returnofedubs: The Comeback King of Blitz
Some players climb the ratings ladder one careful step at a time. returnofedubs took the express elevator. In just eight months of 2026, this relentless blitz specialist soared from 1939 to a peak rating of 2811 (2026-09-23), playing thousands of games and turning the rating graph into a mountain range. It was noisy, chaotic, and absolutely impossible to ignore.
From 1939 to 2811 in Eight Months
When returnofedubs first appeared on the February 2026 rating list, the blitz rating read 1939. By late September, the same account had touched 2811 (2026-09-23), a number that puts the player in serious company. The journey was not smooth. There was a 10 game winning streak and a soul crushing 23 game losing streak, but the overall trajectory never stopped climbing.
The volume is staggering. The player packed more than 3,300 rated blitz games into 2026, plus nearly 1,800 bullet games and a handful of rapid starts. The strength adjusted blitz win rate of 50.6% is made more impressive by the fact that returnofedubs regularly faces higher rated opposition.
A Blitz Specialist Through and Through
Blitz is the home turf. The rapid rating peaked at a modest 2042, bullet reached a respectable 2601, but blitz is where the real fireworks happen. The preferred time control is blitz, and the stats back it up. Endgames appear in 80.54% of games, average decisive battles run more than 73 moves, and the player delivers checkmate as the final move 772 times in a single year.
The defining trait may be the comeback rate of 86.22%. Even after losing a piece, returnofedubs still wins 44.7% of the time. With an early resignation rate of just 1.82%, this is a player who makes opponents earn every single point.
Openings: French, Caro, and Chaos
As Black, returnofedubs leans on the French Defense with more than 140 blitz games and a healthy 50% score. The database also records 80 blitz games in the French Defense: Guimard Variation, Thunderbunny Variation, an opening name so gloriously absurd that it must be mentioned. When the mood strikes, the Benko Gambit appears over 100 times, a true gambler's choice.
With the White pieces, the Caro-Kann Defense is the money maker. From 129 blitz games, returnofedubs scored a sparkling 58.91% win rate. The first move stats are just as telling: e4 went out 1,438 times in 2026, while d4 followed at 962.
Rivalries That Forged the Climb
No rating journey happens in a vacuum. The most frequent foe was dsfbdb, who clashed with returnofedubs 47 times, with the series standing at 17 wins, 28 losses, and 2 draws. A tougher assignment was not-too-obvious, who leads the head to head 37 wins to 10 and earned the status of personal bogeyman. But against Aleksandar Dovijanic the script flips, with returnofedubs ahead 25 wins to 15.
These rivalries paint a picture of a player who refuses to dodge tough matchups. Even when the ledger is red, the rating keeps rising.
Habits, Quirks, and Hard Numbers
- Best time to play: 19:00, when the win rate jumps to 51.92%.
- Best day to queue up: Wednesday at 53.21%. Avoid Tuesday if possible.
- Time trouble magnet: 459 wins by timeout, 796 losses by timeout.
- Extremes in one year: longest winning streak of 10, longest losing streak of 23.
- White is kinder: 49.49% win rate with White, 43.79% with Black.
- In bullet, returnofedubs flirted with the Amar Gambit 150 times and somehow has a tale to tell.