A Handle, A Title, A Mystery
Pencil-in-a-bar sounds like a pub quiz answer, but this International Master is no joke. With a peak Blitz rating of 3088 (2026-08-13) and a peak Bullet rating of 3043 (2026-07-14), they sit comfortably among the strongest online speed players, even while playing openings that would make a textbook blush.
The Chaos Repertoire
Pencil-in-a-bar treats opening theory like a suggestion. As White they have played the Amar Gambit more than 450 times in Blitz, alongside regular helpings of 1.h4, 1.b4, and 1.g4. As Black they defend with the Barnes Defense and the Australian Defense, turning otherwise normal games into wilderness adventures. Their record with these lines is genuinely strong, with Amar Gambit wins above 56 percent in Blitz and 59 percent in Bullet.
They have also logged serious games in the Colle Rhamphorhynchus Variation and the London Poisoned Pawn Variation. These are not real openings in the classical sense, but they are real in Pencil-in-a-bar's heart, and that is what matters.
Built for Bullet
This IM prefers bullet chess, and the preference shows. Their
rating climbed past 3000, while their rating peaked even higher. The volume is staggering, with over a thousand rated Bullet wins and counting.The style is stubborn and resourceful. Pencil-in-a-bar wins 53 percent of games after losing a piece, has a comeback rate of 87 percent, and averages roughly 84 moves in decisive games. Their longest winning streak reached 13 games, and they are currently riding a 7 game streak. If you want to beat them, bring patience, because they will not resign early.
Rivalries That Define Them
No player exists in a vacuum, and Pencil-in-a-bar has built a small army of regular sparring partners. Alexander Rustemov and Jeevan Karamsetty have each faced them 38 times, with the series against nmjeevank heavily in Pencil-in-a-bar's favor. Austin Jacob Literatus and Dachey Lin are also frequent opponents, helping shape a style that is aggressive, unorthodox, and impossible to prepare for.