Avatar of Grant_Ham

Grant_Ham

Location: UIUC Chess Alum

Playing Since: 2018-02-23 (Active)

Wow Factor: ♟♟♟

Chess.com

Daily: 1244
102W / 41L / 2D
Rapid: 2153
1715W / 1445L / 130D
Blitz: 1828
2868W / 2638L / 160D
Bullet: 1725
1606W / 1403L / 68D

Grant_Ham: The Chess Conqueror

Once upon a chessboard, there was a warrior named Grant_Ham, whose journey through the ranks of blitz, rapid, bullet, and daily chess is nothing short of legendary — or at least consistently entertaining. Starting from humble beginnings with a blitz rating just shy of 700 in 2018, Grant_Ham’s chess odyssey is a tale of perseverance, tactical flare, and occasional accidental resignations.

Rating Adventure

Over the years, Grant_Ham has danced around the 1700–2100 ratings in various time controls, peaking with a stunning Rapid rating of 2173 and an impressive Blitz rating close to 1900. His bullet adventures peaked near 1830, proving that speed and precision are in his arsenal — even if the clock sometimes feels like an opponent.

Playing Style & Personality

Known for a modest tilt factor of 12 (a.k.a. "chess rage level: manageable") and a comeback rate that dazzles at over 86%, Grant_Ham is a fighter who never quits — unless it’s Tuesday night and his dog needs a walk. With an average of nearly 68 moves per win, this player loves a good long game, savoring every pawn push and knight fork like it’s a gourmet meal.

He tends to win more with white pieces (around 54%) and still gives black its due respect with a close 49% win rate. Interestingly, Grant_Ham’s games are peppered with early resignations — only 2.74%, which might just be his way of keeping the suspense alive.

Favorite Openings

While some players favor the classics, Grant_Ham wields a top secret opening repertoire that confuses opponents — perhaps even himself! He’s shown a special love for the Caro-Kann Defense and the Benoni Defense Hromadka System, winning 100% of his games in several niche lines (don’t ask how many though). The Slav Defense Modern Line is also a favored playground where Grant_Ham reigns undefeated.

Recent Highlights

In a recent epic clash against Zigzagg45, Grant_Ham delivered a checkmate that was both beautiful and brutal, showcasing his mastery of the Benoni Defense. Playing white, he elegantly danced through 31 moves before sealing the victory with a d6 mate, a move that will likely be remembered in the annals of casual internet chess history.

Despite a few losses (hey, nobody’s perfect), Grant_Ham’s resilience and sharp tactical mind ensure his foes never get a free win. His record shows plenty of thrilling comebacks and grit against higher-rated opponents.

Fun Facts

  • Has a killer instinct when down a piece, winning just over 50% of those gritty battles.
  • Best time to challenge him? 9 AM sharp — maybe he’s powered by coffee or sheer stubbornness.
  • His psychological tilt is low, but his love for dramatising blunders is not.
  • Loves to switch it up — with almost equal wins and losses against equals and more victories against lower-rated players. So, if you fancy an upset, bring your A-game!

In sum, Grant_Ham is that determined chess friend we all root for — consistently improving, occasionally crushing, and always entertaining. Watch out, chess.com, this player’s just getting warmed up!


🆚 Opponent Insights

Recent Opponents
egregie04 0W / 1L / 0D
demola2001 0W / 1L / 0D
theblazingbishop 1W / 0L / 0D
shlema 1W / 0L / 0D
elcamargo22 0W / 1L / 0D
zoomalt 1W / 0L / 0D
psmaret 0W / 1L / 0D
wafflenut41 1W / 0L / 0D
yuraaghajanyan 0W / 1L / 0D
gareth666 0W / 3L / 0D
Most Played Opponents
cannedbread77 12W / 36L / 1D
mc_mallet 25W / 6L / 0D
tinyasianx 16W / 5L / 0D
mh500372 13W / 4L / 1D
dreamingharp 11W / 5L / 0D

Rating

Year Bullet Blitz Rapid Daily
2025 1699 1719 2124 1244
2024 1766 1746 2121 1218
2023 1734 1858 2018 1197
2022 1826 1661 1841 1081
2021 1472 1302 1383 925
2020 978 497 580 400
2019 441
2018 675 692
Rating by Year201820192020202120222023202420252124400YearRatingBulletBlitzRapidDaily

Stats by Year

Year White Black Moves
2025 158W / 132L / 11D 132W / 165L / 12D 66.8
2024 366W / 283L / 17D 301W / 339L / 22D 64.0
2023 490W / 405L / 41D 453W / 445L / 34D 67.1
2022 1030W / 816L / 52D 941W / 894L / 60D 65.1
2021 1216W / 976L / 49D 1153W / 1050L / 52D 61.7
2020 143W / 113L / 16D 145W / 127L / 8D 58.4
2019 0W / 2L / 1D 0W / 3L / 0D 57.0
2018 0W / 1L / 0D 0W / 1L / 0D 65.5

Openings: Most Played

Blitz Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Top Secret 5788 2916 2703 169 50.4%
Caro Kann Defense 11 6 5 0 54.5%
Catalan Opening Closed 8 5 3 0 62.5%
Slav Defense Modern Line 8 7 1 0 87.5%
Caro Kann Defense Exchange Variation 7 1 6 0 14.3%
London System 5 2 3 0 40.0%
Caro Kann Defense Advance Botvinnik Carls Defense 5 5 0 0 100.0%
Queens Gambit Declined Catalan Opening 5 1 3 1 20.0%
Englund Gambit 4 3 1 0 75.0%
Kings Pawn Opening 4 2 2 0 50.0%
Rapid Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Top Secret 3317 1740 1450 127 52.5%
Caro Kann Defense 7 3 3 1 42.9%
Catalan Opening Closed 3 0 3 0 0.0%
Caro Kann Defense Exchange Variation 3 2 1 0 66.7%
Queens Pawn Opening Krause Variation 3 1 2 0 33.3%
Caro Kann Defense Advance Botvinnik Carls Defense 3 2 0 1 66.7%
Queens Gambit Declined Pseudo Tarrasch Defense 2 1 1 0 50.0%
Indian Game Black Knights Tango 2 1 1 0 50.0%
London System 2 2 0 0 100.0%
Queens Gambit Declined Catalan Opening 2 2 0 0 100.0%
Daily Opening Games Wins Losses Draws Win Rate
Top Secret 194 114 77 3 58.8%

🔥 Streaks

Streak Longest Current
Winning 14 0
Losing 12 2