Mateusz Bartel: The Polish Bullet Warlock
Mateusz Bartel, known online as Matibar, is a FIDE Grandmaster and chess streamer who treats the clock like a personal enemy. His preferred time control is bullet, and his online record backs up the madness: he has pushed his bullet rating to 2909 (2023-07-19) and his blitz rating all the way to 3069 (2026-01-03).
Since going online he has played thousands of games, winning more than 5,000 blitz battles and turning endgames into a signature art form. His
shows a steady climb from ordinary mortal to online juggernaut.A Repertoire of Beautiful Nonsense
Bartel does not play boring chess. With White he loves the Nimzo-Larsen Attack and the Amar Gambit, two openings that make opponents burn minutes before move five. As Black he is equally stubborn, defending the Caro-Kann Defense and the Scandinavian Defense with serious intent.
His favorite battlefield is the Sicilian Defense, and he is especially dangerous in the Closed Sicilian, where he scores above 56 percent. His opening chart makes clear he is not afraid of weird lines.
Rivalries and Marathon Grinds
No rivalry defines Matibar more than his endless war with Jan-Krzysztof Duda. They have met 131 times, and polish_fighter3000 leads the series, an unusual sight for a Grandmaster. Against other regulars such as Roman Zhenetl and Alexander Rustemov, the battles are far more balanced.
Bartel is a comeback artist. He wins nearly 88 percent of games where he falls behind, and after losing a piece he still scores 47 percent. He also loves the long game: his average decisive battle runs past 80 moves, with 86 percent of his games reaching an endgame. A perfect example of the grind: View a marathon finish.
Fun Facts
- His best time to play is 06:00, so set your alarm if you want to catch him at full power.
- His longest winning streak is 19 consecutive wins.
- Rooks are his favorite checking piece, delivering more checks than any other piece.
- He plays bullet like a speedrun and blitz like a marathon.