Ivan Popov - Chess Grandmaster Extraordinaire
Meet Ivan Popov, a chess Grandmaster known for his fearless blitz battles and a penchant for winning streaks that could impress even the most stoic of chess clocks. Ivan, often known online as POPOV_IVAN, is a master of speed and strategy, weaving tactical tricks with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker... if that watchmaker decided to sacrifice a rook for a bishop just for fun.
Rating and Style
Peaking at an awe-inspiring 2938 blitz rating in March 2020, Ivan has shown that lightning-fast calculation is truly his playground. His bullet rating isn't too shabby either, topping out at 2622. While many tremble under the ticking seconds, Ivan thrives—on Tuesday evenings and at the witching hour of 3 AM, to be exact, when his win rate hits a remarkable 100% (or so the legend says).
His gaming style? With an early resignation rate of just 0.34% and an endgame frequency above 86%, Ivan knows how to grind out wins when the going gets tough. Not afraid to fight back from losing material—boasting a comeback rate of over 85% (take that, adversity!)—he shows the psychological resilience of a chess Zen master. His average win takes about 81 moves, proving patience can pay off, even when the clock is ruthless.
Performance Highlights
- Over 650 recorded wins across blitz and bullet, with a blitz win rate hovering around 56% at top secret openings—a mysterious repertoire that keeps opponents guessing.
- A longest winning streak of 24 games, because who likes to break winning streaks anyway?
- A current (and hopefully temporary) losing streak of 2 games—because even champions have off days (or moments when the coffee runs out).
Famous Battles
His most recent victory in blitz came with a thrilling victory by timeout against I-Mesquita on March 19, 2024, showcasing his relentless pressure and time management prowess. And though every legendary player tastes defeat, Ivan takes losses in stride, learning from each battle to rise stronger.
Fun Facts & Trivia
If you ever find yourself playing Ivan late at night, beware: his win rate between midnight and 4 AM is off the charts. Legend says that’s when he performs his best tactical wizardry and those 'blink-and-you-miss-it' sacrifices. Opponents have noted that his psychological tilt factor is quite low, which means tilting him might require a grandmaster-level troll strategy.
In summary, Ivan Popov isn’t just a Grandmaster; he's a relentless blitz warrior, a comeback king, and a late-night chess ninja lurking in the shadows of the 64 squares. Whether it’s bullet, blitz, or classical styles of fighting—with impressive stats and a smirk—you can be sure the name Ivan Popov will keep echoing across chess boards worldwide.
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| jerom555888 | 10W / 7L / 1D | View Games |
| fischersfrisoer | 12W / 3L / 0D | View Games |
| Ustat | 11W / 1L / 3D | View Games |
| Andrey Gorovets | 4W / 5L / 3D | View Games |
| Ilya Smirin | 3W / 5L / 4D | View Games |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2794 | |||
| 2023 | 2794 | |||
| 2022 | 2806 | |||
| 2021 | 2892 | |||
| 2020 | 2841 | |||
| 2019 | 2870 | |||
| 2018 | 2619 | 2739 | ||
| 2015 | 2153 | 2434 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1W / 0L / 0D | 0W / 2L / 0D | 73.0 |
| 2023 | 45W / 22L / 6D | 42W / 26L / 6D | 85.0 |
| 2022 | 63W / 31L / 17D | 52W / 42L / 16D | 89.9 |
| 2021 | 0W / 0L / 0D | 1W / 0L / 0D | 114.0 |
| 2020 | 16W / 11L / 4D | 14W / 12L / 5D | 90.8 |
| 2019 | 52W / 26L / 9D | 46W / 25L / 16D | 88.2 |
| 2018 | 92W / 32L / 28D | 77W / 50L / 21D | 89.0 |
| 2015 | 44W / 4L / 1D | 36W / 7L / 6D | 77.2 |
Openings: Most Played
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caro-Kann Defense | 51 | 25 | 22 | 4 | 49.0% |
| Caro-Kann: Advance, 3...c5 4.dxc5 | 26 | 12 | 13 | 1 | 46.1% |
| Caro-Kann: 2.Nf3 | 23 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 52.2% |
| Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Adams Attack | 19 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 52.6% |
| Queen's Pawn Game | 17 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 64.7% |
| Caro-Kann Defense: Main Line | 16 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 56.2% |
| Giuoco Piano: 6.cxd4 Bb4+ | 15 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 46.7% |
| Two Knights Defence | 15 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 60.0% |
| QGA: 4.e3 c5 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 35.7% |
| QGA: 3.e4 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 | 14 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 35.7% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen's Pawn Game | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Zukertort Opening: Slav Invitation | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Caro-Kann: 2.Nf3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.7% |
| Sicilian: Closed | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Scotch: 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nxc6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Queen's Pawn: 1...c6 2.Nf3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Barnes Opening | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Alekhine Defense: Exchange Variation, Voronezh Variation | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Sicilian: Rossolimo, 3...e6 4.Bxc6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 24 | 0 |
| Losing | 7 | 2 |