Rafael Correia (aka rafurni)
Meet Rafael Correia, a relentless chess enthusiast who has battled through the chaos of openings and endgames with a knack for tactical comebacks and the patience of a saint.
Rafael’s journey on the 64 squares reads like an epic saga with ups, downs, and a surprising amount of checkmates delivered faster than you can say "Queen's Gambit." Specializing in bullet and blitz, he’s achieved peak ratings of 2295 in Bullet (June 2023) and a blazing 2185 in Blitz (April 2023), proving that speed doesn’t sacrifice skill.
A fan of complex defenses, Rafael frequently dances through the Sicilian Defense, the Scandinavian Defense Mieses Kotrc Variation, and the ever-classic King’s Indian Attacks. He’s known for a fairly solid win rate of above 50% in these openings, though the Scandinavian Defense Mieses Kotrc Variation seems to be his lucky charm with over 55% wins in bullet games.
Whether it’s bullet, blitz, or rapid, Rafael shows an impressively high comeback rate of 85.6% — which basically means if things get rough, he doesn’t just roll over; he fights back like a chess warrior fueled by caffeine and sheer stubbornness.
Fun fact: Rafael’s psychological tilt factor is relatively low, but he’s definitely a creature of the afternoon—the best time for his brilliancies are around 3 PM (15:00). Maybe it’s when his coffee kicks in, or the chessboard magically aligns for him.
On the stats nerd side, Rafael’s favored finishers often include resignation (for when the opponent realizes “this is hopeless”) and checkmate victories (because what's better?). Timeouts also pepper his games, reflecting those intense blitz matches where every second counts and nerves fray.
Recent Chess Adventures
Rafael’s recent games show a vivid picture of his style: intricate maneuvering in the King’s Indian Defense where he sealed a beautiful checkmate on October 13, 2023, as well as wins on time in fast-paced Scandinavian and Philidor Defense battles.
Losses sometimes come by choosing the sharp and complicated routes like the Sveshnikov Variation of the Sicilian Defense, but hey, every master curator has his tales of narrowly lost duels.
Playing Style
- Average moves per win: 70.2 (thoughtful and persistent)
- Average moves per loss: 73.8 (fights to the bitter end)
- Win rate as White: 52.2%
- Win rate as Black: 50.0%
- Early resignation rate: A mere 0.74%, showing a tendency to battle fiercely
Rafael is not your typical chess player; he’s a bulletstorm tactician, a blitz gladiator, and a rapid strategist all rolled into one. If you meet rafurni online, expect a fight to the last pawn—because giving up is so 0-1.