The Rise of RootselRikkie
RootselRikkie is a chess phenomenon whose rating history reads like a sports movie montage. In April 2017 they played one Blitz game, lost it, and sat at 1018. Then, like a chess-playing time traveler, they returned in 2020 and never really stopped. By March 2026 they reached 2722 (2026-03-04) in Blitz, a peak that would make their 2017 self cancel the membership out of pure shock.
Origins and Early Days
RootselRikkie's early data is gloriously small. In 2017 they had exactly one Rapid game and one Blitz game. The Blitz game was a loss. The Rapid game was also a loss. Two games, two losses, zero fear. They vanished, regrouped, and came back in August 2020 with 104 Blitz games in a single month. That is roughly three games a day while the rest of the world was still learning how to mask properly.
The Climb
From the low 1000s to a peak 2722 (2026-03-04), RootselRikkie's rise included detours through Bullet, Rapid, and even Daily chess. They crossed 2000 in Blitz in late 2021, kept pushing through 2300 in 2023, and then decided the 2500s were a nice place to live. In January 2025 alone they played 500 Blitz games. Five hundred. The chart below shows the ride:
All Time Controls, One Grinder
While Blitz is the main event, RootselRikkie has also fired off thousands of Bullet games, reaching 2695 (2025-05-02) along the way. They have a 2184 (2023-04-04) peak to go with it, which is impressive for anyone, let alone someone whose listed preferred time control is Daily. Yes, Daily. With a 5-1 record there, they are nearly perfect at the one time control they claim to prefer. It is the chess equivalent of owning a race car and telling everyone you prefer bicycles.
- Longest winning streak: 16 games
- Longest losing streak: 15 games
- Comeback rate: 83.62%
- Best time to play: 2 AM
- Worst time to play: 3 AM
Rivals and Friends
No biography of RootselRikkie would be complete without Onno Elgersma. These two have faced each other 649 times, and onnoelgersma owns the head-to-head with 445 wins to RootselRikkie's 168. That is a rivalry, a curriculum, and a therapy bill all in one. On the brighter side, schaakkmat has faced RootselRikkie 279 times and won only 38 of those meetings. RootselRikkie's record against schaakkmat is 215 wins, 38 losses, and 26 draws. Every great hero needs a foil, and every great grinder needs at least one opponent who makes them feel like a grandmaster.
Playing Style and Quirks
RootselRikkie's games are long. Average decisive games run around 73 moves, and endgames appear in roughly 77% of their contests. They like reaching the endgame, then they like staying there. They also have a comeback rate of 83.62%, so falling behind does not seem to bother them much. Their early resignation rate is high, their fighting spirit is higher, and their most common checking piece is the queen. One of the funniest stats: in over 13,000 analyzed games, only one of their wins is recorded as ending by checkmate. Everyone else resigns, times out, or quietly slips into the abyss. RootselRikkie checkmates with aura, not pieces.
Opening Repertoire
When RootselRikkie has the white pieces, they are a 1.e4 person. That much is clear from the data. Their favorite battlegrounds include the Caro-Kann Defense and the Sicilian Defense, with a healthy dose of Modern and Scandinavian Defense. In Rapid they absolutely punish Petrov's Defense, winning 66% of those games. Their opening stats are deep, weird, and full of gambits, which fits their personality perfectly.
The Verdict
RootselRikkie is a marathon runner in a sprinting sport. They have absorbed a 15-game losing streak, then answered with a 16-game winning streak. They have beaten lower-rated players with ruthless consistency and held their own in even battles. Whether playing a 2 AM Bullet blitz or a quiet Daily game, RootselRikkie leaves one clear message: the rating board is a canvas, and they are not done painting.