Overview
Raúl (username: rahico) is a spirited online chess player known for preferring Daily games — the slow-burn battles where patience and preparation win the day. He climbed rapidly from casual beginnings in 2017 to a peak that earned him the admiration of many opponents: 1600 (2019-10-22).
Part strategist, part gambler, Raúl mixes calculated opening preparation with an uncanny ability to pull off dramatic comebacks. If you like long, thematic fights rather than bullet blitzing, rahico is your kind of adversary.
Playing style & strengths
- Preferred time control: Daily — methodical and positional play with deep endgame fights.
- Endgame-focused: high endgame frequency and long average game lengths mean Raúl often grinds out results late into the game.
- Tactical resilience: notable comeback rate and a decent WinRateAfterLosingPiece; he doesn't panic when material slips.
- Psychological note: a modest TiltFactor — he jokes he tilts only when his coffee goes cold.
Metrics that tell the story: a long average moves-per-win (≈66) and a tendency to keep games decisive rather than quick draws — perfect for students of the endgame and serial decomposers of equal positions.
Openings & preferences
Raúl loves variety and enjoys both cheeky gambits and solid systems. His Daily repertoire features frequent trips into:
- Sicilian Defense — one of his top-performing choices when he wants asymmetric fights.
- Barnes Opening: Walkerling — a pet line he uses to steer opponents into unfamiliar waters.
- Australian Defense and the Amar Gambit — evidence he can be creative and aggressive when the position calls for it.
- Also fond of the Blackburne Shilling Gambit as an occasional tactical trick in faster time controls.
He alternates between surprise weapons and reliable systems, which keeps his opponents guessing and makes study against him a fun puzzle.
Memorable game (sample)
Here’s a short game snippet that captures rahico’s taste for classical development turning into a slow squeeze. Click to replay:
Autoplay disabled by default; explore the moves at your own pace.
Opponents & head‑to‑head
Rahico has a few regular rivals who have helped shape his career. He’s played these opponents most often:
- accord289 — 17 games (a friendly rivalry with multiple reversals).
- artikgz — 12 games (rahico holds a strong record here).
- jonnylinny — frequent sparring partner; results have been mixed.
- tekkies and drcippy — regular opponents who’ve produced some memorable tactical scraps.
These long-term matchups are where Raúl sharpens novel ideas and tests new opening choices.
Career trajectory
From an energetic 2017 start, raúl’s Daily rating climbed into the 1500–1600 range by 2019 before settling into a steady, experienced approach. He’s a player of peaks and recoveries — capable of long winning streaks and resilient returns after rough patches.
Visual trend:
Fun facts & closing
- Longest winning streak: 14 games. Longest losing streak: 16 games. Current winning streak: 1.
- Favored hour to play: late night/early morning mischief — his best win rates appear around 02:00 according to his own (slightly dodgy) sleep schedule.
- Favorite advice he gives newer players: “Don’t panic when you lose a piece — panic when you realize you could have won.”
If you want to challenge rahico to a slow, thought‑ful Daily match or study one of his quirky opening choices, he’s usually happy to swap games, stories, and a surprisingly deep analysis of the Barnes Opening: Walkerling.