MickStone: Bullet Chess's Relentless Night Owl
MickStone, a name that shows up on online chess leaderboards the way a storm shows up on a radar, is a true bullet specialist. From a humble 843 bullet rating in May 2017 to a stunning peak of 2644 in January 2026, this player's arc is one of the most dramatic climbs in internet chess. Where other players plateau, MickStone keeps grinding, playing hundreds of games a month in the preferred time control of bullet.
From 800 to 2600: A Rocket Launch
MickStone's early years were modest. In 2017 and 2018, the ratings hovered in the 1000 to 1400 range, with no signs of the storm to come. The first real breakout hit in July 2020, when 78 bullet games lifted the rating from 1409 to 1790 in a single month. By late 2021, MickStone crossed the 2000 barrier and spent the next few years consolidating between 2050 and 2300.
Then came the explosion. November 2025 added more than 200 points, but the true supernova was January 2026: 383 bullet games, a monthly average of 2537, and a peak rating of 2644. The blitz rating followed close behind, reaching 2585 in March 2026. This is a player who improves by simply refusing to stop playing.
A Repertoire of Beautiful Oddballs
MickStone does not play like a robot. As White, the signature weapon is the Nimzo-Larsen Attack (1.b3), deployed in 92 bullet games with a 55.43% win rate. In 2022, b3 was practically the only first move on the menu. When feeling bolder, out comes the Amar Gambit (1.Nh3), a knight-on-the-rim opening played 42 times in bullet. There is also a healthy dose of the French Defense: Advance Variation, Alekhine Defense, and the Caro-Kann Exchange as White.
As Black, MickStone favors the Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, the Modern Defense, and the French. The strangest gem in the crown is the Colle Rhamphorhynchus Variation, a dinosaur-themed line with a 70% win rate in bullet. Unorthodox, fearless, and consistently underrated by opponents, this is a repertoire built to create chaos.
Grit, Comebacks, and 3 AM Chess
MickStone is not just a volume shooter; the statistics reveal serious stubbornness. The come-from-behind rate is 86.83%, meaning this player rarely gets buried. One-sided losses happen just 2.76% of the time, and after losing a piece, MickStone still finds a way to win 50.06% of the time. Decisive games routinely stretch past 75 moves, and the early resignation rate is a microscopic 1.45%. In short, no game ends until the king is actually dead.
The internal clock is fascinating. MickStone's literal best hour to play is 3:00 AM, with a perfect 100% win rate in that window, and mornings from 7:00 to 10:00 AM are also strong. The worst hour is 10:00 PM, where the win rate crashes to 20%. This is a player who has clearly done their best thinking while the rest of the world sleeps.
Rivalries
No great fighter is without a nemesis. That role belongs to Temur Shavkatov, who leads the head-to-head 21 wins to 5 in 26 bruising encounters. rubix-time2 (3 wins for MickStone, 15 losses) and Ilovetheamazon (1 win, 12 losses) are also recurring nightmares. But MickStone dishes out plenty of punishment too, with dominant records against moenkeberg367 (14 wins, 5 losses) and Antonio Marcelo MANN (12 wins, 4 losses). The long-running battle with hstvv, nearly dead even at 12 wins, 9 losses, and 6 draws, is the kind of rivalry that makes bullet chess addictive.
The Verdict
MickStone is proof that unorthodox openings, a willingness to play through lost positions, and an absurd amount of bullet volume can carry a player from the 800s to the 2600s. The peak of 2644 may not be the finish line. If the January 2026 pattern holds, the only thing more relentless than MickStone's attacking play is the grinding itself.