Iseng Aja

Player Profile: masharistest

Since 2024, masharistest has immersed himself in the competitive world of rapid chess, playing thousands of games and charting an impressive rating journey. In 2024, his rating began as low as 568 before climbing all the way to a peak of 1845, finishing the year at 1757. The following year, his rapid rating again reached the 1800s at 1838 and ended at 1717. Across both years, he showed consistent dedication, amassing a remarkable total of 2859 rapid games (comprising 1416 wins, 1323 losses, and 120 draws).

One of his hallmark strengths lies in his mastery of modern and hypermodern openings. He has played many games under the Modern Defense, gaining a deep familiarity with its positions. Additionally, the King’s Fianchetto Opening appears frequently in his repertoire, boasting a slightly higher-than-50% success rate. Now and then, he surprises opponents with novel approaches, such as the King’s Indian Attack or a well-timed Pirc Defense.

Over time, masharistest has developed a reputation as a resilient competitor. Boasting an 82.63% comeback rate, he often manages to recover from difficult situations—including moments when he’s behind in material. He exhibits a marked preference for longer battles, with the majority of his encounters heading deep into the endgame. On average, his victories emerge around the 66th move, while even his losses extend into the late 70s, demonstrating his fighting spirit.

His playing style also reveals a cautious but determined approach: he rarely resigns early (only 0.23% of the time), sticks around to test his opponent, and pushes games into critical phases. When he plays with White, he secures just over half of his games; as Black, he maintains a strong result near 48%. Mentally, he exhibits a moderate “tilt factor” of 11, indicating he can bounce back relatively well after setbacks.

Time and day seem to play a role in his performance as well. He finds greater success in some afternoon slots—particularly around 13:00 and 18:00—where his win rate can exceed 55%. Meanwhile, certain late-night hours prove more challenging, and Sunday can be a tricky day for him to maintain consistency. Despite these ups and downs, his largest winning streak stands at 9 consecutive victories—a testament to his ability to string together strong performances.

Between rated and casual games, his desire to push for victory becomes especially clear, with a notable difference in win rates—he seems to thrive under pressure. Overall, masharistest’s chess journey highlights a dedicated, methodical player continually developing his repertoire, pushing endgames to the limit, and seeking creative ways to outmaneuver his opponents. With steady improvements from 2024 to 2025, there’s every indication that his pursuit of chess excellence is far from finished.