tyler murray

Tyler Murray - The Gambit Gladiator

Meet Tyler Murray, known in the chess world by the username carlissmall. A player who approaches the 64 squares with equal parts strategy and tenacity — sometimes leaning a bit more on the tenacity. Tyler’s journey through rapid and blitz chess resembles a rollercoaster with an ambitious driver: moments of brilliant highs, some steep dives, and a persistent climb back up.

Rating Rollercoaster

Tyler hit his peak rapid rating of 986 back in December 2022. Since then, while the rating has dipped and danced between 249 and 469 in 2025, his passion for rapid remains unwavering. On the blitz front, Tyler recently scaled a peak of 274 in February 2025, showing his blitz antics are no less fierce.

Vicissitudes & Victories

With a total rapid record fluctuating close to even — 176 wins and 192 losses, plus some draws — Tyler knows well the taste of victory and defeat. His blitz exploits are similarly balanced with 31 wins and 30 losses. The scoreboard might not always shine bright, but perseverance is Tyler’s middle name.

Favorite Openings (aka Tyler's Tried-and-True Tactics)

• Caro-Kann Defense: With 75 rapid games under his belt, Tyler’s win rate here hovers near a respectable 45%. He clearly likes solid foundations, even if some games feel like wrestling a bear.
• Englund Gambit: Surprisingly, Tyler shines in this underdog opening with a whopping 70% win rate in rapid. Guess he enjoys a bit of chaos now and then.
• Queen's Pawn & King's Pawn variations: A mixed bag of results, but Tyler proves especially feisty in the Queen’s Pawn Horwitz Defense and the Queen’s Pawn Opening with win rates of 60% and 66.67%, respectively.
• Blitz Openings: Expect bold moves with 100% win rates in the King’s Pawn King’s Knight variation and French Defense normal variation — a true blitz virtuoso when the clock ticks down.

Playing Style & Psychology

Tyler averages around 50 moves to win in his games, indicating patience and endurance, but he’s no stranger to rapid decisions either. He sometimes resigns early (11.7% of the time), showing self-awareness (or maybe impatience when the going gets tough). His comeback rate is a dazzling 68%, proving his fighting spirit is as sharp as his opening lines.

Interestingly, Tyler’s best time to play is early in the morning at 6 AM — apparently, nothing wakes him up better than the threat of checkmate. His tilt factor is lowish at 9, meaning losses rarely break his focus for long.

Memorable Battles

Tyler recently demonstrated his mastery by delivering a flawless checkmate with the Caro-Kann Defense against gwerta456 on May 30, 2025. An intense tactical showdown lasting 55 moves — a true testament to his chess stamina and strategic insight.

Social & Competitive Circle

Tyler’s battles have included friends and foes alike. Notably, he has a 100% win rate against some opponents such as gwerta456 and sukhusidhu, but also some rivalries where wins escape him, like against sanupfah and harsh09temkar09. Each game adds a brick to the chess fortress he's tirelessly building.

Final Check

Tyler Murray might not be a Grandmaster (yet!), but he is a relentless and thoughtful player who mixes solid defense with occasional audacious gambits. Whether he's outsmarting casual players or grinding through intense rated matches, his story is one of resilience, passion, and an undying love for the game.

Watch out world — carlissmall is coming for your king!