Maria Emelianova: Woman FIDE Master & Chess Streamer Extraordinaire
Meet Maria Emelianova, a fiercely talented chess player who proudly wears the title of Woman FIDE Master. Not just a wizard over the 64 squares, Maria is also known in the streaming world as PhotoChess, where she entertains and educates fellow chess lovers with her strategic brilliance and sharp wit.
Maria's chess journey is a rollercoaster of epic wins and spectacular comebacks. Her blitz rating peaked at a sizzling 1974 in May 2021, while her bullet quickfire games saw her crest an impressive 1893 in late 2020. On the daily chess front, she soared to over 2000, proving her steadiness and patience aren't just for show. And let's not forget rapid chess, where she reached a high of 1921 in 2024. Clearly, Maria dominates all formats—fast or slow!
Known for a strong penchant for the Scotch Game and the Alapin Sicilian Defense, Maria's opening repertoire blends classic chess wisdom with crafty surprises that keep her opponents guessing (and often resigning). Her win rates in these lines are nothing short of majestic, boasting up to 87% success in the Scotch Game during blitz matches.
Beyond the stats, Maria is a strategic mastermind with an impressive comeback rate of 76%. Trap one of her pawns, and she'll bounce back with a vengeance—no tilting here, except maybe a 17% tilt factor that reminds us she’s human too. Her average games tend to be long affairs, with winning games stretching over 63 moves on average, showing her love for a good, strategic battle.
When does Maria bring out her A-game? Ask any chess enthusiast and they’ll say around 1 PM, her statistically best time of day. Whether she’s streaming live or battling it out online, her peak concentration hours turn her into an unstoppable force.
And for those who think chess players only live in gloomy silence and intense focus, Maria flips the script as a vibrant streamer, mixing great gameplay with engaging personality. If you want to watch chess played with style, humor, and the occasional trolling move, catch her streams—you might even pick up a tip or two.
Her recent games are equally thrilling, including a nifty win in a Chess960 format that ended with a graceful resignation from her opponent—because losing to Maria is apparently a thing that even grandmasters dread.
In summary: Maria Emelianova is a chess connoisseur, a streamer with charm, and a tactical beast on the board. Whether you’re a beginner looking for inspiration or a seasoned player craving fierce competition, Maria’s journey is one to admire and follow.
Check her out online under the username PhotoChess—and prepare to be dazzled!
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| Anna Cramling | 15W / 20L / 4D | |
| Dirkje 99 | 25W / 10L / 0D | |
| The Face of Chess. | 8W / 27L / 0D | |
| Nikola Stojsin | 12W / 16L / 6D | |
| Alexandra Botez | 4W / 24L / 2D | |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1510 | 1506 | ||
| 2024 | 1710 | 1732 | 1900 | 1237 |
| 2023 | 1744 | 1848 | 1841 | 1273 |
| 2022 | 1657 | 1839 | 1768 | 1087 |
| 2021 | 1794 | 1878 | 1768 | 1087 |
| 2020 | 1819 | 1833 | 1717 | 1495 |
| 2019 | 1576 | 1681 | 1716 | 1512 |
| 2018 | 1867 | |||
| 2017 | 1087 | 1691 | 2011 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 37W / 28L / 2D | 41W / 24L / 3D | 62.5 |
| 2024 | 37W / 25L / 0D | 31W / 26L / 3D | 59.3 |
| 2023 | 33W / 18L / 3D | 31W / 15L / 3D | 61.8 |
| 2022 | 72W / 60L / 4D | 79W / 55L / 4D | 62.8 |
| 2021 | 200W / 113L / 21D | 202W / 124L / 15D | 64.8 |
| 2020 | 243W / 153L / 16D | 222W / 158L / 24D | 64.7 |
| 2019 | 130W / 162L / 13D | 144W / 153L / 9D | 56.9 |
| 2018 | 5W / 3L / 1D | 5W / 5L / 1D | 27.5 |
| 2017 | 26W / 12L / 3D | 20W / 13L / 1D | 65.7 |
Openings: Most Played
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation, Cobra Variation | 110 | 64 | 42 | 4 | 58.2% |
| Scotch Game | 96 | 64 | 29 | 3 | 66.7% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation | 82 | 50 | 29 | 3 | 61.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon | 78 | 50 | 26 | 2 | 64.1% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 69 | 46 | 21 | 2 | 66.7% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed | 67 | 37 | 28 | 2 | 55.2% |
| Amar Gambit | 62 | 32 | 28 | 2 | 51.6% |
| Sicilian Defense | 61 | 36 | 23 | 2 | 59.0% |
| Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit | 56 | 36 | 19 | 1 | 64.3% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line | 50 | 35 | 13 | 2 | 70.0% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amar Gambit | 21 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 52.4% |
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 72.7% |
| Scotch Game | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 72.7% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 55.6% |
| Sicilian Defense | 9 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 22.2% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 77.8% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 66.7% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 62.5% |
| Barnes Defense | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 85.7% |
| Nimzo-Larsen Attack | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit | 25 | 12 | 13 | 0 | 48.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line | 23 | 9 | 13 | 1 | 39.1% |
| Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation, Cobra Variation | 23 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 47.8% |
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 22 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 54.5% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation | 21 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 38.1% |
| Scotch Game | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 60.0% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 19 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 52.6% |
| Amar Gambit | 17 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 70.6% |
| French Defense | 15 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 33.3% |
| Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon | 14 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 71.4% |
| Daily Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotch Game | 23 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 43.5% |
| Amar Gambit | 18 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 33.3% |
| Unknown | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 62.5% |
| Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon | 12 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 41.7% |
| Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 36.4% |
| Barnes Defense | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 80.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation, Cobra Variation | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 55.6% |
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 33.3% |
| Sicilian Defense | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 37.5% |
| Amazon Attack | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 42.9% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 16 | 0 |
| Losing | 17 | 2 |