From 600 to 2500: The Asterix09 Arc
Samuel Hoekman, known online as asterix09, started his chess journey in 2016 with ratings that looked more like a weekend hobby than a future grind. His early bullet rating once fell to 631, and his blitz rating sat near 1073. A decade later, he was touching 2587 in blitz and 2519 in bullet. The climb was not a straight line, but it was relentless.
The Bullet Years
Samuel's preferred time control is bullet, and the numbers back it up. He has played thousands of bullet games, including a monstrous 296 games in January 2021 alone. His bullet record sits at 1553 wins, 1285 losses, and 179 draws. He is the kind of player who will queue up at 10am, his best hour, and rattle off games until the clock or his opponent gives in.
Rivalries and Revenge
Every grinder has a nemesis, and for Samuel that player is Tymur Keleberda. They have faced each other 118 times, but the scoreboard is harsh: 23 wins for Samuel against 91 losses. Against other frequent opponents he fares much better. He leads Henry Pollitt 39 to 23 and Eric Jin 37 to 22. Even his most played rivalries show a fighter who keeps coming back.
Style and Signature Openings
Samuel is not afraid of unusual lines. In bullet he leans on the Australian Defense and the Amar Gambit, while his blitz repertoire features the Catalan Opening, the Sicilian Defense, and the French Defense. In rapid play he has enjoyed great success with the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, winning nearly 74 percent of those games.
His fighting spirit shows in the stats. He has a comeback rate of 83.53 percent, and even after losing a piece he still wins 45.23 percent of the time. His longest winning streak is 16 games, and his longest losing streak is 14, which says a lot about his ability to bounce back. He rarely resigns early, with an early resignation rate of just 1.73 percent, and he reaches the endgame in over 77 percent of his games.
The Takeaway
Samuel Hoekman, aka asterix09, is the definition of a chess grinder. From a sub-1000 bullet player to a 2500 level force, his journey is a reminder that volume, stubbornness, and a love for weird openings can take you a long way. His peak blitz rating reached 2587 (2026-07-20), and his bullet peak hit 2519 (2026-08-16). If you see him in the queue, bring your best opening prep and a lot of patience.