Basanta Shrestha: The Relentless Rapid Warrior

Meet Basanta Shrestha, known in the chess realm as Basantashresthabj, a player who treats Rapid chess like a thrilling rollercoaster ride mixed with a chessboard—intense, strategic, and only occasionally terrifying. Specializing in Rapid time control, Basanta’s rating has impressively soared to a peak of 2076 as of October 2024, proving that quick thinking beats the clock (and occasionally common sense).

Starting from a modest 1734 in September 2020, Basanta has played over 13,000 Rapid games, with nearly as many wins as losses, because even chess geniuses prefer a little drama. With a win rate hovering at an honest 48.5%, Basanta’s games are as unpredictable as a thriller novel, except the suspense is in every move.

When it comes to openings, Basanta has a soft spot for the Top Secret repertoire (well, it’s top secret for opponents), but also dabbles with the Scandinavian Defense and an adventurous Pirc Defense where the win rate impressively spikes to a victorious 80%. Those who’ve dared to challenge Basanta’s well-guarded king often regret it—just ask branovuk, their most frequent opponent, who’s battled Basanta 11 times and sadly faced defeat 8 times!

Despite a daunting 15 game losing streak in the past, Basanta’s resilience shines through with a comebacks rate near 88%, proving champions aren’t made only from victories, but also from spectacular recoveries and the occasional fluke sacrifice.

Playing Style & Quirks

Favorites Rapid time control—because who has time for long naps?
Average game length hovers around 77 moves—this player loves a good story!
Endgames occur over 77% of the time—Basanta doesn’t believe in short-cuts.
Psychological tilt factor? Just 15—basically a Zen master in the heat of battle.
Best playing hour? Midnight (00:00). Someone’s thriving on night owl power!
Sometimes, our hero resigns early (1.18%)—possibly to save brain cells for the next epic fight.

Most Recent Battles

Last victory was a classy triumph using the Semi-Slav Defense, Bogoljubov Variation, winning by resignation with a solid 34-move game. Duration: 12 minutes and a bit—short and sweet!


1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O b6 
8. e4 dxe4 9. Nxe4 Bb7 10. Re1 Nxe4 11. Bxe4 Nf6 12. Bc2 O-O 13. b3 Qc7 
14. h3 Rad8 15. Qd3 g6 16. Bh6 Rfe8 17. Rad1 c5 18. d5 exd5 19. cxd5 Bxd5 
20. Qc3 Qc6 21. Ne5 Qd6 22. Bf4 Nh5 23. Bh2 Qf6 24. g4 Nf4 25. Qg3 g5 26. Nd3 
Bd6 27. Nxf4 Rxe1+ 28. Rxe1 Bxf4 29. Qd3 Bxh2+ 30. Kf1 Bg2+ 31. Kxg2 Rxd3 
32. Bxd3 Be5 33. Bf5 h5 34. Rd1 0-1

But life isn’t always rosy: the latest battle lost, also featuring a Scandinavian Defense, Mieses-Kotrc Variation, ended on a resignation after a tough 24 moves. It seems Basanta’s opponents love to make him sweat!

Rivalries & Records

Basanta shows a fierce loyalty to competing with his top adversaries, amongst whom branovuk stands prominent with a notable encounter record of 8 wins and 3 losses. Proving the chessboard is Basanta’s second home, even if he sometimes gets lost navigating the Scandinavian maze or Pirc puzzles.

Favorite openings and strategies might change, but Basanta’s never afraid to dance on the edge of danger, especially with a cheeky Pirc Defense boasting an 80% win rate.

Miscellaneous Fun Facts

Philosophy: “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with your unconventional openings.”
Has a current winning streak of 2; because who wants to stop now?
When playing as White, delivers a slightly more successful performance (51.52% win rate) than as Black (45.84%).

With an impressive game count and a solid record against a wide variety of opponents, Basanta Shrestha remains a formidable tactician in the realm of online chess. Watch this space—there are many more gates to be conquered and time controls to be tamed!