Raul Leon

Raul Leon - Chess Player Extraordinaire (aka Link58)

Raul Leon, better known in the chess realms as Link58, is a rapid chess enthusiast whose journey reads like an epic saga filled with tactical triumphs, occasional blunders, and a sprinkle of endgame wizardry. With a peak rapid rating of 1377 back in 2011, Raul has seen the ebb and flow of the rating rollercoaster but never lost his fighting spirit.

Starting his rapid adventure at a blazing 1377 in December 2011, Raul's rating danced around the 1000s over the years, showing steady persistence and a willingness to learn from both victories and defeats. His blitz skills mirror this pattern, peaking at 1366, proving that speed chess is also in his toolkit.

Despite the ups and downs, Raul's approach to chess is full of character. His style features a moderate tendency to resign early (only about 3% of games), while he likes to see endgames through to nearly 55% of his matches. Think of him as that player who stays a little longer at the party to clean up the last crumbs — or pieces in this case.

Raul averages around 52 moves per win and embraces the challenge of comebacks with a noteworthy 78% comeback rate. That's right, never count him out just because he lost a piece or two — this is a chess fighter! His psychological resilience keeps tilt at bay most of the time, clocking a tilt factor of 20 (chess pros, take notes). With a sweet spot for playing around 1 PM, Raul strikes his opponents when they're perhaps still nursing their morning coffee—lucky for him!

Opening-wise, Raul enjoys a broad repertoire but shows a special knack for the King's Pawn Opening, tackling it in over 1800 rapid games with nearly a balanced win rate of 49.5%. When feeling adventurous, he throws down the Philidor Defense and even dances with various gambits like the Blackmar Gambit—just in case his opponents aren't paying attention.

Among his most memorable recent victories: a swift and elegant checkmate against an opponent named Mgik77 in June 2024 by launching an aggressive queen-side assault culminating in a stunning Qxf7# finish. His losses? Well, who doesn't have those? Raul battles on and embraces every game as part of his growing chess tale.

Raul’s records show he’s a fearless competitor on numerous fronts, boasting a wealth of rapid games (17,451 wins) and an extensive blitz portfolio. And though bullet chess isn't his favorite battleground (he does have a few wins and some hiccups there), his rapid and blitz performances make up for it.

In the world of chess, Raul Leon stands as a dedicated player who cherishes every move, every sacrifice, and every mate — occasionally screaming "Check!" with the enthusiasm of a kid on a sugar rush. Whether he's dismantling defenses or narrowly escaping traps, one thing is sure: his spirit and love for the game are as strong as his opening repertoire.

To sum it up — Raul Leon is the underdog who never gives up, a tactician who’s sometimes tricky, and above all, a passionate chess player who enjoys the royal game as if it were meant just for him.