About Leo Crevatin
Leo Crevatin, known on the virtual chessboard as Kretinovich, is a FIDE Master with a resume written in thousands of online games. Since arriving around 2013, he has become a fixture in online chess rooms, playing over 7,200 rated games across bullet, blitz, rapid, and daily formats. His preferred time control appears to be Rapid, though his enormous blitz footprint suggests he simply enjoys chess at every speed.
Early Days and the Long Climb
Leo entered the online scene near the 1000 level in blitz, spending his early years trading wins and losses with fellow improvers. His trajectory became a study in persistence, as he gradually dragged his rating upward through heavy volume play. The chart below captures his blitz climb from those early days through 2025:
His peak blitz mark reached 2672 (2024-05-21), and his best Rapid rating touched 2333 (2023-04-03). Along the way he earned the FIDE Master title, proving that online grit can translate into over the board credentials.
Repertoire and Playing Style
As Black, Leo leans on reliable, fighting openings such as the Caro-Kann Defense and the Sicilian Defense. As White, he often steers play into queen pawn structures and the Queen's Gambit Declined. His games tend to run deep into the endgame, with an endgame frequency around 74 percent, and his average decisive game stretches past 70 moves.
He is not easily discouraged. His comeback rate sits near 78.9 percent, meaning he frequently turns lost positions into full points. His longest winning streak reached13 games, though his hardest stretch included a37 game losing streak. The clock has also been kind to him, with over 1,100 timeout victories, making him a dangerous opponent in any scramble.
Opening trends by color and result are available here:
Known Rivalries
Every frequent online player collects rivals, and Leo is no exception. His most-played opponent has been pantzarvagnen, who has faced him in 118 rated games. Their head to head has been tough for Leo, with22 wins,91 losses,and5 draws, yet he kept accepting the challenge. Another recurring name is Milton Pantzar, with104 meetings and Leo taking27 wins in their long series.
Fun Facts
- His best time of day to play is 05:00, when his win rate jumps above60 percent.
- His most common checking piece is the rook, though he also delivers plenty of queen checks.
- Despite a losing streak that once spanned37 games, he kept returning to the board and eventually climbed into elite blitz territory.