Yanira Vigoa Apecheche (aka ChessVigoa)
Woman Grandmaster (WGM) – The Queen of Blazing Pawns
Yanira Vigoa Apecheche, known online as ChessVigoa, is a formidable Woman Grandmaster recognized by FIDE, blending tenacity and tactical brilliance on the chessboard. With a peak blitz rating soaring to an impressive 2548 in early 2019, Yanira has dazzled opponents with a mix of cunning strategy and fierce speed, especially in bullet and blitz formats where her knack for fast calculations shines bright.
Since 2017, Yanira has battled through thousands of rapid-fire games, proving her mettle in both blitz and bullet with thousands of wins, despite the occasional soul-crushing loss (because who doesn’t taste defeat after nearly 3000 blitz losses?). Her chess playstyle is nuanced and patient, with the average game stretching to about 79 moves on wins—clearly someone who enjoys squeezing every drop out of the position, not a player who rushes into impulsive checkmates (most of the time).
Psychological resilience? Check. With a comeback rate of almost 85%, Yanira is a true fighter, turning near-disasters into glorious victories. She’s also adaptable, capable of holding her own both as White (44.5% wins) and Black (nearly 40% wins). But be warned: she’s known to bite back after losing material, winning roughly 40% of such tricky situations—proof that losing a piece is just a minor setback, not a signal to panic!
Yanira’s toolbox includes secret favorite openings, playtested thousands of times with a solid 42%+ win rate in blitz, and a slightly mysterious “Top Secret” repertoire. On the lighter side, she even indulges in the Trompowsky Attack Classical Defense—a one-game anecdote that ended with a flawless 100% win, because sometimes she likes to spice things up!
Off the board, Yanira is known for an impressive blend of grit and good humor, clearly chess’s best candidate for Most Likely to Checkmate While Juggling. Whether storming through rapid puzzles or holding nerve in bullet bulletfests, ChessVigoa is a grandmaster who proves that chess isn’t just a game of kings and queens… but also of charm, resilience, and a sprinkle of fun.
Recent Triumph Snapshot
In June 2025, Yanira secured a stylish win employing the Torre Attack with a fianchetto defense—dashing through to victory by resignation after a fierce middle-game assault. Checkmate, resignation, or even winning on time, Yanira’s results showcase a player comfortable in all endgame scenarios, keeping her opponents guessing until the very last move.