Ruslan Scherbakov GM

About Ruslan Scherbakov

Ruslan Scherbakov is a chess Grandmaster known for his sharp blitz skills and tactical awareness. He has a strong preference for blitz time controls, where he demonstrates a keen sense of strategy and resilience on the board. With a peak blitz rating of 2766 achieved in March 2021, Ruslan sits among the elite players who excel in fast-paced chess battles.

Playing Style & Strengths

Ruslan's games are characterized by deep endgame knowledge—he reaches endgame phases in over 80% of his matches—and an impressive average game length of about 79 moves. He tends to capture his first piece early, around move 8, setting the tone for complex middle games. His psychological resilience stands out, with a 71% comeback rate after being at a disadvantage, showing he rarely gives up.

• Preferred time control: Blitz
• Strong night owl player — best results around 22:00
• Higher success rate playing Black (71%) versus White (40%)
• Exceptionally low early resignation rate (0%)

Notable Performance Highlights

• Blitz peak rating of 2766 in March 2021 2766 (2021-03-02)
• Impressive blitz win rate against tough opponents like narek_ghimoyan, m_ezat, and andy_rekt at 100%
• Longest winning streak: 2 games; currently on a 1 game winning streak
• Known for turning games around with a 50% win rate even after losing a piece
• Favored openings include the Reti: KIA, Spassky and Queen's Pawn: Neo-Indian with 100% win rates in blitz play

Opening Preferences

Ruslan enjoys experimenting with a variety of openings but has shown excellent results with:

• Indian Defense: Slav-Indian variant (3.Nc3) – undefeated
• Reti Opening: King's Indian Attack (Spassky variation) – undefeated
• Queen’s Pawn: Neo-Indian defense – undefeated
• Trompowsky Attack: 2...Ne4 3.Bh4 d5 – perfect score

His willingness to explore eclectic and offbeat openings keeps opponents guessing and often gives him the upper hand early on.

Fun Facts

• Ruslan has a quirky knack for winning by timeout — 4 of his blitz wins came this way. Apparently, his rapid thinking also messes with opponents' clocks!
• He never lets a bad start keep him down, boasting a huge 71% comeback rate after tactical setbacks.
• Ruslan’s “tilt factor” is an impressive 1, making him one of the steadiest and coolest-headed players out there.