Jelle Smid

The Improviser's Journey

Jelle Smid, known online as Jelle-Smid, is a Dutch online chess battler who transformed an appetite for unusual openings into a fearsome 2600-level Blitz force. He started in December 2019 as a modest 1200-rated player, but he never played a boring game. By 2021 he was already flying past 1900, and in May 2026 he reached a Blitz peak of 2640 (2026-05-03). His steady climb reads like a love letter to stubborn improvement:

A Bullet Heart

Although Jelle has logged thousands of Blitz battles, his preferred time control is bullet. He thrives when the clock is screaming and instinct takes over. His bullet rating peaked near 2526 in April 2025, proving he can hang with the fastest hands on the server. Timing matters too: Friday is his deadliest day with a 57% win rate, and if you face him at 6 a.m., consider yourself warned. His stats say that is the hour when he is most dangerous.

Signature Openings and a Fearless Repertoire

Jelle plays a repertoire that is anything but dry. As White he loves the Nimzo-Larsen Attack and the Amazon Attack, and he absolutely punishes the Czech Defense with a 66% win rate. As Black he is a deadly French Defense grinder with a 61% success rate, and he wades into the Sicilian Defense with a winning record. He prefers chaos, early queens, and positions where his opponent has to solve real problems from move one. Here is a look at how his favorite openings performed:

The Comeback Phenom

Do not celebrate too early against Jelle. His comeback rate is a remarkable 82.57%, and he still wins 48.97% of games after losing a piece. He is a long-game specialist who reaches the endgame 73% of the time, with the average decisive contest running around 73 moves. When he lands the first check, he converts 62% of the time, usually with the queen serving as his wrecking ball. His longest winning streak is 17 straight games, and even his longest losing streak, 10 games, only seemed to fuel the next charge.

Friendly Rivalries

Every online warrior needs rivals. Jelle has a gloriously one-sided history with simon_v_l, taking 105 wins out of 114 meetings. He also owns a near perfect score against quick_olst, with 62 wins and only 2 losses. Lode De Jong provides a genuine test, with Jelle ahead 57 to 33. And then there is Peter Bolwerk, a true nemesis, who leads their series 13 wins to 6.

Fast Facts

• Longest winning streak: 17 games.
• Longest losing streak: 10 games, it happens to the best of us.
• Average moves per win: about 73, so bring snacks.
• >Has played more than 10,000 analyzed games, mostly in Blitz.
• His most common checking piece is the queen, naturally.