Miguel Arraiz

Miguel Arraiz aka "chicho-09"

Meet Miguel Arraiz, a determined chess aficionado with a rating rollercoaster that screams "never give up!" Starting 2024 with a rapid max rating of 580, Miguel’s journey has been nothing short of an epic saga filled with sharp tactics, hard-fought battles, and a fair share of eyebrow-raising upsets.

Known online as chicho-09, Miguel's love for the game is evident in his impressive volume of rapid games — over 1,200 played — where his razor-sharp focus has earned him 514 wins and an almost equal number of losses, showcasing both resilience and a fight-to-the-last-move spirit.

Playing Style & Strengths

With an average win length of about 42 moves, Miguel clearly enjoys a good strategic tussle. He’s not the type to throw in the towel early, boasting a 75.8% comeback rate when falling behind — yes, that's a statistic that could inspire a Hollywood comeback movie. His endgame play appears often, with an endgame frequency of over 43%, proving he's comfortable grinding down opponents as the clock ticks.

He exhibits a balanced approach playing both White and Black, with nearly equal win rates around 48% (White) and 47% (Black). However, don’t expect him to shy away from complex lines; Miguel has a soft spot for the Queen's Pawn and King's Pawn openings, especially excelling in the “Queen’s Gambit Accepted: Alekhine System” and “King’s Knight Variation” with win rates nudging above 50%.

A Chess Journey Full of Drama

Miguel’s battles are often nail-biters, illustrated by his longest winning streak of 9 games and a humbling longest losing streak of 8 games. The famed tilt factor of 8 hints that even he sometimes feels the heat (who doesn’t?), but his psychological resilience keeps him coming back stronger.

A true night owl defying sleep norms, Miguel's best time to shine is around 9 AM, but with varied win rates through the hours, sometimes pulling off spectacular moves at 9 AM with a 100% win rate in that hour and other times struggling like during the afternoon dips.

Memorable Moments

Among Miguel’s more memorable recent skirmishes: a thrilling victory against bat12212 where he masterfully executed a Queen’s Gambit Accepted, culminating in a resignation after 35 intense moves. Although not always victorious — losses to top rivals like mazitoya and recondoc51 remind us of chess's humbling nature — he boasts perfect records against many other opponents, exemplifying his competitive spirit and his knack for exploiting weaknesses.

Fun Fact

Miguel’s blitz peak rating skyrocketed to 668 in mid-2024 — impressive for someone who, humorously, endured a blitz losing streak that could have been sponsored by a soap opera writer. And though his bullet chess is sparse, that one bullet game? Pure intensity, played with gusto no doubt!

In short, Miguel Arraiz is the embodiment of a passionate club-level warrior: nimble, adaptive, occasionally unpredictable, but always game to make chess a thrilling adventure. Whether he’s plotting opening novelties or fighting fierce endgames, chicho-09 keeps proving that the heart of a chess player counts as much as the rating.