Arnaud Rudolf

Profile of Arnaud Rudolf (aka LaRuuud)

Arnaud Rudolf, who often goes by the enigmatic handle LaRuuud, is a chess player whose journey through the ranks is as colorful as it is unpredictable. A master of Blitz and Rapid games alike, LaRuuud has danced on the 64 squares with everything from crafty gambits to stubborn defenses, and a playing style that can be summarized as "sometimes brilliant, sometimes... educational for opponents."

Rating Ride & Style

Despite the wild rollercoaster of ratings—rocketing as high as 571 in Blitz, 328 in Rapid, and a bullet peak at 254 (yes, bullet too!)—LaRuuud’s chess adventures reveal a player not afraid to take risks. His average Blitz rating swings hint at epic battles with fortune, where victories and losses are nearly balanced like a finely poised endgame.

You’ll rarely catch him lingering past 55 moves per game; the avg moves to win and loss being 55 and 54 respectively suggest he's often locked in fierce fights rather than quick-fire checkmates—though he’s no stranger to delivering checkmate with flair.

Opening Mastery & Tactics

His toolbox? A mix of Queen’s Pawn openings, including the Chigorin Variation, where he’s flirting with a solid ~49% win rate. Notably, the Englund Gambit is his quirky specialty — a risky, offbeat weapon he's wielded with a respectable winning edge (~51.6%) in Blitz, and even a flawless record in bullet (100% win in one game). Clearly, if chess were a party, LaRuuud is the one showing up with both snacks and surprise moves!

His comeback rate stands at a heartening 72.2%, proving that when the chips are down, LaRuuud doesn’t just pack up and quit—he battles back with tenacity and tactical awareness.

Psychological Game & Quirks

Game over early? Only about 7.7% of the time does LaRuuud wave the white flag prematurely—so they can’t say he folds under pressure easily. His tilt factor is a modest 7, indicating a relatively calm mind even when the position on the board sings a sad song (or when his opponent pulls off a sneaky trick).

His best time to tip the scales? Late evening around 10 PM, when most players are winding down, LaRuuud presumably kicks into overdrive, boasting a stellar 66.7% win rate at 10 PM hours. Night owl or chess vampire? You decide.

Recent Memorable Matches

Among his recent triumphs, there’s a particular game against vutolon where LaRuuud quickly resigned the opponent to defeat by capitalizing on a bold piece sacrifice in a Scandinavian Defense variation—classic boldness with a pinch of "I’ll take that!"

And when checkmating foes, LaRuuud’s favorite weapon has been his nimble knights and clever queen maneuvers, turning chaotic middlegame messes into swift sessions of "check and mate."

Personality on the Board

While some players fear playing the Four Knights Game (where he suffers a ~27% win rate), Arnaud tackles it like a curious chef trying a new recipe, sometimes succeeding and sometimes setting off the smoke alarm.

Against equal or higher-rated foes, winning chances shrink, but LaRuuud shows a greater charm when matched with lower-rated opponents—winning more than 80% of those battles, reminding everyone why they say, "never underestimate your casual opponents."

In Summary:

Arnaud "LaRuuud" Rudolf is that rare player who keeps chess exciting—his games can bring you nail-biting comebacks, bizarre gambits, and the occasional "Wait, did that just happen?" moment. Not just a player of pieces, but a player of moods and moments, LaRuuud embodies the unpredictable joy of chess: part art, part science, part hilarious mayhem.