Denis Shurakov (MetallChessBullet) — Candidate Master & Bullet Specialist
Denis Shurakov, known online as MetallChessBullet, is a FIDE Candidate Master and a prolific online bullet player. He’s built a reputation for long, tactical fights even at lightning speeds — a paradox that explains why opponents hate the clock and love the drama. Denis prefers Bullet time control and has played thousands of games across Bullet, Blitz and Rapid formats, developing a distinctive, resilient style.
Playing Style & Strengths
Denis combines gritty endgame technique with a knack for comebacks — the kind of player who can be down a piece and still make you nervous about the last 10 seconds. Key traits:
- Strong tactical resilience — Comeback rate ~82%.
- Endgame specialist — Endgame frequency ~80.7% (he loves long fights).
- Low early resignation — Early resignation rate ~1.85% (he plays till the bitter end).
- Unusually long decisive games for blitz/bullet — Average moves per win ~81.
- Favorite first move online: Nf3 (massively popular in his games).
- Peak performance moments: morning sessions and a curious 100% sample at 07:00 — bring coffee and a clock.
Notable Openings & Repertoires
Denis has a quirky but effective opening mix. He often employs offbeat systems and treats them like finely tuned machines:
- Barnes Defense — heavy use in Bullet with solid results (many games feature it as a shock weapon).
- Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation — a staple (excellent Blitz win rate).
- Nimzo-Larsen Attack (and Classical Variation) — frequent, pragmatic and effective.
- London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation — among his best win rates in Bullet.
- Also experiments with Dőry Defense, East Indian setups and the occasional Amar Gambit for theatrical effect.
Highlights by time control: in Blitz the Colle Rhamphorhynchus variation yields exceptional results; in Rapid and online long games he converts Barness-style play into wins.
Career Highlights & Records
- Title: FIDE Candidate Master.
- Preferred time control: Bullet — Denis is a specialist and heavy user of the format.
- Peak achievements: , , .
- Streaks: longest winning streak 13 games; longest losing streak 15 games — a rollercoaster personality in rating form.
- Massive sample size online: thousands of bullet decisions have shaped his pragmatic, fight-until-the-end reputation.
Sample Game (Bullet-style miniature)
Quick, sharp and illustrative of Denis' willingness to enter complex positions even in Bullet:
Tip: watch the clock nearly as closely as the board — Denis thrives when the timer bites.
Head-to-Head & Community Notes
Denis has several regular rivals he’s met dozens of times online; these rematches often turn into mini-series:
- vs zilbermanov — 32–20–19 (W–L–D)
- vs vesnatesting64 — 30–29–9
- vs javicio — 20–27–4 — a spicy rivalry (see javier).
- vs jonas_karch — 14–29–6
- vs volvo333 — 16–26–2
Fun Facts & Routine
- Online handle: MetallChessBullet — yes, he plays fast and metals are involved (metaphorically).
- Nearly 4,000 recorded Bullet wins — consistency at lightning pace.
- Best time of day (quirky stat): 07:00 — the sunrise killer.
- Preparation depth and stubbornness: median prep depth increased year-to-year, meaning Denis studies lines but still trusts intuition under time pressure.
Want to Study Denis' Games?
Explore his openings, watch the long endgames and learn how to survive time trouble: start with his most-played systems (Barnes Defense, Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation, Nimzo-Larsen Attack).