Michał Kikowski (aka Safkiar)
Meet Michał Kikowski, affectionately known in the chess world by his cunning username Safkiar. A dedicated player with a relentless spirit, Michał has steadily climbed the ranks, peaking at an impressive 1602 rapid rating in March 2025—a true testament to his strategic prowess!
Playing Style & Strengths
Known for an incredible 75.31% comeback rate, Michał never throws in the towel early. With a calm psychological approach (he has a tilt factor of just 11), he’s a fighter who thrives where the battle is toughest. His endgame frequency shines at over 70%, and his average games often stretch beyond 66 moves, proving that patience is very much a virtue in his gameplay.
Interestingly, Michał’s best time to conquer the chessboard is around 3 AM—so if you want to find him off guard, maybe try at brunch instead.
Format Mastery
- Rapid: 424 wins, 351 losses, 56 draws with a steady improvement culminating in a peak of 1602.
- Blitz: Over 1,600 wins and nearly as many losses show Michał’s love-hate relationship with fast-paced battles, climbing to a notable 1399 rating recently.
- Bullet: Known for quickfire tactics, he boasts a peak rating above 1200 and an impressive 50%+ win rate in several tricky openings.
Opening Repertoire (or “Top Secret” as he calls it)
Michał’s favorite opening is jokingly labeled "Top Secret", which has brought him victories in over 3,400 blitz games and 831 rapid matches. But for a true connoisseur of nuances, his Bullet games reveal favorites such as the Queen’s Pawn Opening Zukertort Variation, with a jaw-dropping 83.33% win rate, and the Englund Gambit, where he mischievously wins 62.5% of the time. Clearly, he likes keeping his opponents guessing—and often winning while doing it!
Recent Battles
Despite a few tough losses (sometimes by time pressure, because who doesn’t rush under the ticking clock?), Michał recently snatched victory in a well-fought Rapid game using the Slav Defense, finishing with a sneaky a7 pawn promotion. You can relive his win on
Chess.com—a true showcase of his strategic patience and endgame wizardry.
Fun Facts
- Longest winning streak: 15 games (talk about hot streaks!)
- Current winning streak: 1 (ready to fire up again!)
- Preferred gaming hours are a mixed bag, but with the highest win percentage between 11 AM and 12 PM.
- Has racked up an eye-watering total of over 3,500 blitz games – a true speed chess warrior.
Whether it’s rapid, blitz, bullet, or daily games, Michał the Safkiar keeps pushing boundaries, proving chess is a battle of brains and endurance. So if you meet him on the board, prepare for some well-timed surprises!
