Mikhail Sher: The Bullet Specialist
Mikhail Sher is a National Master who has built an online reputation at bullet speed. Under the username MikhailSher, he has played more than 5,000 recorded bullet games, making bullet his clear preferred time control. While many titled players split their attention across many formats, Sher treats the one minute board like a serious battleground.
Career Trajectory
Starting in late 2016 with a bullet rating near 1969, Sher climbed steadily. By 2020 he pushed into the 2700s, and in November 2023 he touched 2752 (2023-11-12). His blitz side quest peaks at 2548 (2024-01-02), but his heart stays on the bullet clock.
The graph shows not only his rise but also the beautiful chaos of bullet chess. Sher's longest winning streak was 82 games, the kind of heater most players only dream about. He also survived a 19 game losing streak, proof that even bullet warlords have off days.
Playing Style and Stamina
Sher is a marathon man in a sprint format. His winning games average close to 106 moves, and he reaches the endgame in about 92 percent of his encounters. He rarely bails out early, with an early resignation rate of just 0.27. On the board, he favors 1.d4 as White, showing deep loyalty to queen pawn openings.
His resilience is remarkable. After losing a piece, he still wins about 40 percent of the time, and his comeback rate sits at 88.75 percent. His best hour is 17:00, when his win rate jumps toward 53 percent. If you face him at the wrong time of day, bring a snack and a thick skin.
Signature Openings
As Black, Sher's home base is the Scandinavian Defense, with more than 800 bullet games and 327 wins. As White, he rotates among surprising labels such as the Amazon Attack, Australian Defense and London Poisoned Pawn Variation. He also makes cameos in the Döry Defense and Amar Gambit, so standard preparation only gets you so far.
The opening chart reveals a player who is impossible to trap in one story. He can outlast a Scandinavian, outgambit an Amar, and still save his best form for the endgame.
Rivalries
Some opponents are etched into his history. The most played rivalry is with gyg at 171 games, a series that has often favored gyg but still produced 46 Sher wins. Against Aakash Sharadchandra Dalvi, the score is tighter: 49 wins, 55 losses and 9 draws for Sher. These frequent online battles shaped him into the resilient bullet fighter he is today.
Summary
Mikhail Sher is a National Master who treats bullet chess as an art form. He takes risks, plays obscure openings, refuses to resign, and keeps coming back. If you want to see how far persistence can carry a player, follow his games.