The Man Behind the Username
Elmar Atakishiyev, better known to the chess.com bullet lobby as Atakishiyev04, is a FIDE International Master with a simple philosophy: why play slow chess when you can play fast chess? In just two years he rocketed from a 939 bullet rating to a peak of 2895 (2020-10-15), a climb so steep it should come with a safety harness.
A Bullet Addict's Journey
Atakishiyev's online home is Bullet, where he has played over 2,300 documented games and counting. His rating trajectory reads like a roller coaster designed by a madman: a 939 start in October 2018, a 1,933 peak by December, and a relentless charge through 2020 that ended near the 2,900 mark.
Blitz is his second home too, with more than 3,100 games and a peak near 2,851, but the 1+0 clock is where his heart lives. His Amar Gambit and Colle System adventures have produced thousands of decisive games and a win rate that keeps climbing.
Opening Wizardry
Scroll through his opening explorer and you will find a museum of curiosities. The Colle System's "Rhamphorhynchus Variation" (yes, that is a pterodactyl) appears 136 times in bullet, while the London System's "Poisoned Pawn Variation" shows up 141 times. He is equally happy to play the Alekhine Defense with Black or the Nimzo-Larsen Attack with White.
If there is a theme, it is that Elmar trusts his own prep over fashion. He opens with 1.d4 more than any other move, and he will happily wander into the Amar Gambit with a straight face.
Rivalries and Revenge
No biography is complete without a nemesis, and for Atakishiyev that nemesis is Khazar Babazada. The two have collided 278 times in bullet, and khazarbabazada holds a heavy edge: 172 wins against Elmar's 84. That is a rivalry that keeps him up at night, or more accurately, keeps him queueing for another game.
- vs Khazar Babazada: 278 bullet meetings, 84 wins, 172 losses, 22 draws. The boss.
- vs Talibov Shiroghlan: 199 meetings, 115 wins, 70 losses, 14 draws. Revenge tastes sweet.
Against Talibov Shiroghlan, Elmar flips the script with a clear winning record, making those matches a much safer grind. A classic Azerbaijani bullet derby, and Elmar is usually on the right side of this one.
Fighting Spirit
The stats paint a portrait of a player who simply refuses to die quietly. His early resignation rate is under 1%, his comeback rate after being in trouble is a stunning 89.52%, and he only suffers one-sided losses 1.34% of the time. Even when he loses a piece, he still wins nearly half of his games.
His longest winning streak is 19 games, and his longest losing streak is 10, because balance is important. His best time of day is 14:00, when the coffee kicks in, and his worst is 22:00, which is probably when he should log off. But he will not, and we respect that. See for yourself in one of his countless marathons: a late-night bullet classic.