Alejandro Toro

Profile: Alejandro Toro (shimus11)

Alejandro Toro, known in the chess community as shimus11, is a tenacious and endlessly curious chess player who has danced through the intriguing rhythms of Rapid, Blitz, Bullet, and Daily chess games. From his rapid-fire early days, boasting a peak Rapid rating of 961 in late 2021, Alejandro has experienced the exhilarating highs and humbling lows that every chess enthusiast knows so well.

With a preferred time control of Rapid, Alejandro thrives in battles that balance speed with thoughtful strategy, averaging over 50 moves in his wins—a marathon runner in a sprinter’s race. His endgame frequency is notable at 41.5%, showing his love for thrilling, nerve-wracking finishes. Despite a little tilt factor (8%), he demonstrates remarkable tactical awareness, staging comebacks with an impressive 77% success rate when trailing and generally maintaining a confident win rate of about 49% when playing white, and 46.5% with black.

Known for his eclectic opening repertoire, Alejandro isn't afraid to walk unconventional paths. The Van't Kruijs Opening is his secret weapon, yielding a formidable win rate of nearly 62% in Rapid games. He’s equally comfortable with classics like the Philidor Defense (52% win rate) and the Giuoco Piano (58% win rate), though his adventures with the Scotch Game have been a rollercoaster, demanding more practice but still showing his adventurous spirit.

Whether it’s striking early or grinding it out late, Alejandro's games typically engage the mind deeply (with an average decisive game length around 50 moves). His most epic streaks include an 8-game winning streak, though he’s also no stranger to a tough 8-game losing run—which just adds spice to his love for the game!

Recent Highlights

Hot off the presses, Alejandro delivered a dazzling checkmate on June 9, 2025, in a Rapid game against dlmd123. This game showcased his deep tactical awareness, culminating in a beautiful final move: Qxd7#—a fitting crescendo for a player who enjoys the drama of the endgame.

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qe6+ 4. Be2 Qc6 5. h3 Qxg2 6. Bf3 Qg5 7. d4 Qg6 8. Be4 f5 9. Bd3 Nc6 10. Be3 Nf6 11. Qd2 e5 12. d5 Ne7 13. d6 cxd6 14. O-O-O e4 15. Bc4 d5 16. Bb5+ Bd7 17. Bxd7+ Nxd7 18. Nge2 Ne5 19. Nf4 Qf7 20. Ncxd5 Nxd5 21. Nxd5 Nf3 22. Qc3 Ne5 23. Nc7+ Ke7 24. Nxa8 Nd7 25. Qb4+ Ke8 26. Nc7+ Kd8 27. Qc3 f4 28. Bxa7 e3 29. fxe3 fxe3 30. Rhf1 Qh5 31. Ne6+ Ke8 32. Qc8+ Ke7 33. Qxd7#

Playing Style and quirks

Alejandro sometimes tends to resign a bit early (around 7.4% of the time), perhaps due to his high expectations or possibly an overactive imagination that foresees defeat before it’s fully delivered. His games are marked by dynamic exchanges and strategic battles that often go the distance, giving spectators (and himself!) lots to chew on.

He is a creature of habit when it comes to timing—his best time to take on opponents is around 6 AM. Whether this is his secret weapon or sheer sleep deprivation remains a mystery, but his results speak for themselves at that hour.

Records Against the League

Shimus11 boasts certain nemeses and fan-favorites alike. His records shine brightest against opponents like vortex01j—undefeated in 5 games—and kllopaqw with an immaculate 4-game winning streak. On the flip side, a handful of tricky opponents, including sl_saniya and tupapaop, have managed to best him, proving that the chess gods keep the game perfectly balanced.

All in all, Alejandro Toro embodies the spirit of a relentless chess warrior: fallible, fiercely competitive, and always hungry to learn from each pawn push and bishop’s diagonal.

Long may his queen reign!