Maarten Solleveld: The Dutch Grandmaster Who Never Blinks
Maarten Solleveld, known to the online chess world as msolleveld, is a FIDE Grandmaster with a serious addiction to bullet chess. His bullet peak of 3402 (2026-09-17) and blitz peak of 3288 (2026-09-17) prove that he can handle speed and strategy in equal measure.
The Bullet Machine
Solleveld's preferred time control is bullet, and the numbers back it up. He has won 380 bullet games while losing 235, and his longest winning streak hit 28 consecutive victories. His comeback rate sits at a remarkable 90.15%, meaning he is never truly out of a game. He also plays his best chess at 9:00 in the morning, which is either discipline or a very specific caffeine schedule.
His online rating journey has been anything but boring. From a modest start in 2019 to a 2026 peak that made the leaderboard tremble, the climb is visible in the data.
Opening Repertoire
As White, Solleveld is a devoted 1.e4 player. He handles the Sicilian Defense with confidence and has a particular fondness for the Caro-Kann Defense, especially the Exchange Variation where he scores 75% in bullet. As Black, he is surprisingly deadly in the Alekhine Defense, with an 82.35% win rate. He also enjoys the Rhamphorhynchus Variation, an opening so weird that it sounds like a dinosaur from a chess themed cartoon.
Rivalries
No player has faced Solleveld more often than Tobias Kölle, who has battled him 190 times. Solleveld holds the edge with 114 wins. The rivalry with Andy Woodward is a different story, with Solleveld trailing 46 wins to 69 losses. Even Grandmasters have their nemeses.
Playing Style and Quirks
Solleveld is a fighter who takes games deep into the endgame. His endgame frequency sits at 83.05%, and his average first capture comes on move 6.7, which suggests he is happy to build pressure before striking. The rook is his most common checking piece, and his one-sided loss rate is just 0.88, meaning even his defeats tend to be competitive. He also has a knack for comebacks, so opponents should never celebrate too early.
- Longest winning streak: 28 games
- Longest losing streak: 9 games
- White win rate: 56.7%
- Black win rate: 49.32%