David Stevanić: The Bullet Maestro
David Stevanić, known online as DavidStevanic, is a FIDE Master who treats bullet chess like a personal roller coaster. His peak bullet rating of 2603 (2024-11-05) proves he is at home when the clock is gasping and the pieces are flying. But do not call him a one trick pony. His blitz peak of 2542 (2026-07-07) and a rapid peak of 2281 (2019-01-10) show a player with real depth behind the speed.
A Blur of Bullet
Stevanić's preferred time control is bullet, and the numbers back it up loudly. Across his bullet career he has played more than 2,100 games, winning 1,124 of them. In October 2024 alone he played 516 bullet games in a single month and won 276. That is not a hobby, that is a full time job with extra overtime.
His bullet rating climbed from a modest 1,349 in early 2016 to a blazing 2,603 in late 2024, and the journey is best seen on a chart.
The Opening Laboratory
As White, Stevanić leans heavily on the Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, where he scores comfortably above 58 percent in both bullet and blitz. He also enjoys the chaos of the Amar Gambit and the solid central tension of the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense. As Black he is comfortable in the Scandinavian Defense and the Modern, rarely allowing opponents to dictate the plot.
His opening mix is wide, curious, and sometimes a little spicy, which keeps his rivals guessing.
Familiar Foes
Every online warrior has rivals, and Stevanić has a hall of fame of them. His most faithful dance partner is pticarc pticarc, who has faced him 231 times in a rivalry that swings like a pendulum, with Stevanić taking 96 wins against pticarc's 119. Then there is Tin Bajo with 119 meetings, and Bor Žužek with 92, a matchup Stevanić dominates 71 to 16.
Opponents like superpeter1543 and Kawasaking have also been on the receiving end of some heavy scoring. If you see Stevanić on the pairing list, bring your best opening prep and a sturdy clock.
Built Different
Stevanić is not just aggressive, he is resilient. His comeback rate sits at 86.22 percent, and he still wins more than half his games even after losing a piece. His longest winning streak reached 14 straight victories, and his longest losing streak was also 14, which at least makes for a good story. He very rarely resigns early, with an early resignation rate under 1.4 percent, preferring to fight until the flag or the mate.
His best time of day to play is 7:00 AM, which suggests he is either a morning person or a player who enjoys defeating jet lagged opponents. One thing is certain: when Stevanić sits down, the board gets loud.