Mahmoud Saghir (aka msagheer53)
Meet Mahmoud Saghir, a force to be reckoned with on the chess battlefield. Known online as msagheer53, Mahmoud may not have a grandmaster title hanging on his wall yet, but his blitz games pack a punch that even grandmasters might feel on their king’s defenses.
Sporting a peak blitz rating soaring up to 2419 in early 2017, Mahmoud’s rapid and bullet skills are nothing to sneeze at either — with rapid ratings topping 2013 and bullet peaking at a respectable 1838. His preferred battlefield? Blitz chess, where his lightning-fast brain attacks with the precision of a seasoned tactician.
Playing Style & Psychological Profile
What does Mahmoud’s style look like? He is a gritty competitor who doesn’t shy away from complex endgames, featuring an endgame frequency above 50%. His average moves per win hover around 55, suggesting he’s happy to grind out wins with patient, strategic play. Early resignations happen roughly 35% of the time — apparently, Mahmoud knows when it’s time to save face and prepare for the next game.
Mentally, he’s a fighter too: an impressive 81.91% comeback rate means he often snatches victory from the jaws of defeat. Losing a piece? Doesn’t faze him, as he still manages to win about 72% of those games. But beware the tilt — a tilt factor of 25 means emotions sometimes play their sneaky part.
Openings Arsenal
Mahmoud's favorite openings illustrate a diverse and well-rounded repertoire:
- Blitz favorites: The Closed Sicilian Defense Traditional Line with a near-perfect 91% win rate, the Ruy Lopez Morphy Defense Exchange boasting 86% wins, and a solid showing with the French Defense Exchange Variation (~65% wins).
- Rapid weapons: Unbeatable with the French Defense Exchange Variation (100% wins over 4 games) and the Sicilian Defense Open Dragon Rauzer Variation (another flawless 100%).
- Bullet bouts: His record is more experimental here with mixed results — ranging from 0% to 100% success in various lines.
Notable Records & Rivalries
Some opponents seem to enjoy dancing with fate against Mahmoud — players like msatibi94 suffer an almost brutal 87.5% loss rate, while others such as raviteja81293 have been severely outmatched (20 games, 0 wins). Mahmoud’s win-loss numbers tell a vigorous tale: 334 wins in blitz and a determined presence in rapid and bullet.
Memorable Recent Victory
One for the highlight reel: On January 13, 2017, playing Black in a rapid game, Mahmoud dazzled with the French Defense Advance Paulsen Attack, forcing his opponent to resign after a patient yet pungent pressure buildup. The final act featured a neat sequence of exchanges leaving Mahmoud’s opponent helpless.
(Chess Poetry: When in doubt, confound your opponent till they rage-quit.)