Simo Matkovic, Known Online as PacerSimo
Simo Matkovic, better known on the chessboard as PacerSimo, is a prolific online competitor with a clear preference for blitz. Since beginning his recorded journey in 2017, he has built a formidable archive of fast games, sharp experiments, and enough opening adventures to keep several chess databases busy.
His style is energetic and resilient. Simo often plays long, combative games, but he is also perfectly happy to let the clock become a second opponent. With a strong comeback rate and a reputation for continuing after losing material, PacerSimo treats an unpleasant position less like a crisis and more like an invitation to make the game complicated.
Opening Character
The Philidor Defense is one of Simo's defining choices, especially in blitz, where familiarity and practical pressure can be worth their weight in pawns. He also frequently reaches the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, an opening with exactly the sort of mischievous spirit suggested by its name.
As White, Simo overwhelmingly favors 1.e4, heading toward familiar territory such as the French Defense, Caro-Kann Defense, and Sicilian Defense. The result is a practical repertoire built less around avoiding danger than around arriving first when the tactics begin.
A Career Built on Volume
Simo's statistics reveal remarkable dedication. Blitz accounts for the overwhelming majority of his recorded games, while bullet, rapid, and daily chess provide occasional changes of pace. His longest winning streak reached 17 games, matched by a 17-game losing streak, a wonderfully honest reminder that online chess can turn from heroism to slapstick without warning.
Among his most frequently encountered opponents is JOVELJIC1999, whom he has faced hundreds of times. That kind of repeated rivalry is the online equivalent of a neighborhood derby, complete with rematches, grudges, and the occasional suspiciously fast opening move.
Playing Style
- Preferred format: Blitz
- Favorite first move: 1.e4
- Signature weapon: The Philidor Defense
- Practical strength: Fighting back after setbacks
- Most common checking piece: The queen
- Typical mood: Calm enough to play on, mischievous enough to try a gambit
Whether he is steering into a familiar defense or launching an unexpected tactical idea, PacerSimo's games tend to feature persistence, pressure, and a willingness to keep asking questions of the position. For Simo Matkovic, the clock may be ticking, but the game is rarely over until the final move.