Neil Samant (aka MrLudus)
National Master Extraordinaire
Meet Neil Samant, the chess player who turns 64 squares into a battlefield where strategy meets a sprinkle of whimsy. Holding the respected title of National Master, Neil has carved a niche in both blitz and bullet chess circles, dazzling opponents with tactical acumen and a penchant for comebacks.
Starting around 2017 with a modest blitz rating hovering near 1500, Neil's journey is a testament to perseverance and passion. Fast forward to 2025, and his blitz peak rating has soared to an impressive 2503—which puts him comfortably in the realms of serious contenders and casual intimidation.
Playing Style & Signature Moves
Neil's style marries patience with calculated aggression. Known for an 80.17% comeback rate and a solid willingness to fight after material losses, his games often stretch into the endgame, with an average of 72 moves per win. Don’t expect a quick banquet; Neil enjoys savoring the full chess-course meal.
With favorite openings like the Giuoco Piano and various flavors of the Sicilian Defense, Neil often invites opponents into familiar territory – only to unleash unexpected twists that keep even grandmasters on their toes.
Notable Stats & Fun Facts
- Over 7,142 blitz games played with a winning record of 3,579 wins!
- His hardest foes? The classic rivalries against usernames like "amazingchess210" (161 matches) and "dilshad92" (121 matches).
- Most victorious when playing in the early morning hours (especially around 08:00 AM) or in the magical blitz hours of 8 AM and 9 AM, where win rates hit over 70%.
- Neil’s psychological tilt factor sits comfortably at 27, showing he can handle loss without knocking the board over (well, most times).
- Brace yourself: his longest winning streak hit a jaw-dropping 23 games, but like all heroes, he has endured a 27-game losing streak – even heroes have off days!
Memorable Moments
Among Neil's latest victorious feats is a sharp battle that ended with a victory on time against "KesOdy" in March 2025, showcasing that sometimes the clock can be just as deadly as a queen’s strike. His games reveal a fondness for strategic depth, patience, and the occasional tactical fireworks.
When not hunting kings on the board, Neil is the type who probably chuckles at his own blunders and encourages opponents to enjoy the beautiful game, proving that chess is as much about having fun as it is about conquest.
Whether you seek inspiration or just a good story from the 64 squares, Neil Samant commands respect and a smile in equal measure. A National Master who’s humble, witty, and fierce — Neil is a grandmaster of the mind and a master of heart.
Overall Performance and Progress
Neil, your recent performance shows a positive trajectory with a strength adjusted win rate of approximately 53%, indicating solid and consistent play in your bullet games. Over the past six months, you've made impressive progress, improving your rating by over 360 points. Your monthly improvement trend is also encouraging, with a noticeable upward slope in your rating changes. Keep up the dedication as this rate suggests continual skill growth.
Game Highlights and Key Insights
- You exhibit strong opening knowledge, frequently engaging with popular openings like the Caro-Kann Defense and various Sicilian variations. This solid foundation is helping you develop effective middlegame positions.
- Your games often transition into tactical play, where your timely piece activity and pressure are evident. For example, in one of your wins, you adeptly managed a powerful attack leading to a resignation from your opponent.
- Some losses indicated challenges in dealing with pawn structure imbalances and counter-attacks, especially in closed positions or sharp tactical scenarios. Strengthening your understanding in these areas could prevent losing critical moments in future games.
- Time management seems well-handled generally, but there were instances where pushing the clock limit affected decision quality. Practicing calm, efficient move choices under time pressure can boost your bullet performance.
Suggestions for Improvement
- Continue building your opening repertoire. Focus on deepening your familiarity with key lines and typical plans within the openings you play. This will improve your confidence and reduce early-game mistakes.
- Practice tactical motifs regularly using puzzles focusing on typical tactical themes like forks, pins, and discovered attacks to sharpen your speed and precision.
- Analyze the critical moments in your recent losses where initiative slipped away. Identifying these recurring patterns can help you avoid similar pitfalls.
- Work on endgame fundamentals, especially king activity and pawn promotion strategies, as several games showed you navigating complex endgame situations.
- In bullet, quick intuition is vital. Try to balance fast, solid moves with selective calculation in sharp positions to maintain practical advantage.
Next Steps
Consider reviewing some of your recent games for self-analysis, especially focusing on the turning points. You might use tools or study master games in your openings to see effective strategies in action. Additionally, scheduling focused training sessions on tactical exercises and endgame studies will complement your natural growth.
Finally, maintain a consistent playing routine and track your progress, ensuring that your improvements continue along this promising path.
