Avatar of Neil Samant

Neil Samant NM

Username: MrLudus

Playing Since: 2017-02-07 (Active)

Wow Factor: ♟♟♟♟♟

Chess.com

Daily: 1522
372W / 258L / 41D
Rapid: 2215
166W / 96L / 45D
Blitz: 2492
3508W / 2789L / 753D
Bullet: 2427
848W / 576L / 106D

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.


Coach's Avatar

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
Rating by Year20172018201920202021202220232024202524791322YearRatingBulletBlitzRapidDaily

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