Manmay Chopra: The Bullet Addict Who Nearly Touched 3000
From Over the Board to Online Marathon
Manmay Chopra, who battles under the username kingside_rook, is a FIDE Candidate Master with a very particular obsession: bullet chess. His official title came from the quiet halls of over the board play, but his online home is the loud, frantic 1-minute arena, where he has played more than 11,900 games and pushed his bullet rating to a peak of 2997 (2026-04-18).
That peak leaves him inside the antechamber of the mythical 3000 club. He has also pushed his blitz rating past 2,800, which proves he is not just a one-click wonder.
The Grinder Who Never Stops
Chopra does not merely play bullet. He marathons it. In February 2022 alone he logged 1,725 bullet games, and in April 2026 he again crossed 500 games in a single month. His
shows a player who climbs, crashes, and climbs again without ever lowering the volume.When positions go sideways, he simply keeps pushing. His comeback rate is 85.63%, his average win runs about 83 moves, and he reaches the endgame in more than 76% of his games. A 32-game winning streak balances a 13-game losing streak, and his tilt factor of 13 matches that longest losing streak almost perfectly. The universe loves symmetry, or at least a good anecdote.
An Opening Repertoire With Flair
Chopra's opening taste is gloriously weird. He is a repeat offender of the Amar Gambit (yes, that is the famous 1.Nh3 opening), a devoted fan of the Nimzo-Larsen Attack, and a regular visitor to the Australian Defense, Barnes Defense, and other lines that terrify opening theorists. As Black he has also played hundreds of games in the French Defense, a relationship that hovers around 42% in bullet.
- 556 bullet games in the Colle System's Rhamphorhynchus Variation, a line named after a flying reptile because ordinary chess was not adventurous enough.
- More than 200 games in the London System's Poisoned Pawn Variation across bullet and blitz, which is exactly as risky as it sounds.
- A 73% win rate with the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense in rapid chess, proof that he can play principled chess when the clock allows it.
Rivalries, Friends, and One Nemesis
No opponent has crossed paths with Chopra more often than LordGigantics, who faced him 434 times. Chopra owns that series with 226 wins against 196 losses, and he also holds a winning record against Bhavik Ahuja.
But every bullet hero has a shadow. Against Oskar Hajek, Chopra has won only 14 of their 80 meetings. Some matchups are simply cursed, and for Chopra that curse has a username.
The Early Bird Who Catches Rooks
Chopra plays his best chess at 7:00 in the morning, where his win rate jumps to 76.47%. His worst hours come late at night, so opponents should fear the breakfast table far more than the midnight oil.
The Candidate Master title proves he can handle a real clock with proper moves. His online legacy, though, is the near-3000 bullet rating, the 32-game heater, and the willingness to play an Amar Gambit at 7 AM against absolutely anyone.