Alexandru Calin: The FIDE Master Who Loves the Bullet
A Decade of Speed
Alexandru Calin, better known online as alex1531, is a FIDE Master with a serious appetite for speed chess. He first appeared on the platform in 2014, grinding his blitz rating upward from 1361 to nearly 1950 in the space of a month. After a long hiatus, he returned in 2020 and went on a remarkable climb. His bullet rating surged past 2500, and in early 2024 he reached a career best 2621 (2024-02-28). His blitz game also peaked at 2573 (2021-03-02) in 2021. The chart below traces his blitz trajectory over more than a decade of online play.
Repertoire and Playing Style
Alexandru is a practical, stubborn competitor who is dangerous with either color. He wins about 53.6 percent of his White games and 53.2 percent of his Black games. His early resignation rate is just 1.43 percent, and his comeback rate of 84.44 percent means opponents can never relax. As White, he favors 1.d4 setups and has used the London Poisoned Pawn Variation, the Catalan Opening, and the Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack. As Black, he regularly reaches for the Czech Defense, the Philidor Defense, and the Modern Defense.
- Comeback rate: 84.44 percent
- Win rate after losing a piece: 50.75 percent
- One-sided loss rate: only 1.95 percent
- Average decisive games often stretch past 80 moves
Rivalries and Head-to-Head Battles
No player has faced Alexandru more often than SintMaartenCB, his most frequent online rival with 257 encounters. Their marathon series has been fiercely competitive, with Alexandru holding a narrow edge. He also has a perfect record against dunnin-kruger, winning all 21 meetings. If he has a nemesis, it might be George Stoleriu, who leads their head-to-head series.
Trademark Numbers
If you want to catch Alexandru at his best, look for him late at night. His best winning hour is 23:00, where he wins 70 percent of his games. Mondays are also kind to him, with a 62.87 percent win rate. He once won 21 games in a row and is currently on a seven game winning streak. In rapid chess he is nearly untouchable, with 74 wins against just 10 losses. All of these numbers paint the same picture: Alexandru Calin is a tireless speed chess specialist who plays until the clock, and sometimes the opponent, gives up first.