Alonso Zapata, Grandmaster of Blitz Chess
Alonso Zapata, known online as GMazapata, is a FIDE Grandmaster whose chess profile is built around fast play, tactical resilience, and a suspiciously strong relationship with the clock. Blitz is clearly the main attraction, with 357 recorded blitz games and a peak blitz rating of 2471.
Playing Style
Zapata is not in a hurry to leave the board. Endgames appear in 78.16% of his games, while his average decisive game lasts around 70 moves. His comeback rate is an impressive 84.95%, suggesting that losing a piece is treated less as a disaster and more as an invitation to become inconvenient.
He has also produced a longest winning streak of 13 games. The queen is his most frequent checking piece, and he gives the first check in 55.38% of analyzed games. When he gets the initiative, opponents may want to check the exit.
Opening Repertoire
As White, Zapata frequently enters the classical structures of the Ruy Lopez, including the Exchange Variation and Morphy Defense. The Exchange Variation has been particularly productive, with a 60% blitz win rate in the recorded sample, while the Exchange Variation with the Alapin Gambit has scored even more impressively.
With Black, he often meets 1.e4 with the Sicilian Defense. His most eye-catching result belongs to the Budapest: 3.d5, where he recorded nine wins from nine games. That is not merely an opening preference. That is a small personal empire.
Career Snapshot
- FIDE title: Grandmaster
- Online username: GMazapata
- Preferred time control: Blitz
- Best recorded blitz winning streak: 13 games
- Best recorded playing hour: 14:00, with a perfect win rate in the available sample
- Latest recorded data: January 30, 2024
For a visual look at his blitz journey, see the profile trend below:
Peak blitz performance: 2471 (2024-01-30)