The Bullet Life
Ali Faghirnavaz, better known on the board as alifaghirnavaz, is a FIDE Master who clearly set the clock to bullet and never looked back. His rating graph doesn't just go up; it goes around corners and occasionally jumps out of the screen.
Since early 2024, Ali has pushed his bullet rating well past the 2800 mark, touched 2897, and built a graph that looks like a roller coaster built by a very determined knight. A 22 game winning streak and a 7 game losing streak live in the same player, which is the complete bullet experience in one profile.
In over 1,100 bullet games, he has only agreed to 62 draws. That is one draw for every serious thunderstorm, and it suggests Ali sees the draw button as a rumor.
Opening Repertoire
With White, Ali has a clear love for the Amazon Attack. He has taken up that line 144 times with White, and the immediate queen pressure fits his philosophy: why build a house when you can set it on fire. The Amazon Attack line shows why he is fun to watch and stressful to play against.
With Black, his horse of choice is the Caro-Kann Defense. He has used it 109 times in bullet and nearly 20 times in blitz. In blitz his Caro-Kann record is terrifying, with 18 wins in 20 games, including a perfect record in the Exchange and Two Knights variations.
If you are thinking about the Benoni Gambit Accepted, reconsider. Ali has won all 8 of his blitz games in that line. The data is a warning, not a compliment.
Known Rivalries
Every bullet hero has a rival, and Ali's most familiar one is Krasimir Rusev. The two have played 44 times, with krasimir in front by a pocket: 25 wins to Ali's 17, and 2 draws. It is a long score, and it clearly deserved a rematch.
Against dr_absolutecarnage, Ali flips the story: 27 wins, 9 losses and 3 draws in 39 games. This includes a 3-to-1 winning ratio. If you are looking for a why, maybe it is the energy that pushes him toward certain adversaries.
Liirial Bits
- He almost never resigns early; his early resignation rate is 0.4%, so you have to earn the win, all the way to the end.
- His longest winning streak is 22 games, also known as the amount of time it takes to lose track of time.
- He plays a lot of endgames; around 86% of his games go to a true ending, so bring your king on a walk because he will not reach.
- According to the data, 22:00 is his best time of day. If you see him online that exact hour, go play somebody else.