that the chessboard is less a battlefield and more a playground for their creative genius.

All in all, Sebastien Joie is the kind of chess player who makes learning opening theory, endgame tactics, and battlefield resilience a thrilling adventure. Whether a seasoned player or a keen enthusiast, keep an eye on Aariow — because the game is never quite safe when Sebastien is on the clock.


Coach's Avatar

Sebastien, here’s your personalised post-match report

1. Quick Snapshot

  • Current form: high-2200/low-2300 blitz with a peak of 2639 (2023-09-26).
  • Typical session pattern: see
    012567891011121314151617181920212223100%0%Hour of Day
    and
    MonTueWedThuFriSatSun100%0%Day of Week
    for your “hot” hours.
  • Preferred structures: English/1 Nf3 systems as White, French & Semi-Indian setups as Black.

2. What you’re doing well

  1. Proactive pawn storms against fianchettoed kings.
    In the 2024-12-28 win you launched …h5–h4 and exploited the weakened light squares with Bf3 and a mating net. Excellent feel for when to switch from slow manoeuvres to a direct attack.
  2. Piece coordination in minor-piece endgames.
    Your 2024-10-10 game showed flawless conversion of an outside passed a-pawn. The Rc4/Rc6–a7 plan is textbook. Keep nurturing this strength; it will pay off at higher levels.
  3. Opening flexibility.
    You comfortably alternate between classical (French, Ruy) and hyper-modern lines (Modern, English). This makes you tough to prepare for.

3. Main improvement themes

  1. Early-move resilience & connection checks.
    Two recent losses ended after move 1. Even if these were connection glitches, always hit “Abort” or play a few safe moves before resigning. Free rating gifts matter at the 2400+ bracket.
  2. Crisis management in sharp French positions.
    In the 2024-09-24 loss (Ruy López → French-style structure) your …f5 break was courageous but premature; the resulting dark-square weaknesses were fatal. Before pushing the f-pawn, ask: “Do I control the e6–g6 complex?” A one-move pause with …Qd7 preparing …f5 would have kept the centre intact.
  3. Time-handling in won positions.
    Against wild3000 you were material up yet flagged. Train the habit of making a “safe” pre-move when your clock dips below 15 s, even if it’s a waiting move like Kg1–h2. Bullet-proofing technique turns 97 % into 100 %.

4. Targeted exercises for the week ahead

ThemeDrillGoal
French dark-square defence Load 15 puzzles where …f7-f5 is playable and not playable. Identify the difference. Slash blunders after …f5 by 50 %.
Conversion with +2 pawns Play 20 engines at depth 15 from move 30 of your 2024-10-10 win. Finish each in < 30 seconds without dropping eval below +5.
Pre-move safety net Bullet ladder: only pre-move king, rook, or pawn pushes when ≤ 5 s. Zero losses on time this week.

5. Opening corner

You’ve scored well with the English but the statistics show a dip on the Black side of the Ruy. Consider adding the solid Berlin-in-one: 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6. It keeps theory light and avoids the early d4 → Qxd4 tricks that cost you against sha6rath.

6. Practical checklist before each game

  • Connection stable? If unsure, open a new tab and ping chess.com.
  • Mindset: decide “positional squeeze” or “dynamic fight” before move 1.
  • 30-second rule: when ahead on material and the clock dips under 30 s, simplify immediately.

7. Inspirational finish

Replay the final attack of your best recent win (


). Remember that feeling of everything clicking—our training aims to make that your default.

Good luck in your next session, and feel free to send fresh games for review. Keep pushing!



🆚 Opponent Insights

Most Played Opponents
SEBTHEBEST1 44W / 23L / 8D
speedluxus08 19W / 1L / 21D
mazetofonias 16W / 7L / 0D
x-3738459472 10W / 12L / 1D
Mihai Ionescu 6W / 7L / 1D

Rating

Year Bullet Blitz Rapid Daily
2025 2382 1991
2024 2456
2023 2362 2469 1766
2022 2581 1740
2021 2489
2020 2316 2475
2019 2410 2428 1739
2018 2265 2489 1995
2017 2029 2373 1906
Rating by Year20172018201920202021202220232024202525811739YearRatingBulletBlitzRapidDaily

Stats by Year

Year White Black Moves
2025 0W / 4L / 1D 3W / 2L / 0D 46.0
2024 15W / 13L / 3D 12W / 12L / 2D 73.1
2023 19W / 24L / 4D 23W / 25L / 1D 82.5
2022 6W / 3L / 1D 5W / 4L / 1D 73.2
2021 1W / 1L / 0D 1W / 0L / 0D 77.0
2020 65W / 17L / 2D 58W / 9L / 12D 63.5
2019 22W / 12L / 16D 25W / 10L / 10D 60.1
2018 341W / 220L / 43D 316W / 251L / 35D 75.9
2017 386W / 206L / 65D 365W / 250L / 56D 75.4

Openings: Most Played

Blitz Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Hungarian Opening: Wiedenhagen-Beta Gambit 140 92 36 12 65.7%
Petrov's Defense 93 40 42 11 43.0%
Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation 91 54 27 10 59.3%
QGD: 3.Nc3 Bb4 84 41 35 8 48.8%
King's Indian Attack 81 47 22 12 58.0%
London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation 69 37 29 3 53.6%
Indian Defense: Przepiorka Variation 66 39 22 5 59.1%
Amar Gambit 63 32 17 14 50.8%
Sicilian Defense: Closed 62 43 12 7 69.3%
English Opening: Caro-Kann Defensive System 56 38 15 3 67.9%
Rapid Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Hungarian Opening: Wiedenhagen-Beta Gambit 3 1 1 1 33.3%
Unknown 1 0 1 0 0.0%
Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation 1 0 1 0 0.0%
QGA: 3.e3 c5 1 0 0 1 0.0%
QGA: 4.Nc3 a6 1 1 0 0 100.0%
Bullet Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Amar Gambit 33 21 8 4 63.6%
Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation 25 10 13 2 40.0%
Unknown 23 18 5 0 78.3%
Sicilian Defense: Closed 16 12 4 0 75.0%
Hungarian Opening: Wiedenhagen-Beta Gambit 15 8 6 1 53.3%
King's Indian Attack 8 4 3 1 50.0%
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense 8 4 4 0 50.0%
Four Knights Game 7 2 4 1 28.6%
Slav Defense 7 5 1 1 71.4%
Australian Defense 6 2 3 1 33.3%
Daily Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Barnes Defense 1 1 0 0 100.0%
King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Delayed Fianchetto 1 1 0 0 100.0%
Catalan Opening: Closed 1 1 0 0 100.0%
QGA: 3.Nf3 Bg4 1 1 0 0 100.0%
KGA: 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 1 0 1 0 0.0%
Amazon Attack 1 1 0 0 100.0%
English Opening: Agincourt Defense 1 1 0 0 100.0%
Benoni Defense 1 1 0 0 100.0%
Scotch Game 1 0 0 1 0.0%
Four Knights Game 1 1 0 0 100.0%

🔥 Streaks

Streak Longest Current
Winning 22 1
Losing 9 0