Вадим Карпов (KarpovVadim)
Some players chase titles. Others chase speed. Vadim Karpov, a FIDE International Master known online as KarpovVadim, has spent the better part of a decade chasing both across the Blitz battlefield. He may share asurname with a famous former world champion, but this Karpov has carved out his own reputation with an endless appetite for fast chess.
The Long Road to IM
Karpov's online story begins in early 2018, when he first appeared in online Blitz with a rating below 2100. That would not last long. Within months he was trading blows near 2400, and by 2026 he had touched a spectacular peak of 2845 (2026-05-07). His rating graph looks less like a steady line and more like a mountain range, but the trend is unmistakable: he keeps climbing.
A Blitz Machine
Karpov's preferred time control is no mystery; it's Blitz, and he plays it like it is an Olympic sport. His record includes more than 7,000 rated Blitz games, with over 3,200 wins. He also dips into Bullet when he needs an even faster fix, and dabbles in Rapid when his pulse needs to drop below 120.
He is relentless. A ten-game winning streak? Sure. A twelve-game losing streak? Also yes, because everyone gets one. But his comeback rate is around 89 percent, meaning he rarely stays down for long. His longest losing streak is just a chapter, not the whole book.
An Eclectic Opening Repertoire
Karpov is not a one-opening pony. As White, he frequently opens with 1.d4 or 1.Nf3, building position after position. One of his trusted weapons is the Siberian Attack, an aggressive sideline in the Amazon Attack, and he has scored consistently with it. Against 1.e4, he often answers with solid setups like the Caro-Kann Defense, the French Defense, or the Scandinavian Defense, all of which appear across thousands of his online battles.
He is willing to outlast opponents. His games often reach deep endgames, and he checks with the rook more than any other piece. If you want to beat him, bring snacks; it might take a while.
Familiar Faces
Every online warrior has rivals. Karpov's most frequent dance partner has been gmarkovic21, with 17 meetings. Against gmarkovic21, he has won 9 and lost 8, a margin so thin it could be measured in milliseconds. He has also tangled with qwerrrrty 15 times, and a host of other regulars around the clock.
- vs gmarkovic21: 9 wins, 8 losses
- vs qwerrrrty: 5 wins, 8 losses, 2 draws
- vs Stein Aarland: 5 wins, 5 losses, 3 draws
These rivalries are part of the fun. In Blitz, grudges expire as fast as flags fall.
Night Owl Notes
Curious details from the data: Karpov's best winning percentage by hour of day comes at 3am local time. That is not a typo. He is either a night owl, a shift worker, or a human who has decided that sleep is overrated. He also fares slightly better with thewhite pieces, though his black repertoire is still dangerous enough to keep opponents honest.