Steve Edney: The Quirky Journey of a Persistent Chess Enthusiast
Steve Edney, known online as "match-mate," is a chess player whose career reads like a rollercoaster with plenty of twists, turns, and the occasional loop-the-loop. Beginning his daily chess adventures back in 2011 with a respectable rating hovering around 1300, Steve showed early promise but quickly demonstrated that the path to greatness is paved with both wins and losses... mostly losses.
With over 2,700 daily games played, Steve has amassed a record of 843 wins against 1,400 losses and 48 draws — proving that perseverance is his strongest opening move. If chess were about endurance and sheer volume of battles, Steve would be a grandmaster by now. His favorite and top-secret opening (shhh!) has been tried and tested over 2,291 times in daily games, yielding a win rate just shy of 37%, hinting at a strategy that keeps opponents guessing—and sometimes groaning.
Steve's highest daily rating peaked at 1393 in 2011, but the years brought fluctuations reminiscent of a wild game of chess played against himself. In rapid chess, however, Steve shows a glimmer of faster brilliance with peak ratings reaching almost 1500 and a handful of wins tossed into the mix.
Known for his resilience, Steve boasts an impressive 74.56% comeback rate and a perfect 100% win rate after losing a piece, which means never count him out—even when his queen takes an unexpected vacation. His longest winning streak sits at a neat 8 games, while he's currently on a modest 2-win streak — clearly, the battle continues.
Steve tends to lengthen his games, averaging about 63 moves per win and an even longer 73 moves per loss, likely because he enjoys the challenge and maybe just a touch of drama. His games see endgames about 74% of the time, indicating his love for the strategic grind right up to the final moves.
Playing mostly as White gave Steve a slightly better success rate (41%) compared to playing Black (32%), but no matter the color, Steve keeps the chessboard interesting. Despite a tilt factor of 17 (yes, he gets a bit emotional when losing), he faces opponents from all over – including a particularly pesky rival, "royalenfield," against whom victories have been rare but memorable.
When asked about his playing times and habits, Steve is like a night owl and early bird combined: some of his best win rates come at 4 a.m. (a staggering 50%) and early mornings, though good luck catching him at midnight, where winning tricks are trickier to pull off.
In short, Steve Edney may not be a grandmaster yet, but his chess story is one of unrelenting spirit, secretive openings, and a love for the game that shines brighter than any rating number.