Frederic Samama

Profile: Frederic Samama (aka fred-hugo)

Meet Frederic Samama, a chess player whose rapid rating has seen more twists and turns than a suspense thriller—starting at a promising 1339 in 2021 and cruising down to a humble 655 by 2025. But hey, it's not about the numbers, it’s about the journey (and sometimes the blunders).

Known online by the catchy handle fred-hugo, Frederic has played nearly 124 rapid games, managing to snag 42 wins—proving he’s no pushover. Although losses outnumber wins, his resilience shines through with a 50% comeback rate and a flawless 100% win rate after losing a piece. Talk about turning lemons into lemonade!

Frederic favors classical, somewhat elegant openings with a penchant for the Giuoco Piano Italian Four Knights Variation, where he boasts a respectable 75% win rate. Also notable are his equally impressive 50% success rates in the Philidor Defense, Italian Game, and Van t Kruijs Opening. Clearly, he knows his way around the board’s less-traveled paths.

When it comes to psychological stamina, Frederic’s tilt factor of 11 suggests a calm demeanor—most of the time. His average game length is roughly 47 moves, so opponents better be ready for some deep strategizing and possibly some late-game fireworks. And while draws are apparently a foreign concept to him (zero recorded draws), every game is a decisive battle.

His most recent encounters highlight a pattern: a crushing victory against CrypticApe by resignation with classic Bishop’s Opening techniques and a heartbreaker loss to tennisplayerNo1 by checkmate. In short, Frederic knows how to win with style and lose with grace... mostly.

Fun fact: Frederic’s best winning day seems to be Saturday, with a whopping 55% win rate, so if you’re looking for inspiration for your weekend chess sessions, take a leaf out of his book. And watch out at 22:00—that’s his prime time with a 75% win success!

Beyond the stats, Frederic is the kind of player who reminds us that chess is not just a game of kings and queens but also one of persistence, quirky openings, and oh yes... refusing to settle for boring draws.