Artur - The Steadfast Gambit Enthusiast
A.k.a astef23, Artur is a chess player whose journey is equally marked by tactical brilliance and dogged perseverance. His blitz rating has steadily climbed from a humble 543 in early 2021 to an impressive peak of 1059 in March 2025, all while fighting through more losses than wins — a statistic that would make many throw in the towel, but Artur just tightens his grip on the board.
Known for his love of the King's Gambit and variations like the Fischer Defense, Artur’s playstyle blends classic aggression with patience, often engaging in drawn-out endgames that last over 50 moves. However, despite his solid endgame affinity (over 56% of his wins happen there), he’s not afraid to bite the bullet — his average games are longer when he loses, proving he fights until the last piece falls.
Artur’s resilience is evident with a fantastic 87% comeback rate — losing a piece doesn’t mean losing the game in his eyes. Maybe it’s in his DNA or just the relentless hours spent playing blitz and bullet matches (over 40,000 blitz and bullet games combined!). Although his bullet rating is modest (peaking at 1000), his blitz and rapid results show steady growth and a dedicated passion for the royal game.
A morning person by nature, Artur’s best time to play is around 6:00 AM — a perfect hour for plotting checkmates while the rest of the world sleeps. But with a tilt factor of 17 (because even Artur can get frustrated), he knows when to walk away and come back stronger.
With over 11,000 wins in blitz and a taste for theatrical victories like his memorable checkmate with Rc7# in 2025, Artur brings flair and determination to every game. He’s a king of gambits and late-game tricks, turning seemingly dire positions into glorious triumphs — or at least giving opponents a run for their money.
In short, Artur is the kind of player who makes you respect the grind, cheer the underdog, and maybe, just maybe, reconsider the King's Gambit next time you play.
