József Mátyás Herpai CM

József Mátyás Herpai (aka GMShoti)

Meet József Mátyás Herpai, a fierce contender on the chessboard and a proud FIDE Candidate Master, who’s been quietly accumulating victories and leaving opponents wondering "What just happened?"

Since bursting onto the scene with a perfect bullet game rating of 2352 in May 2023, József steadily climbed, reaching an impressive peak bullet rating of 2566 in April 2025. His blitz performances are nothing short of dazzling too, boasting a peak rating of 2574 and consistently engaging opponents with a style that combines tactical sharpness and strategic depth.

If games were epic sagas, GMShoti's would be filled with comebacks—his tactical awareness shines through with a nearly 88% comeback rate after losing a piece and a remarkably low one-sided loss rate. It’s said József never resigns early more than 0.3% of the time; he fights to the end, often dragging opponents into long, grueling endgames that showcase his endurance and precision—averaging about 79 moves per clipping win or loss.

His opening repertoire is rich and varied, with favorite stances in bullet games including the Sicilian Four Knights and the Pirc Defense Main Line—the latter rewarding him with a robust 60% win rate. In blitz, he’s a master of the Queen’s Pawn Chigorin Variation and the Alapin Sicilian Defense, where he enjoys win rates comfortably above 50%.

His online combat style could be described as both resilient and daring. Although he has faced some tough battles (with more losses than wins in bullet games), JM’s fight ethic is legendary, punctuated by impressive winning streaks— the longest being a whopping 12 consecutive wins! However, be warned: his tilt factor is at 10, meaning he truly feels the pressure... but also bounces back like a champ.

Off the board, József has developed interesting timelines for his peak performance—with early mornings (3 AM!) apparently being his secret power hour. Whether he’s grinding through bullet battles or outmaneuvering opponents in longer time controls, GMShoti demonstrates a blend of skill, psychology, and maybe just a touch of sleep deprivation genius.

Recent games capture the essence of his skill: swift victories both on-time and by checkmate, including a thrilling win via queenside breakthroughs and tactical pinning, and even a cheeky "won on time" finish. Yet, not even the strongest titan is invincible, with dramatic losses adding spice to his ongoing saga.

In sum, József Mátyás Herpai is a battle-tested, creative, and resilient chess personality who thrives in the heat of the moment, pushing his limits from bullet’s frantic pace to blitz’s strategic battles—and all with the Candidate Master title proudly in hand.

Stay tuned: the story of GMShoti’s rise is far from over!