Abdou

Meet Abdou (aka alaa_obli) - The Blitz Buff and Tactical Trickster

Abdou is a chess battler who’s been hustling over the board with a style as dynamic and unpredictable as a chess clock on steroids. With a peak blitz rating soaring to 570 in May 2025, Abdou’s quick-fire decisions have kept countless opponents on their toes—or off the board entirely.

Playing Style & Strengths

Known for a pretty respectable 47.53% win rate when playing White and an equally tenacious 47.27% with Black, Abdou’s games are marked by sharp tactics and deep endgame knowledge (he dives into endgames 64% of the time, probably dreaming about pawn promotion). His ability to bounce back from losing a piece (come back rate: 66.86%) suggests he’s not just a player, but a fighter who never throws in the towel easily—though once in a while early resignations (4.37%) happen, hey, even heroes have their off days!

Weapon of Choice: The Openings

Abdou’s opening repertoire reads like a thrilling saga of chess exploration. The mysterious Top Secret opening is his bread and butter in blitz—played nearly 800 times with almost a 47% win rate. When feeling a bit Nordic, he’ll storm into battle with the Scandinavian Defense variations, wielding them with nearly 48.5% success. And if you see him quickly moving his king’s pawn, watch out for the Leonardis Variation—where he mixes calculated risks with sharp play.

Time is on His Side (Mostly)

Abdou prefers the witching hour for battles, with his best time to play clocking in at midnight—guess that’s when the queen really gets going. Interestingly, his win rates spike from 16:00 to 21:00, proving he’s a prime time player. Not so lucky at dawn or early morning though—those hours see considerably tougher fights.

Battle Record & Memorable Matches

With over 1,800 blitz games and more wins than losses (862 wins vs. 858 losses), Abdou tiptoes the thin line between fierce competitor and chess gambler. His rapid and bullet stats, while less glorious, show a player who takes all formats seriously—though bullet might just be an acquired taste.

One of Abdou’s recent blitz victories involved a charming Reti Opening King's Indian Attack, where he turned a messy position into a resounding victory with clever piece grabs and killer checks. Of course, not every game ends happily—he recently fell to a sharp checkmate (rook and queen delivering the coup de grâce), reminding us that even grandmasters-in-the-making face the occasional slugfest loss.

Fun Fact

Abdou’s favorite opening against unsuspecting opponents? The Van t Kruijs Opening, boasting the best win rate of over 55% in blitz. It’s like he’s got a secret weapon tucked away, ready to catch foes off guard and make the board his playground.

In short, alaa_obli is not just a chess player; he’s a tactical adventurer, a midnight strategist, and a relentless competitor who’s always ready for the next game—whether it ends in glorious victory or a humbling lesson. One thing’s for sure: never underestimate Abdou when the seconds start ticking.