Plamen Mladenov - International Master (levski-sofia)
Plamen Mladenov, known online as levski-sofia, is an International Master of chess who gracefully tweaks the 64-square battlefield with a mixture of tactical flair and stubborn resilience. Their official FIDE title, International Master, attests to years of dedication and countless battles fought against worthy adversaries.
Plamen is no stranger to speed chess, boasting a peak blitz rating over 2700 achieved in January 2025 — a level where many grandmasters quake. With over 20,000 games played using an arsenal intriguingly labeled "Top Secret" openings, Plamen keeps opponents guessing while striking a balance between aggressive gambits and patient positional play.
Known for an impressive average game length of more than 80 moves in wins, Plamen enjoys endgames immensely (an endgame frequency near 79%), demonstrating resilience and strategic depth. Their comeback rate of nearly 85% after losing material speaks to a psychological steel that refuses to crumble, even when the chess gods test their patience.
Playing mostly under the username levski-sofia, Plamen can be spotted dazzling opponents with a win rate above 44% in blitz games, and a surprisingly high bullet win rate hovering around 82%, proving lightning reflexes are among their many skills.
Their favorite time to play? Around 1 AM, a mysterious hour where some players falter but for Plamen, it's prime time to conquer the board.
Opening repertoire includes such treats as the Trompowsky Attack (a spicy 75% win rate), Sicilian Defense Open Classical Variation (a sharp 80% win rate), and a sly Reti Opening. Opponents beware: these moves have been tested thoroughly and refined over thousands of encounters.
Despite many victories, even a master stumbles. Plamen's longest winning streak is an impressive 12 games, but the hard reality of chess is reflected in a longest losing streak of 12 games as well—because nothing builds character like a rollercoaster ride across the rating ladder!
Recent Highlights
On June 3, 2025, Plamen clinched a thrilling victory with the English Opening, outmaneuvering opponent Nemus7 after a well-calculated dance of knights and queens. Victory was sealed on time, a reminder that in blitz, time can be the sharpest weapon.
While this player’s style is often described as solid with a penchant for long battles, their ability to strike decisively and fight back makes them a fearsome challenger in any time control, especially blitz and bullet.