Anton Karpenko: The Pizza-Loving FIDE Master
Anton Karpenko, better known to online opponents as Pizzalover2502, is a FIDE Master with a sweet tooth for dangerous openings and, presumably, a real taste for pizza. His username may promise cheesy fun, but his results are serious business. He has climbed to a blitz peak of 2777 (2026-06-23), and his preferred battleground is Daily chess, where he remains undefeated.
A Blitz Beast With a Bullet
Karpenko spent 2025 and 2026 terrorizing blitz queues. He reached a peak of 2777 in June 2026, and his bullet rating climbed to 2631 in September 2026. His longest winning streak is 12 games, which is a nice round number, much like a large pizza cut into slices. His strength adjusted win rate is a healthy 50.3% in blitz and 63.5% in bullet, meaning he wins far more than he loses even against elite opposition.
The Ultimate Grinder
Do not expect quick wins or easy losses from Anton. His decisive games average around 88 moves, and he reaches the endgame in nearly 89% of his games. His comeback rate of 87.05% is remarkable, and he still wins 52.23% of his games after losing a piece. He is one of those rare players who is slightly stronger as Black (55.26% win rate) than as White (53.77%), which makes him a tricky opponent no matter which color he draws.
Opening Repertoire
As White, Karpenko is a devoted 1.e4 player. He frequently plays the French Defense Advance Variation, the Caro-Kann Defense, and the Sicilian Najdorf, where he scores an excellent 66.67%. The Blackburne Shilling Gambit also appears in his repertoire, a fitting choice for a player who is not afraid to offer material and still win.
As Black, he favors the Sicilian Defense with a strong record in the Accelerated Dragon Maroczy Bind (66.67%) and the Amazon Attack Siberian Attack (62.5%). In bullet, he has a 75% win rate with the Hungarian Opening Wiedenhagen-Beta Gambit and a perfect 100% record with the Amar Gambit.
Friends and Foes
Every player has rivals, and Karpenko has a favorite one in Coach-Magnus, whom he has beaten all nine times they have faced off. On the flip side, Nikita Shandrygin has proven to be his kryptonite, winning all five of their meetings. Players like vovachesss and ga_r have also had his number, each taking four wins against him, but Karpenko keeps coming back for more.
Daily Chess Devotion
Despite all the blitz fireworks, Anton's preferred time control is Daily chess. His Daily record is a perfect 10 wins and 0 losses, with a peak rating of 2228. When he has time to think, he is nearly unbeatable.
He also seems to be a creature of habit. His best time to play is 1:00 AM, and Sundays are his strongest day with an 80% win rate. Some opponents suspect that is when the pizza arrives and he plays with extra motivation.