From Grinder to Online Giant
Mykola Korchynskyi, known online as NOTHINGxx8, is a FIDE International Master who has turned online blitz into a personal laboratory. His rating journey reads like a mountaineering documentary: starting near 1950 in October 2020,
shows the slow climb that became a sprint. By November 2025 he touched 3000 for the first time, and in July 2026 he reached a dizzying 3020 (2026-07-16). The name NOTHINGxx8 might suggest emptiness, but his trophy cabinet of online scalps says otherwise.A Heavyweight Repertoire
Korchynskyi is a 1.d4 player through and through. As White he loves to steer games into the Queen's Gambit Declined or the sharp Nimzo-Indian Defense, where he scores over 55% in blitz. As Black he is a connoisseur of the French Defense, particularly the Exchange and Classical variations. This is not a quick-tactics style. His games average around 84 moves in decisive battles, and he wins by outlasting opponents in grindy endgames. The
chart captures his favorite hunting grounds.Battles with the Elite
When you play thousands of games at this level, you inevitably bump into the big names. Korchynskyi has faced Hikaru Nakamura 30 times and, while the win rate is grim, he did manage 2 wins and a draw against the online legend. Against Oleksandr Bortnyk he has 1 win in 25 tries, a reminder that even online kings have kryptonite. His most lopsided rivalry is with Pavel_Saltanov11, whom he has beaten 27 times in 34 meetings. Every player needs a favorite opponent.
Streaks, Comebacks, and Quirks
- He once won 15 consecutive games, but also lost 9 in a row. Even mountain goats slip.
- His comeback rate is an absurd 89.74%, meaning he regularly turns lost positions into wins.
- His best winning hour is 06:00. Apparently caffeine and cold-blooded calculation go together.
- He almost never resigns early (just 1.22% of games), preferring to fight to the last pawn.
- Despite his ferocity with White (56.5% win rate), he remains a respectable 49.7% with Black, which is a sign of true grit.