Igor Bitensky: The International Master with a Mysterious Opening
Igor Bitensky, known in chess circles by the enigmatic username Igor_Bitensky, is an International Master recognized by FIDE. A chess warrior with a penchant for the "Top Secret" opening—so secret, even his opponents seem unsure of what hit them—Igor has amassed a reputation that mixes skill, resilience, and a subtle dash of mischief at the board.
Rating Rollercoaster & Playing Style
Igor’s rapid rating peaked at a respectable 2441 in 2019 before taking a scenic route down to the low 2000s in subsequent years. His blitz and bullet ratings tell a tale of a fighter who thrives under pressure, boasting a bullet max rating near 2650 and blitz max rating over 2450. He’s not only quick on the clock but also on the comeback trail, exhibiting an impressive 92.4% comeback rate and an impeccable 100% win rate after losing a piece—a true master of turning tables while others might be tilting.
The Longest Streak & Other Streaks...
Igor’s longest winning streak is an eye-watering 20 games. That’s enough consecutive wins to make any chess club cry in envy. Though currently resting on a zero-game winning streak, one can only speculate if Igor is just biding his time for his next thrilling run.
Opening Mystery
Igor's favorite “Top Secret” openings aren’t just a marketing gimmick—they play a key role in his mid-game wizardry. With a consistent 50% win rate in rapid and above 52% in blitz using these secret weapons, his opponents might want to invest in a few spy novels to get a clue.
Opponent Highlights
He’s faced many competitors, with notable rivalries against players like tompalov (50% win rate) and total domination (100% win!) over numerous others including catzapto and creativity. It seems Igor is a paradox—friendly yet merciless, kind yet competitive.
Psychology at Play
Despite a moderate tilt factor of 6, Igor’s rated games show a significant edge over casuals with close to a 28% better win rate—a clear sign that when the stakes are high, Igor is indeed a different beast.
Daily Routine & Peak Hours
Igor seems to prefer the intellectual hustle on Thursdays, Fridays, and Wednesdays where his win rates exceed 54%, hitting an impressive 80% on Fridays. His sharpest moves tend to come between 8 to 11 AM, where he sports a flawless 100% win rate. Apparently, mornings are beloved by both coffee lovers and chess masters.
Final Moves
With an average game length of around 78 moves for wins and quite a few more for losses, Igor’s games are marathons filled with strategic depth and persevering endurance. Endgames are his playground, making up over 85% of his matches—a true gladiator of the final battlefield.
In a nutshell, Igor Bitensky is no ordinary chess player. Armed with secrets, comebacks, and a long stash of endurance, Igor reminds us all that in chess—as in life—sometimes you have to lose a piece to win the war.
Constructive Feedback for Igor Bitensky
Quick Snapshot
- Current peak ratings: Rapid 2441 (2019-07-07), Blitz 2452 (2020-04-15).
- Usual activity patterns: .
- Frequent sparring partner: Tompalov.
What You Are Already Doing Well
- Initiative-seeking play. Your recent win in the Closed Sicilian shows an instinct to seize space and create threats early.
- Tactical alertness. Combinations like 21.Rxf8! in the same game demonstrate sharp calculation skills.
- Piece activity over material. You regularly return material (e.g., 20.Ng4! in the win above) to keep the opponent’s king under pressure.
Key Areas to Improve
- Time management. Four of your last five losses ended on time. Aim to keep at least 25–30 % of your clock entering complex middlegames. Drills with a visible countdown (e.g., 1-minute per five moves) can build this habit.
- Pawn-storm risk assessment. In several Modern Defense games as Black you advanced …h6/…g5 early, weakening dark squares and falling to ideas like Qg5+ and h6 (see loss on 2021-04-10). Re-watch model games by solid Modern specialists and note how they delay …g5 until the centre is closed.
- Handling opposite-side castling. When kings are on the same wing you still launch pawn storms, sometimes forgetting prophylaxis. Balance attack with king safety—often one quiet move (…Kh8, …Rf7) prevents tactical shots.
- Conversion technique. Winning positions occasionally drift (e.g., 2021-07-17 where …Qa6?? lost the remaining seconds). Practice converting extra exchange/ pawn vs. bots set to “defend stubbornly”.
Opening Corner
With White: Your English/Closed Sicilian set-ups score well. Keep the same structure but prepare replies to …d5 breaks (…e5–d5 or …f5–d5) so you are not surprised.
With Black: In the Modern Defense, study the line 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.h4 (the “150 Attack”). Recommended plan: 4…Nf6 5.h5 Nxh5 6.Be2 Nf6 7.Nf3 c6 8.a4 etc. This avoids the early …h6 …g5 hook that has troubled you.
Action Plan for the Next Two Weeks
- Play five 15|10 games focused solely on clock discipline; annotate how you spent time each move.
- Solve 30 intermediate tactics per day; filter for defensive themes like interposition and perpetual checks.
- Review two grandmaster games where Black employs the Modern without …g5; summarise typical plans in a notebook.
- End every session with a 10-move self-quiz: “What are my opponent’s threats?” (cultivates prophylactic thinking).
Motivational Note
Your aggressive style is a real asset—refine the supporting skills above and you will convert more of those promising positions into points. Keep the energy, add a dash of restraint, and expect steady rating climbs. Good luck, Igor!
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tompalov | 4W / 4L / 0D | |
| jungleman82 | 0W / 6L / 0D | |
| thelawyerofobjectiv | 2W / 1L / 0D | |
| shantia-s | 1W / 1L / 0D | |
| Николай Оглоблин | 0W / 2L / 0D | |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2035 | |||
| 2020 | 2265 | 2315 | 2074 | |
| 2019 | 2496 | 2332 | 2301 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1W / 1L / 0D | 1W / 2L / 0D | 65.0 |
| 2020 | 23W / 22L / 1D | 24W / 16L / 5D | 84.0 |
| 2019 | 7W / 8L / 2D | 10W / 5L / 1D | 89.1 |
Openings: Most Played
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modern | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.7% |
| Barnes Opening: Walkerling | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Amazon Attack | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Bird Opening | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| English Opening: King's English Variation, Botvinnik System | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Sherzer Variation | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modern | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 42.9% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Bird Opening | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Sicilian Defense | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 40.0% |
| Barnes Defense | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Center Game: Berger Variation | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.0% |
| Hungarian Opening: Wiedenhagen-Beta Gambit | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.3% |
| Australian Defense | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.7% |
| English Opening | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.7% |
| King's Indian Attack | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33.3% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modern | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 60.0% |
| English Opening: Symmetrical Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Benoni Defense | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| King's Indian Attack: French Variation | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Hungarian Opening: Wiedenhagen-Beta Gambit | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| English Opening: Agincourt Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Sherzer Variation | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 20 | 0 |
| Losing | 6 | 1 |