About Arik Braun
Arik Braun is a strong Grandmaster recognized by FIDE, known especially for his prowess in blitz chess. With a peak blitz rating soaring as high as 2878, he has demonstrated remarkable skill and consistency in fast time controls.
Playing Style & Strengths
Arik is a tactical virtuoso with an exceptionally high comeback rate of over 80%, showing his resilience and fighting spirit when down material. He tends to play relatively long games averaging around 71 moves per win, reflecting deep strategic planning as well as technical prowess, especially in the endgame which he frequently reaches (used in over 75% of his games).
He plays best at 6 PM local time and is known for his strong performance with both White and Black pieces, winning nearly 69% and 65% respectively — a testament to his adaptability.
Preferred Openings
- Blitz: Van't Kruijs Opening (88% win rate), Caro-Kann Defense (83%), and French Defense: Knight Variation (89%)
- Bullet: Nimzowitsch Defense: Declined Variation and Modern Defense, both with 100% win rates
- Rapid: Caro-Kann variations show a respectable 60%+ win rate
Arik's opening repertoire is diverse but he excels particularly in solid openings like the Caro-Kann as well as less mainstream ones such as the Van't Kruijs Opening which seems to catch many opponents off guard!
Achievements & Records
- Peak blitz rating: 2878 (June 2025)
- Peak bullet rating: 2653 (February 2025)
- Peak rapid rating: 2643 (April 2020)
- Over 1500 blitz victories vs 605 losses and more than 150 draws
- Strong bullet record with 155 wins against only 28 losses
- One of his longest winning streaks reached an impressive 44 games!
Arik maintains a positive record against many opponents, often besting them convincingly. He particularly dominates with the Van't Kruijs Opening and Caro-Kann defenses across various time controls.
Fun Facts
- Arik’s “tilt factor” is impressively low at just 9%, so he rarely lets frustration take over—even in intense matches.
- He often starts applying pressure early, with an average first capture happening around move 8!
- His favorite time to play and snatch wins? Early evening, especially at 18:00-19:00 hours—blitz beware!