Overview
Borna Derakshani (username: shrek4life02) is a FIDE Master known for an aggressive, entertaining approach to fast chess. A specialist in quick time controls, Borna has played more than 10,000 blitz games and well over 16,000 bullet games — a true grind of online practice and tournaments. He favors sharp, tactical lines and shows a remarkable ability to fight back from difficult positions.
- Title: FIDE Master (FM)
- Preferred time control: Blitz — the arena where Borna thrives
- Interactive snapshot:
Style & Strengths
Borna is a tactician by temperament: long, decisive games are common in his archives and he tends to play to the finish rather than cashing draws early. He combines heavy opening preparation in offbeat lines with deep practical endgame skills.
- Comeback resilience: extraordinary — a documented comeback rate of about 90% (comeback)
- Endgame focus: high endgame frequency (often outlasting opponents in long technical battles)
- Average game length: typically 80+ moves in decisive play (players, bring coffee)
- Peak blitz power: 2864 (2025-06-02)
Favorite Openings & Repertoire
Borna enjoys offbeat and double-edged openings. On both sides he favors systems that create imbalanced, tactical middlegames rather than symmetrical quiet positions.
- As White: Amazon Attack and the aggressive Amar Gambit — frequent choice to steer games into chaos
- As Black: solid-but-flexible replies like the Caro-Kann Defense and, surprisingly, the cheeky Barnes Defense
- Notable blitz favorites: Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack and London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation
Notable Records & Rivalries
Borna has piled up a mountain of games against several regular opponents — online marathons that helped sharpen his instincts.
- Longest winning streak: 18 games (yes, this competitor knows how to get hot)
- Most-played opponent: Jonah Willow — over a thousand games and a rivalry full of swingy results (their head-to-head is a dramatic rollercoaster)
- Memorable online slugfest: Epic Battle
Personality & Quirks
Expect a bit of humour and a lot of fight from Borna. He plays under the cheeky handle shrek4life02 and often picks openings that surprise both opponents and commentators. He also has an identifiable "best time of day" for peak play — late afternoon — so if you want to catch him awake and brilliant, show up around 15:00 local time.
- Username: shrek4life02 — yes, he will probably meme in chat
- Best time of day to play: around 15:00 (recommended)
- Tilt factor: visible but manageable — a reminder that even champs are human
Sample Game
Below is a compact tactical sketch from Borna's practical play — try to guess the turning point before you step through it.
- Interactive replay:
Why Follow Borna?
For fans of tactical fireworks, long comeback stories and prolific blitz theatre, Borna is a must-watch. Whether he's uncorking an Amar Gambit, navigating a messy Caro-Kann, or grinding in the endgame, his games are rarely boring.
- Great for students of unbalanced openings and practical endgame conversion
- Plays thousands of live blitz games every year — a fertile study pool
- Fun, candid online persona that adds entertainment value to training