Christophe Ribeiro (ribch) - The Underdog Maestro
Meet Christophe Ribeiro, a chess warrior known in the digital realm as ribch. While not the grandmaster you've heard of on TV, Christophe infuses every game with the spirit of a gladiator — sometimes winning with style, sometimes losing with grace (and occasionally both in the same match!).
Rating Rollercoaster
Starting his rapid rating journey around 350 in early 2023, Christophe took the chessboard by storm, peaking impressively at 688 in May 2025. That’s nearly a 100% improvement, proof that persistence beats raw talent—most of the time. His blitz and bullet skills may not terrorize grandmasters, but a peak blitz rating of 407 and bullet rating of 340 confirmed he's no stranger to fast, frantic play.
Playing Style: The Roller Derby of Chess
With an average game lasting around 50-58 moves, Christophe doesn't rush to end the fun quickly. Why finish fast when you can toy with your opponent’s nerves? His penchant for resigning early only 5.4% of the time shows he often fights till the bitter end. Endgames appear quite often, happening in over half his games, suggesting he’s comfortable outlasting opponents in the trenches.
Tactical Talent and Psychological Wit
Christophe has a knack for comebacks, managing to claw back victory nearly 70% of the time after trailing—a true phoenix on the board! But beware the tilt factor of 12; even the best have their "off" days. His best time to strike is oddly precise — 5:00 AM, for those of you who prefer to face a well-rested but unpredictable opponent!
Favorite Openings (or Weaponry)
- Rapid: Caro-Kann Defense (55.65% win rate), King’s Pawn Opening King’s Knight Variation (nearly 56% win rate), and the mysterious Top Secret opening (52.38%)—quite the diverse arsenal!
- Bullet & Blitz: Shows love for sharp openings like the Three Knights and the Top Secret opening, often mixing in the Scandinavian Defense for spice.
The Battles Fought
With over 1700 rapid games, 130 bullet, and nearly 200 blitz games under his belt, Christophe commands respect for sheer volume. His impressive win rates against some opponents hit 100%, although a few nemeses still keep his score humble.
Recent Gladiatorial Encounters
In his latest triumph on June 4, 2025, ribch quickly dispatched his opponent in a brief but decisive Van't Kruijs Opening encounter, winning in under two minutes. Just the day before, though, he tasted defeat by resignation in a Philidor Defense battle—proof that even ribch can be humbled!
Summary
Christophe Ribeiro is the kind of player who embodies the true spirit of chess: persistence, passion, and the willingness to sacrifice pawns (and sometimes pieces) for the thrill of the game. Whether you're facing him at dawn or dusk, be ready for an entertaining battle filled with strategic twists, tactical surprises, and the occasional cheeky resignation.
