Leonid Guerb - FIDE Master and Blitz Specialist
Leonid Guerb (monkins) is a FIDE Master known for fast and fashionable chess. He plays like someone who drinks espresso between moves. A keen tactician with a flair for the unusual, Leonid carved out his reputation primarily in blitz play where instincts and nerves rule. Preferred time control - Blitz.
Career Highlights
- Title: FIDE Master.
- Peak blitz form included an elite surge in early 2024. 2370 (2024-02-13)
- Notable streaks - a longest winning streak of 22 games and a penchant for dramatic comebacks with a comeback rate near 76 percent.
- Strong endgame habit - Leonid reaches endgames in over 80 percent of his games, proving he does not surrender quietly.
- Recent daily performance shows continued sharpness in classical shorts. 2000 (2025-07-15)
Playing Style and Strengths
Leonid is a slow-burning tactical player who often lets positions simmer until a decisive tactical blow appears. He combines deep endgame technique with surprising willingness to enter messy complications. His average decisive games run long - around 70 moves - so stamina matters.
- Style highlights: high endgame frequency, long average decisive length, strong comeback instincts.
- Tactical traits: wins after being down a piece at times, and a healthy tolerance for sharp, double-edged positions.
- Best time of day to challenge him: around 15:00 UTC. Plan your attack then if you want a real fight.
Openings and Repertoire
Leonid favors English-based systems and modern defenses that lead to asymmetric play. He often steers games into less trodden theory to force practical tests over memorized lines.
- As White: English Opening - Anglo-Indian setups yield excellent results. English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense
- As Black: Modern Defense - Pterodactyl Variation and Caro-Kann show up regularly. Modern Defense: Pterodactyl Variation
- Sharp successes in the Accelerated Dragon exchange lines and a fondness for the Colle System in specific blitz situations.
Memorable Games and Examples
Leonid has taken down several strong opponents in blitz battles. Below is a quick sample game you can review, plus a link to one of his notable wins.
- Sample PGN - a lively middlegame that heads into an endgame:
- One notable blitz victory: View Game Against shirovin
Statistics Snapshot
This snapshot highlights Leonid's practical profile rather than dry numbers. He has proven particularly dangerous in blitz and bullet where instincts beat deep prep.
- Preferred time control: Blitz.
- Strong blitz record including many high-volume months and a peak stretch in early 2024. 2370 (2024-02-13)
- Bullet peak also formidable. 2287 (2024-10-26)
- Win-loss balance: a high volume of games shows experience vs top opponents such as larina_maria and danielnaroditsky in frequent encounters.
Personality and Table Presence
Off the board Leonid is wry and playful. At the board he is all business with brief flashes of dry humor when announcing time trouble. Fans call his practical play "monkinomic" because it often looks like inspired improvisation with a method behind it.
- Nickname: monkins.
- Approachability: often welcomes analysis and will gladly show how a tricky idea worked after the game.
How to Follow or Challenge Leonid
To study his games, look for his blitz and bullet archives where the most instructive miniatures and epic comebacks live. If you want a thematic battle, try the English Opening or the Modern Defense and be ready for a long fight.
- Try these openings against him: English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense and Modern Defense: Pterodactyl Variation.
- For a short study session, load the sample PGN above or request a curated set of his best endgames.