Ellen Nilssen WIM

Ellen Nilssen

Ellen Nilssen, a proud bearer of the Woman International Master title awarded by FIDE, is a chess force to be reckoned with. A player who blends sharp tactical awareness with relentless endgame precision, Ellen has proven time and again that resignation is simply not part of the vocabulary—unless it’s strategically early to preserve the spirit for the next battle (early resignation rate: a mere 11.53%).

Starting with humble blitz ratings just shy of 1400 in 2017, Ellen has relentlessly climbed the ladder, peaking well beyond 2300 in blitz and bullet formats. Her bullet rating hit a razor-sharp 2512 in 2024, showing that when the clock runs out of time, Ellen's brain just kicks into overdrive. With an impressive comeback rate of over 81% and a striking 87.7% winning ratio after losing a piece, Ellen thrives on turning the tables—don’t count her out until the final move.

Ellen’s style is a blend of patience and firepower: a keen eye for the endgame (played in roughly 73% of her games) and resilience that can withstand psychological pressure (tilt factor: 12). On a typical day, catch her winning particularly well in the morning hours and late evening, but beware, her peak performance windows are as mysterious as her favorite, "Top Secret" openings, which she wields with a 53–54% win rate across all formats.

Off the board, Ellen probably enjoys a good laugh at how many opponents she’s defeated multiple times—some foes falling prey with 100% loss rates—while others remain stubbornly undefeated. But win or lose, she’s always ready to queue up for the next game, making chess look like the thrilling rollercoaster ride it is.

If you meet Ellen on the board, prepare yourself: this WIM knows her moves, and she’s got the stats to prove it. Final advice? Don't blink, or you might just miss a checkmate in the making.