Andrey Devyatkin: The Blitz Grandmaster
Andrey Devyatkin, known online as DeviatkinAndrey, is a FIDE Grandmaster who treats blitz chess like a contact sport. His peak blitz rating of 2886 (2023-02-11) puts him in rare air among online speed chess specialists, and he has stayed near the summit for the better part of a decade. Even in early 2025 he was still logging games and winning.
Career Trajectory
Devyatkin's online rating history reads like a rocket launch. In March 2015 alone he rocketed from 1323 to 2506, and by 2018 he had crossed 2700. The climb peaked in February 2023 at 2886, followed by a steady 2865 in 2024.
- Reached the 2700 blitz threshold in 2018
- Peaked at 2886 in February 2023
- Still posting 2865+ ratings in 2024
- Longest winning streak: 18 games
Playing Style
Devyatkin never goes quietly. His comeback rate sits at 89%, and he wins 53% of his games even after losing a piece. With an endgame frequency above 90% and an average winning game stretching nearly 88 moves, he is a patient hunter who trusts his technique in long, grinding battles.
Opening Repertoire
As Black, the Caro-Kann Defense is his security blanket, played well over 100 times in blitz, while the Slav Defense has delivered his best results with a 67% win rate. As White, Devyatkin refuses to be boring. He happily plays the Amar Gambit, the Nimzo-Larsen Attack, and the Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, where he scores 71%.
A typical Caro-Kann battleground:
Fierce Rivalries
His most frequent dance partner is Yaacov Norowitz, who has faced Devyatkin 53 times. The series is a grind: Devyatkin has 18 wins, yaacovn has 29, and 6 draws. Against Prraneeth Vuppala the story flips, with Devyatkin leading 14 wins to 6 losses.
Fun Facts
- Blitz is clearly his home turf, with more than 1,000 recorded blitz games.
- His golden hour is 11:00, when his stats show a perfect win rate.
- He plays better with the white pieces, winning 58% of those games, but a 51% black score keeps him dangerous from either side.
- His tilt factor of 6 might explain a few losses, but an 18-game winning streak proves he always bounces back.