Meet Narayan Venkatesh: The Epic Swindler
Narayan Venkatesh, better known to the online chess world as EpicSwindler2010, is a FIDE Master with a special love for bullet chess. He has played thousands of games at bullet speed, turning lost positions into wins with the kind of resilience that earned him his username. His journey from a 1000 rated beginner to a 2800 rated bullet specialist is one of the most impressive online climbing stories around.
A Repertoire Built for Chaos
Do not expect a quiet London System from this man. Narayan prefers flexible and unusual setups, often steering the game into the Sicilian Defense or the French Defense, but he is just as happy to play the Amar Gambit or the Barnes Defense. His games are full of early tactical battles, and he is at his best when the position is unbalanced and the clock is low.
- Preferred time control: Bullet, with tens of thousands of games played.
- High volume expert: He has played more than 500 games in a single month on multiple occasions.
- Opening explorer: He regularly experiments with rare lines like the Modern Defense and the Australian Defense.
Rivalries and the Road to FM
No story about Narayan is complete without mentioning his epic rivalry with Maahir M Patel. The two have faced each other nearly 400 times, trading wins and losses in a series that remains incredibly close. He has also battled regulars like Gauri Shankar and vortexbeast, but the starlightfade matchup is the one that defines his competitive spirit.
Narayan's rating graph shows a classic steady climb followed by an explosion of improvement. His bullet rating reached new highs in 2024 and 2025, and in 2026 he touched a peak above 2800. This online success was matched by over the board progress, culminating in the FIDE Master title.
Behind the Numbers
Narayan's career stats reveal a relentless competitor. He has won over 1,800 bullet games and maintained a strong win rate against higher rated opposition. His longest winning streak sits at 17 consecutive victories, and he rarely resigns early, which helps explain his remarkable comeback rate.
- Peak bullet rating: 2802 (2026-03-10)
- Peak blitz rating: 2878 (2026-09-13)
- Most played opening in bullet: the Colle Rhamphorhynchus Variation, a line made for swindlers.