Carlos Alberto Gallegos Diaz
International Master (IM) - The Blitz Virtuoso
Meet Carlos Alberto Gallegos Diaz, also known in the online realm as maracayo, an International Master who moves faster than a caffeinated knight on an 8x8 battlefield. Blessed with a FIDE title that confirms he's no casual weekend warrior, Carlos has dazzled the chess community with his lightning-fast tactical awareness and thrill-seeking blitz play.
Starting with modest blitz days back in 2018, where victories were clean and losses zero (6-0, anyone?), Carlos’s rating journey resembles a roller coaster built by a chess mad scientist. He soared to a blistering blitz peak of 2573 in May 2025, proving beyond doubt that when the clock ticks loud, Carlos ticks even louder. Bullet fire? He’s no slouch there either, crushing his opponents up to a peak of 2416 in late 2024.
Known for his patient endgame mastery (a whopping 84.5% frequency), Carlos fights battles averaging 70+ moves per victory—talk about stamina! Though he sometimes takes the occasional tumble (the longest losing streak clocks at 11, but who's counting?), his comeback rate of 81.29% tells you one thing: never count this maracayo down.
Psychologically, Carlos keeps his cool far better than most—an impressively low tilt factor of 11, although his absolute sweet spot is playing around 1 AM, when the world sleeps and his moves speak loudest. However, don't get him started on Monday mornings because, apparently, he’s undefeated then with a 70.45% win rate, making the start of your week look like a chessboard run by a grandmaster.
Playing Style & Favorite Openings
Carlos likes to keep opponents guessing — his 'Top Secret' repertoire dominates with nearly 800 blitz games, winning 42.21% of them. When he opens with the Anderssen Opening or the Ruy Lopez Morphy Defense, watch out! He boasts a perfect win record in those rare showcases (each with a perfect 100% win rate). But beware if you face his Pirc Defense Czech Defense or Alapin Sicilian — those openings are his least forgiving, reflecting some of his few downsides.
Recent Triumphs & Memories
His most recent blitz victory was a masterclass in resilience and timing, defeating a tough opponent by resignation in a game that lasted well over 30 moves, a chess saga worthy of a Netflix series. Carlos's game management and endgame precision turned the tides when it mattered most — checkmate and resignations are his favorite ways to close out battles, with 132 wins by checkmate and 215 wins by opponent resignation.
Fun Fact
Despite his serious skills, Carlos has never feared early resignation—only giving up in less than 1% of his games voluntarily—and his losses due to early quits are practically a myth. So when he’s on the board, you better be ready for a fight that runs the full marathon.
Summary
Carlos Alberto Gallegos Diaz is not your average chess player; he’s a blitz storm, a bullet blaster, and a rapid rookie with a tremendous capacity to think, calculate, and deliver precise punches on the board. Whether it's his edge-of-your-seat comeback streaks, his midnight blitz showdowns, or his fierce psychological fortitude, this International Master brings both intensity and flair to the chessboard. So next time you see "maracayo" on the pairing list, prepare for fireworks — and maybe a few resignations, too.