Abdulraheem Abdulrahman Akintoye: The Smiling FIDE Master
A Chess Smile with Bite
Abdulraheem Abdulrahman Akintoye, better known online as dbestsmiles, is a FIDE Master whose cheerful username hides a fierce competitive streak. He has spent more than fifteen years turning online chess into a personal laboratory of attacking ideas, stubborn defense, and late-night brilliance. His preferred time control is Rapid, though his legend was built in the blitz arena, where he has played thousands of battles and reached a remarkable 2648 (2026-07-29).
Career Journey
Akintoye's online journey began in 2010 with modest ratings and big dreams. He played, lost, learned, and played again. By 2015 he was crossing the 2000 mark, and by 2021 he had broken through 2500 in blitz. His rating chart tells the story of a player who kept climbing even when the path got rocky.
His blitz record is staggering in its volume: nearly 4,500 wins, more than 4,200 losses, and a win rate that stays competitive even against elite opposition. He is not someone who hides from stronger players, and the experience clearly helped him grow into a 2600-rated force.
Playing Style
Akintoye is a marathon runner in a sprinter's world. His games last a long time, with wins averaging around 66 moves and losses around 74 moves. He rarely resigns early, and his comeback rate is an eye-popping 86.33 percent. Even after losing a piece, he still wins nearly half the time. That is the mark of a player who trusts his ability to outplay anyone.
- Endgame appetite: High. He reaches the endgame in nearly 75 percent of games.
- Resilience: Extremely high. One-sided losses are almost unheard of for him.
- Best hour: 4:00 AM, where his win rate jumps to 62 percent. Some players are built different.
His opening history is a colorful map of practical ideas. As White he loves the positional squeeze in the Caro-Kann Defense, the closed lines of the Sicilian Defense, and the straightforward pressure of the Scandinavian Defense. As Black he enjoys sharp and unusual setups, especially the Modern Defense with its wild Pterodactyl Variation.
Opening Repertoire
Akintoye's repertoire is not afraid of the deep end. With White, the Caro-Kann and closed Sicilian lines have produced some of his best results. With Black, he is a regular customer of the Modern Defense, the Czech Defense, and plenty of offbeat systems that make opponents think from move one. This willingness to play unusual structures makes him a dangerous player to prepare against.
Rivalries
No player has faced Akintoye more often than 2011KING, a rivalry that spans 37 games. Their head to head record is almost perfectly balanced, a fitting tribute to two fighters who refuse to move aside. Frequent foes such as weak_playerr and pawnchuk have also shared hundreds of intense battles with him.
Fun Facts
- He once won 20 consecutive games. He also lost 12 in a row once. Chess is humbling.
- His queen is his busiest piece, delivering more than 9,300 checks across his career.
- He is most dangerous very late at night, which might explain why his opponents feel like they are playing a ghost.
- His username says smiles, but his Pterodactyl Variation has made many opponents frown.