Ivan Fakeev (lazurkin) — Snapshot
Ivan Fakeev, who often plays under the handle "lazurkin", is an energetic online chess competitor best known for his Blitz instincts and creative opening choices. A long-time student of sharp, tactical play, Ivan built his reputation grinding hundreds of fast games and surprising opponents with gritty comebacks and tricky French Defense lines.
- Preferred time control: Blitz (plays fastest and most frequently)
- Hallmarks: fast calculation, resilient comebacks, and an appetite for asymmetrical positions
- Lifetime Blitz record highlights: 2,900 wins • 2,538 losses • 414 draws
Playing style & tendencies
Ivan favors lively, unbalanced battles where intuition matters as much as opening theory. He accepts imbalances, enjoys long tactical melees, and is known for a healthy Comeback Rate — turning losing positions into wins often enough to frustrate opponents.
- Resilience: high Comeback Rate and steady Endgame frequency
- Tempo habits: prefers playing Blitz at odd hours — his best time is infamously around 03:00 (ask his opponents)
- Tilt & psychology: has a playful tilt factor; both a warning and a badge of passion
Openings & signature lines
While comfortable with many systems, Ivan repeatedly returns to a few core themes. On both sides he mixes mainstream theory with offbeat surprises to keep opponents uncomfortable.
- Favorite defenses as Black: French Defense (including Exchange and Advance) and the Scandinavian — a reliable battleground in Blitz.
- As White: lively choices like the Center Game and the Scotch Game, aiming for open positions and quick piece activity.
- Notable repertoire trait: balanced use of mainstream and rare lines (Barnes, Amar Gambit, Dobry-like sidelines) to avoid rote preparation.
Career highlights & milestones
Ivan’s journey reads like a marathon compressed into lightning games: long streaks of activity, big surges in form, and frequent comebacks. Highlights include sustained high-level Rapid results and a string of memorable Blitz runs.
- Peak shows of form in Rapid and Blitz — notable milestone ratings appear in his record: 2132 (2024-03-29) and 2133 (2025-12-26).
- Stamina: thousands of online games across Bullet, Blitz, and Rapid — a true journeyman of fast chess.
- Memorable opponent matchups: a long and dramatic rivalry with players such as cu385 and zuzanak. See a classic Ivan victory: Brilliant Blitz Finish.
Representative game & practice material
For coaches and students: Ivan’s games make excellent Blitz training — lots of tactical motifs, practical endgame scrambles, and unusual opening choices you can exploit in training.
- Study snippet (interactive viewer):
- Quick profile link for a familiar rival: cu385
Fun facts & personality
Ivan mixes seriousness with mischief. He'll play a theoretical line one minute and a cheeky Barnes Defense the next — and he laughs louder after a spectacular loss than most do after a narrow win.
- Nickname in chat: often called "laz" by friends, but he answers to "lazurkin" when the mood is competitive.
- Average decisive game length: long for online Blitz — many finishes come after 60+ moves (plenty of endgames to learn from).
- Training tip from Ivan: practice the French Defense and the Center Game — both are his go-to testing grounds for tactical ideas.
Want to follow or study his games?
Ivan’s archive is ideal for players who enjoy Blitz tactics and practical endgame battles. Coach a student on his repertoire or watch a string of blitz classics — start with the chart and the sample game above.
- Interactive rating trend:
- Sample memorable game: View Game