Srdjan Zlobec

Srdjan Zlobec aka "borovica"

Meet Srdjan Zlobec, better known in the chess world by his cunning alias borovica. A blitz aficionado with a peak rating soaring above 2500, Srdjan is the type of player who can both outwit and outpace opponents in the heat of fast-paced games. His chess journey reads like an epic saga, featuring tactical comebacks, glaring winning streaks, and the occasional learning experience courtesy of a losing streak.

Career Highlights & Playing Style

Since beginning his rated blitz adventures in 2013, Srdjan has racked up over 14,800 wins in this lightning-fast format! His endgame skills shine through with almost 83% endgame frequency, and he is known for averaging 80 moves in victorious battles—clearly, this is a marathoner disguised as a sprinter. His resilience is legendary: an incredible 88.35% comeback rate means he’s the king of turning tables after losing material, making opponents sweat even in promising positions.

The London System and various Indian Game variations are his weapons of choice, with nearly 45% win rates over thousands of games. If you’re hunting a player who deeply understands these openings and their subtleties (and probably has a few secret traps set), Srdjan is your guy.

Brain Games & Quirks

While his performance during peak blitz hours can be a rollercoaster—with the best time to play being in the wee hours around 2 AM (who needs sleep?)—Srdjan carries a tilt factor of 17, showing he’s human after all. But never count him out; he has survived win streaks up to 14 games and even losing streaks of 17 in typical warrior fashion.

Between high-speed bullet duels (max bullet rating of 2201) and his reliable, slow-burning blitz battles, Srdjan proves versatility that’s rare to find. Despite sometimes struggling against higher-rated opponents, he shines when the odds are even or when facing underdogs.

Recent Chess Adventures

In his most recent victory, played in 2025, Srdjan demonstrated his strategic mastery in the Indian Game East Indian London System, winning on time but hardly by accident. Meanwhile, his latest losses remind us even pros have their off days, but knowing Srdjan, the next win is never far behind.

Fun Fact:

Srdjan's username, borovica, means "pine tree" in Serbian—sturdy, tall, and impossible to uproot. Like a pine standing resilient through the seasons, so does Srdjan on the chessboard.