steven Byrne

Steven Byrne (harbourball)

Meet Steven Byrne, aka harbourball, a chess enthusiast with a passion for strategy, endurance, and the occasional dramatic comeback. His chess journey is a rollercoaster filled with surprising highs, a few inevitable lows, and a stubborn refusal to quit early—he’s only resigned 5.42% of the time, proving he’s in it for the long haul.

Playing Profile

Steven’s games are a testament to patience, with an average winning game stretching to almost 47 moves and losses often dragging on beyond 55 moves. He seems to enjoy the endgame phase, featuring in over half of his games, which is impressive considering most players would have dozed off by then.

His win rate is almost perfectly balanced between playing White and Black, boasting just under 48% with White and nearly 50% with Black pieces. The streak of seven wins in a row hints at moments when his brain truly aligned with the chess gods.

A Challenger of All Speeds

Whether it’s Rapid chess or the lightning-fast Blitz and Bullet formats, Steven embraces the challenge. In 2025 alone, he played 65 Rapid games, 251 Blitz battles, and 44 Bullet duels. His highest Rapid rating peaked at 562 in 2024, with a solid 453 average rating in 2025—making him a formidable foe in the mid-tier battlegrounds.

Although Bullet chess hasn’t been his strongest suit—hovering around a 231 average rating—he makes up for it with a tactical comeback rate of nearly 62%, never giving up even after losing a piece, where his win rate impressively hits 100%. Talk about fighting spirit!

Secret Openings

Steven’s opening repertoire is, well, "Top Secret"—literally. Across all formats, this mysterious opening has nearly a 50% win rate, except in Bullet, where it dips a bit. It seems even opponents don’t quite know what to expect, adding an air of suspense to every match.

Psychology & Quirks

With a tilt factor of 7, he’s human enough to get a bit frustrated but keeps it mostly in check. His performance shines brightest in evening hours and late nights, crushing opponents with a 100% win rate at midnight and strong showings between 11pm and midnight.

Mondays might be rough (only 45.8% win rate), but Fridays and Wednesdays make up for it, where he wins more than half his games. Who knew the weekend vibe could be that strong in chess?

Rivalries & Records

Steven’s opponent roster reads like a who's who of intrigue—from maniacalgenius to batuhanersan. Some opponents are his nemeses with a 0% win rate against them, while others, like rob3010e039 and iamthathyna, have been soundly defeated every time.

His most-played buddy? theoharvardacademy—who currently holds a frustrating 0% win rate for Steven. Clearly, teamwork is a work in progress.

In Summary

Steven Byrne’s chess journey is a blend of persistence, strategic depth, and a dash of mystery. Whether you face him in a bullet storm or a marathon Rapid showdown, expect a player who never backs down and might just surprise you with a sneaky “Top Secret” move. Keep an eye on this one—his best games are probably just around the corner.