The BennoKing Story
BennoKing is a chess lifer who started 2020 with a 1334 Rapid rating and a dream. By September 2026, BennoKing was peaking at 2494 (2026-09-10) in blitz after a few extremely busy months. The rating graph looks less like a learning curve and more like a SpaceX launch, with a massive boost in late 2024 and another in 2026. In one single month, BennoKing played 785 blitz games: about 26 games a day, which is either dedication or a very strong coffee habit.
Although the flashiest number is in blitz, the preferred time control is Rapid, and the trajectory looks like this:
. BennoKing holds a 175-89-25 record there, the healthiest winning ratio of any time control. BennoKing likes to think, but not too long.Signature Openings
Ask BennoKing what to play and the answer is e4, always e4. BennoKing has built a fortress around the Sicilian Defense and its many branches, especially the Alapin Variation, which appears from both sides of the board with equal enthusiasm.
The most entertaining weapon is the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, with a perfect 10 wins from 10 Rapid games. The gambit looks like a blunder but ends like a magic trick:
In bullet, BennoKing also whips out the Nimzo-Larsen Attack with a perfect 5 out of 5 record. The
chart shows a player who knows exactly which traps to set and which traps to avoid.Rivals and Repeat Customers
Some opponents just cannot escape the BennoKing force field. Stepan9000 has faced BennoKing 10 times and lost all 10. Ledersau48 is 0 for 6. Dear-Ken-Im-In-Pieces also has a rough time, with 4 losses and only a draw to show for it.
Not everyone is so unlucky. caillouchess0 leads the series 4 to 1, and vasiluck has a narrow edge. Even a king needs a worthy rival now and then.
Clutch Gene and Clock Management
BennoKing never quits. The comeback rate sits at an absurd 87%, and even after losing a piece, BennoKing still wins nearly 47% of the time. The longest winning streak is 11, the longest losing streak is 8, so when it is good, it is glorious, and when it is bad, it is a Netflix series. The tilt factor is 8, but with a comeback rate like that, tilting is just a warm-up exercise.
BennoKing loves long games: 76.76% of battles reach the endgame, and the average win lasts about 80 moves. Add 266 wins by timeout, and the message is clear: the clock is part of the board. The best playing hour is 08:00, and Sundays are the strongest day, so either BennoKing is a morning person or the early worm gets the queen.
Fast Facts
- Peak ratings: 2494 (2026-09-10) blitz, 2264 (2024-10-13) rapid, 2250 (2026-03-19) bullet
- Longest winning streak: 11 games
- Comeback rate: 87.04%
- Perfect Blackburne Shilling Gambit record in Rapid: 10 out of 10
- Favorite victim: Stepan9000
Final Verdict
BennoKing is a resilient, e4-obsessed fighter with a 2494 (2026-09-10) blitz ceiling and a serious weakness for tricky openings. BennoKing beats lower rated players at a 78.67% clip, which is a polite way of saying "gatekeeper." If you face BennoKing at the board, bring your endgame manual, your best clock hand, and maybe a completely different idea.