Gerardo Duque

Gerardo Duque — The Duke of Cydonia

Meet Gerardo Duque, better known in the chess cosmos by his regal handle dukeofcydonia. With a chess rating that’s been on a steady ascent — much like a mitochondrion powering a cell — Gerardo’s rapid game rating soared to a peak of 1222 in 2024, proving he’s no mere pawn in the game of life.

Since 2022, Gerardo has played over 6,400 rapid games, with an impressively balanced win-loss record hovering around the humble 50% win rate, showing both stamina and strategic tenacity. His blitz battles are almost as lively, peaking near 993, and his bullet ventures, though fewer, exhibit resilience.

Gerardo favors the Scandinavian Defense — particularly the Mieses Kotrc Variation — like a well-adapted enzyme catalyzing swift positions. Over 1,000 rapid games have seen him wield this opening with nearly 45% success, blending biological precision with tactical creativity.

Known for his comeback rate of 74.5% and a perfect win rate after losing a piece, Gerardo truly embodies the phrase "survival of the fittest." Like a clever amoeba dodging predators, his games often turn around when least expected, making him an unpredictably fierce competitor.

His style is a fascinating mix: a low early resignation rate of 2.32% and a love for endgames about 65% of the time suggests patience that could rival the slow metabolic cycles of a tortoise. Average games stretch over 65 moves, indicating a penchant for deep strategic "cell division" rather than quick skirmishes.

Psychological quirks? Gerardo has a modest tilt factor of 16, meaning he keeps his cool even when the opponent plays a sneaky gambit. His black pieces win roughly 45% of matches, while striking back with his white pieces just shy of 50% — a respectable adaptation to either "side of the board DNA."

If chess were biology, Gerardo Duque would be the evolutionary marvel who thrives through persistence, occasional mutation in strategy, and a relentless will to survive and conquer. Certainly a player to watch — or else you might just find yourself checkmated by this curious organism of the 64 squares!