Michael Norton (norti06)
Michael Norton, known in the chess world as norti06, is a blitz maestro with a penchant for turning the heat up on the clock and keeping opponents on their toes. Starting from a modest 604 blitz rating back in October 2021, he swiftly climbed the ranks, hitting a peak blitz rating of 1036 in March 2023. He’s no flash in the pan either—over 8,900 blitz games have helped him develop a deep well of experience, with almost a balanced win-to-loss ratio made fascinating by his strategic draws.
When it comes to openings, Michael has a soft spot for the Scandinavian Defense Mieses Kotrc Variation, having played nearly a thousand games there – though his win rate hovers just below 50%, which means he’s always cooking up new surprises to keep the audience guessing. The Ruy Lopez Opening Berlin Defense is another favorite, boasting a respectable 60% win rate - the hallmark of a player who’s comfortable with classical, positional play but never backs down from a tactical fight.
Not just a blitz specialist, he has flirted with rapid and daily formats as well. His rapid peak rating stands impressively at 1252, and until now, he’s undefeated in daily with a perfect 1-0 record. A true hybrid, although mainly known for his speed, Michael appreciates the deeper strategy slower formats offer.
Personality-wise, Michael’s style is like a good espresso: lively, intense, and strong. His average game length shows that he likes to build pressure steadily with 70 moves per win, but he’s not above quick calculations and snappy moves, as evidenced by his 2.31% early resignation rate (he’s not the guy to throw in the towel easily).
Psychologically, Michael has a tilt factor of 12—which means he’s only slightly more human than your average grandmaster robot. His best time to light up the board? Around noon, but he plays fiercely all day long. He has a comeback rate of a whopping 72.14%, so never count him out if he’s down a piece — the battle is far from over!
Recent Highlights
- Currently on a sparkling 1-game winning streak (because every journey deserves a good start!)
- Longest winning streak: 11 games – papercuts beware.
- Longest losing spell: 12 games – even champions have those days.
Favorite Openings
- Scandinavian Defense Mieses Kotrc Variation - 46.57% win rate over 977 games
- Ruy Lopez Opening Berlin Defense - 60.09% win rate over 228 games
- King's Pawn Opening King's Knight Variation - 51.01% win rate over 547 games
Notable Opponents
Michael likes to make friends and rivals alike, with some of his most-played opponents being richie02149 (32 blitz battles), faridalkhashab, and lisamaki2. Pro tip: Michael has a perfect 100% win rate against yoavtsabary, thewatcher999, and mayanksarda — maybe don't challenge him if you're these folks!
Last Brilliant Win
