Kyrilo Zaitsev: The Blitz Marathoner
Kyrilo Zaitsev, known online as Kirill_Zaitsev, is a FIDE Master who treats blitz chess like a full-time sport. With more than 15,000 rated blitz games under his belt, he is the kind of player who can turn a casual Wednesday night into a 200-game marathon and still ask for more.
From Rising Star to Blitz Powerhouse
Kyrilo's online journey started modestly in July 2017 with a blitz rating near 1237, but he climbed quickly. His rating graph tells a tale of relentless volume and steady improvement, with peaks and valleys that would make a roller coaster jealous. By the autumn of 2026, he reached a career-high 2794 (2026-09-03), a number that places him among the most dangerous blitz players on the platform.
His love affair with speed chess is clear. He plays more blitz in a month than most players play in a year, and he has built a reputation for grinding out wins in all time controls, especially when the clock is ticking.
A Repertoire Built for Speed
Kyrilo's opening choices are practical, sharp, and ideal for blitz. He is comfortable defending as Black in the Caro-Kann Defense and the French Defense, while his White repertoire leans on the Scotch Game and the Closed Sicilian Defense. He also experiments with creative systems like the London Poisoned Pawn Variation and the wonderfully named Döry Defense, proving he is not afraid to leave the beaten path.
One of his favorite starts as White is the Scotch Game:
. Against the Sicilian, he frequently opts for the Closed line, building a slow kingside attack that often catches opponents off guard.Rivals and Rematches
Kyrilo never backs down from a challenge, and his most frequent dance partner is Mark Kotliar, with 31 meetings. Their rivalry is fiercely competitive, with kot60 holding a narrow edge in wins. Other familiar names on his record include jiejio, purehorses, and lhavas, all of whom have spent long hours battling Kyrilo's relentless blitz pace.
He especially enjoys testing himself against higher-rated opposition. While his win rate against stronger players is modest, his 70.86% win rate against lower-rated opponents shows he knows how to put the hammer down when it matters.
The Good, The Bad, and The Blitz
Kyrilo's playing style is a blend of fighting spirit and stubborn resilience. He has a 12-game winning streak to his name, but also a 15-game losing streak that would have broken lesser players. His comeback rate of 86.48% suggests that even when pieces are lost, the game is far from over.
- Endgame enthusiast: He reaches the endgame in nearly 84% of his games, proving he is never in a hurry to go home.
- Night owl: His best results come around 1:00 AM, when the chess world is quiet and the clock is his only companion.
- Fighting spirit: He wins decisively after losing a piece more than 42% of the time, a nightmare for opponents who celebrate too early.
- Long game specialist: His average decisive game lasts about 80 moves, meaning his blitz games often feel like rapid games with a shorter clock.
Kyrilo Zaitsev may not always take the smoothest path, but he always brings the fight. For fans of energetic, high-volume blitz chess, he is one of the most entertaining FIDE Masters on the internet.