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Recent Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| Anthony Maulucci | 0W / 2L / 0D | |
| Paco Rubio Tent | 1W / 1L / 0D | |
| jgame67 | 1W / 0L / 1D | |
| Molarband | 0W / 1L / 0D | |
| ryhh | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| crestfallenxd | 1W / 0L / 1D | |
| jenemangepasdespions | 2W / 0L / 0D | |
| iloveguppy | 0W / 1L / 0D | |
| chesschevreuil2 | 0W / 1L / 0D | |
| angelilit | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| AmazingChess210 | 72W / 57L / 32D | |
| dilshad92 | 25W / 54L / 42D | |
| namitagr1 | 73W / 19L / 4D | |
| pawnsacrifice5 | 27W / 49L / 6D | |
| trophyking15-inactive | 29W / 34L / 14D | |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2427 | 2479 | ||
| 2024 | 2393 | 2394 | 1522 | |
| 2023 | 2072 | 2107 | 2215 | 1522 |
| 2022 | 1939 | 1926 | 2241 | 1536 |
| 2021 | 1969 | 2022 | 2196 | 1583 |
| 2020 | 1911 | 2140 | 2111 | 1674 |
| 2019 | 1642 | 2033 | 1720 | 1612 |
| 2018 | 1601 | 1782 | 1674 | 1322 |
| 2017 | 1596 | 1488 | 1582 | 1410 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 59W / 46L / 8D | 47W / 54L / 11D | 79.0 |
| 2024 | 181W / 141L / 37D | 178W / 141L / 42D | 79.0 |
| 2023 | 64W / 35L / 10D | 71W / 37L / 5D | 52.7 |
| 2022 | 32W / 23L / 3D | 34W / 22L / 2D | 59.0 |
| 2021 | 277W / 175L / 47D | 247W / 211L / 44D | 68.2 |
| 2020 | 737W / 484L / 143D | 685W / 540L / 127D | 76.2 |
| 2019 | 587W / 464L / 177D | 571W / 466L / 165D | 77.3 |
| 2018 | 385W / 257L / 58D | 340W / 283L / 62D | 68.0 |
| 2017 | 398W / 293L / 52D | 356W / 332L / 40D | 63.6 |
Openings: Most Played
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackburne Shilling Gambit | 387 | 219 | 139 | 29 | 56.6% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 328 | 172 | 127 | 29 | 52.4% |
| Scotch Game | 296 | 152 | 106 | 38 | 51.4% |
| Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation | 258 | 135 | 93 | 30 | 52.3% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 226 | 106 | 102 | 18 | 46.9% |
| Sicilian Defense | 167 | 86 | 73 | 8 | 51.5% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Sherzer Variation | 161 | 94 | 53 | 14 | 58.4% |
| Barnes Defense | 145 | 73 | 55 | 17 | 50.3% |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense | 137 | 73 | 52 | 12 | 53.3% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 125 | 55 | 58 | 12 | 44.0% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amar Gambit | 173 | 101 | 58 | 14 | 58.4% |
| Blackburne Shilling Gambit | 102 | 65 | 30 | 7 | 63.7% |
| Australian Defense | 87 | 46 | 33 | 8 | 52.9% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 77 | 42 | 28 | 7 | 54.5% |
| French Defense | 68 | 46 | 20 | 2 | 67.7% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 59 | 33 | 20 | 6 | 55.9% |
| Scotch Game | 58 | 33 | 23 | 2 | 56.9% |
| Barnes Defense | 54 | 27 | 23 | 4 | 50.0% |
| Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation | 39 | 20 | 13 | 6 | 51.3% |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense | 39 | 26 | 11 | 2 | 66.7% |
| Daily Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 64 | 37 | 27 | 0 | 57.8% |
| Barnes Defense | 36 | 26 | 10 | 0 | 72.2% |
| Blackburne Shilling Gambit | 31 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 45.2% |
| Sicilian Defense | 27 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 51.9% |
| Scotch Game | 26 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 73.1% |
| Unknown Opening* | 23 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 4.3% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 66.7% |
| Colle: 3...e6 4.Bd3 c5 | 18 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 55.6% |
| Philidor Defense | 14 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 50.0% |
| Amar Gambit | 13 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 69.2% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caro-Kann Defense | 28 | 13 | 5 | 10 | 46.4% |
| Scotch Game | 28 | 16 | 7 | 5 | 57.1% |
| Blackburne Shilling Gambit | 26 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 50.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation | 22 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 54.5% |
| Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation | 17 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 29.4% |
| Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation, Haag Gambit | 16 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 50.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Chekhover Variation | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Italian Game: Two Knights Defense | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 50.0% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 11 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 18.2% |
| Barnes Defense | 11 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 36.4% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 23 | 2 |
| Losing | 27 | 0 |