Anton Sitnikov: The Wind That Blew Through the Blitz Charts
Anton Sitnikov, better known on chess servers as ChessWind85, is a FIDE International Master whose online Blitz play has become the stuff of leaderboard legend. He is not a player who gently climbs. He storms.
Career Trajectory
In early 2025, Anton was a solid, if unassuming, 2200 level Blitz player. By September 2026, he had surged to a career high Blitz rating of 2830 (2026-09-25), producing a rating curve more like a launch sequence than a graph.
His April 2026 was particularly ferocious, with 29 wins in 37 Blitz games. He later rattled off a 13-game winning streak, showing the kind of focus that separates titled players from the rest of the lobby. Even his 9-game losing streak could not keep him down for long.
Playing Style and Grit
Anton's games are long, grinding affairs. He reaches an endgame in about 78% of his games, and his wins average nearly 75 moves. He does not give up cheaply. His comeback rate sits near 81%, and he still wins almost half of his games after losing a piece. That kind of resilience is rare.
He is more dangerous with the white pieces, with a 56.38% win rate as White against 46.49% as Black, and he saves his sharpest chess for the evening. His best results come at 20:00, when the coffee has kicked in and the TiltFactor has gone to sleep.
Opening Repertoire
As White, Anton favors practical d4 setups and direct attacks. His results with the Nimzo-Larsen Attack and the Closed Sicilian Defense stand out, the latter yielding a perfect 8-0 record in Blitz. As Black, he leans on the Caro-Kann Defense, the Döry Defense, and some sideline pressure systems that keep opponents guessing.
Rivalries and Notable Opponents
No online career is complete without familiar names across the board. Anton has made hornet13 a frequent victim, winning all four of their encounters. Tougher tests come from Shilong Li and TerribleFeline, both of whom have beaten Anton three times without conceding a win.
Even the clock plays a role. Anton has taken 60 wins by timeout, which is a reminder that in Blitz, the clock is always the second opponent.
Fun Facts
- Longest winning streak: 13 games.
- Longest losing streak: 9 games, followed by a comeback rate near 81%.
- Prefers Blitz above all other time controls.
- Wins more often in rated games than casual ones, with a significant 51.42% difference.