The Chesslord Behind the Crown
Артём Михличенко, better known to the chess internet as Chesslord1989, has spent years turning blitz queues into a personal kingdom. He is comfortable in rapid, occasionally raids bullet, but his preferred time control is clearly blitz. At his peak, the Chesslord reached 2621 (2026-08-23) in blitz, and the road there was anything but quiet.
His record shows a player who loves the clock, thrives on volume, and never seems to run out of games. The chart below captures the full ride:
Repertoire of a d4 Monarch
As White, Артём is a devoted d4 player. His games frequently flow into the Benko Gambit, the Bogo-Indian Defense, and the King's Indian Defense. As Black, he is nearly inseparable from the Czech Defense, a line he has played more than 3,400 times in blitz alone. Add in the Pirc Defense and the Modern Defense, and you get a repertoire built on structure, resilience, and a stubborn refusal to leave the theory book.
These openings are not just habits. They are weapons. Against the Benko Gambit Accepted, his blitz win rate climbs above 54 percent, and the Czech Defense has served as his shield through thousands of battles.
Rivalries and Long Wars
Every king needs a worthy challenger. For Chesslord1989, that challenger is Knyaz13. The two have faced off 52 times, and the series feels personal. Chesslord1989 leads with 31 wins, knyaz13 has taken 14, and they have shared 7 draws. When these two meet, even a casual blitz game starts to feel like a miniature title match.
There are other familiar names in his rearview mirror, including bugserge and cruz29, but no rivalry has produced as many games as the one with knyaz13.
A Grinder With a Comeback Gene
The numbers paint a picture of a tireless fighter. Chesslord1989 has won 19 straight games at his best and has also survived a 12-game losing skid. His comeback rate sits near 85 percent, and even after losing a piece he keeps winning almost half the time. That is not luck. That is stubbornness with a chessboard attached.
He prefers to fight deep into the endgame, with winning games averaging around 84 moves. If you want to beat the Chesslord, you had better pack a lunch. His best results tend to arrive at 22:00, when the clock is ticking and the king is awake.