Gabriel Souza

Gabriel Souza (aka GabrielSS-Z)

Meet Gabriel Souza, an emerging chess enthusiast who might not yet be storming the grandmaster ranks but has certainly been keeping his opponents on their toes. With a peak rapid rating of 654 and a bullet rating high of 693 in May 2025, Gabriel demonstrates impressive speed and fighting spirit—especially in fast-paced games.

Gabriel’s rapid games tell a tale of resilience and grit. In 26 rapid matches, he secured 15 wins, suffered only 8 losses, and drew 3—not too shabby for a player who’s equally comfortable chasing victory in thrilling bullet duels, where he boasts a perfect 1-0 record (talk about efficiency). Blitz, however, seems to be his personal Mount Everest, with just 1 win from 6 games, proving that even the best have their "blitzing blunders."

Openings? Gabriel clearly loves the Three Knights Opening, where he’s undefeated with a perfect 4-0 record. Other favorites include the Birds Opening Dutch Variation and the French Defense Queen’s Knight Variation, each bringing him 100% success in limited runs. Some openings, like the Italian Game Two Knights Defense and Vienna Game Falkbeer Stanley Variation, have humbled him a bit—but hey, nobody’s perfect in chess or life.

Not to miss: Gabriel's largest winning streak peaked at 5 games, a testament to his tactical sharpness and maybe some lucky breaks. His comeback rate is a jaw-dropping 82.35%, meaning if things go a bit sideways, don’t count him out just yet. His patience shines through his average game lengths, with wins and losses both lasting around 64 moves—he likes to fight in the trenches.

When playing with the black pieces, Gabriel seems to be a bit more dangerous, winning nearly 58% of those battles. While his white pieces win rate hovers just below 43%, the saying “black is the new white” might just apply here.

Psychologically, Gabriel has a tilt factor of 2—so he may grumble a bit after a tough match but bounces back quickly. Evening sessions around 7PM are his prime time to shine, swiftly taking down opponents like “papatje1994” and “i9zeus9i” with 100% success rates.

Highlight: Most Recent Victory

One of Gabriel’s recent masterpieces was a thrilling checkmate victory against papatje1994 in a rapid game. Navigating the complexities of the Three Knights Opening, Gabriel tactically outmaneuvered his opponent in a long game that stretched nearly 76 moves. The final position was a neat checkmate sealing a well-fought battle—proof that strategy and stamina pay off.

Though he's sometimes checkmated or even timed out, Gabriel usually resigns gracefully, winning 10 games by resignation and showing respect to his challengers.

In short: Gabriel Souza is a tenacious player with a mix of clever strategies, a few quirky opening choices, and a fighting spirit to match. Whether in rapid or bullet, GabrielSS-Z reminds us that chess is as much about resilience and fun as it is about ratings. Watch out for his next move—you never know when a sneaky checkmate might strike!