Bence Pribelszky: The Rapid Chess Journey of an International Master
Introduction
Bence Pribelszky, known to online rivals as Bencus12, is a Hungarian International Master who has turned rapid chess into his personal playground. Since earning the IM title from FIDE, he has continued to sharpen his skills online, climbing from the 1500s in 2014 to a rapid peak of 2477 (2026-06-01).
Rapid Rise
Bence's rapid rating story is one of steady, relentless improvement. In May 2014 he started the month at 1509 and ended at 1841, a pattern that repeated itself throughout his career. He crossed 2000 in rapid by late 2016, and in December 2020 he played 40 rapid games in a single month, winning 30 of them. Between 2024 and 2026 his rapid rating surged from 2372 to his current peak, proving that his best chess might still be ahead of him.
Follow the full climb here:
Playing Style and Opening Repertoire
Bence is an attacking player who loves open positions. With White he favors 1.e4 and the Italian Game, especially the Giuoco Piano Tarrasch Variation, where he scores 80% in rapid. As Black he is a specialist in the Sicilian Defense, with a perfect 6-0 rapid record in the Taimanov Variation's American Attack. He also boasts a 100% score with the Hungarian Opening's Wiedenhagen-Beta Gambit, a fitting specialty for a Hungarian IM.
- Favorite white weapon: Giuoco Piano Tarrasch Variation (80% rapid win rate)
- Favorite black defense: Sicilian Defense (83% rapid win rate)
- Endgame lover: 74.49% of his games reach the endgame
- Grinder: averages 72.8 moves per win
See his opening performance:
A sample Taimanov setup from his repertoire:
Rivalries and Resilience
Bence's most frequent online opponent is Steo Hat, with 25 meetings and a strong 14-9 record in his favor. His toughest matchup is musti_ege, who has beaten him 16 times, which might explain why his best playing hour is 1 AM, presumably when musti_ege is asleep.
He once won 21 consecutive games, and he also endured a 56 game losing streak without giving up. With an 82.32% comeback rate, Bence treats a bad position as an invitation rather than an emergency.
Fun Facts
- FIDE title: International Master
- Username: Bencus12
- Preferred time control: Rapid
- Longest winning streak: 21 games
- Comeback rate: 82.32%
- White win rate: 53.89%
- Black win rate: 49.28%
- Best time to play: 1 AM