Shubham Gupta

Shubham Gupta (aka Shubham_NeO)

Meet Shubham Gupta, a chess enthusiast whose journey through the sixty-four squares is nothing short of a rollercoaster ride! Shubham’s adventures began way back in 2014, when his Daily rating started humbly at 1200. Since then, like a persistent knight hopping across the board, he has battled through ups and downs with relentless spirit — peaking at 1231 in Daily chess, but really shining in Rapid play with a blazing peak rating of 1653 as of December 2024. Blitz? Bullet? He’s got those too, with respectable peaks of 1424 and 1200 respectively.

Playing Style & Strengths

A true strategist, Shubham takes his time, often letting games stretch over an average of 70 moves on wins — proving patience is his superpower. His games frequently venture deep into endgames, with nearly 71% finishing in that phase! If Shubham loses a piece, don’t count him out; his comeback rate is an impressive 77%, showing that even after setbacks, he’s ready to rally like a chess phoenix.

Early resignations are as rare as a black swan in Shubham’s games, at just 2.3%. He performs slightly better with White (51.43% win rate) than Black (45.37%), embracing the initiative and turning first moves into juicy attacks. However, a tilt factor of 11 hints that sometimes even Shubham's Zen gets tested — but hey, who has perfect nerves?

Favorite Openings

Shubham’s repertoire is a curious blend of mystery and tradition. His "Top Secret" openings (admittedly less successful with a 10%-49% win rate across time controls) contrast with his trusty classics like the Sicilian Defense & King's Pawn Openings Leonardis Variation, boasting win rates up to 66.67%. The Caro Kann Breyer variation is another gem, where Shubham seems to play with a tactical swagger, winning 80% of his 5 games here. He’s a bit of a mystery wrapped in a riddle, who sometimes experiments (and sometimes regrets it!).

Competitive Spirit

Over thousands of Rapid games, Shubham maintains a balanced edge: approximately 2874 wins against 2815 losses and 248 draws — talk about resilience and endurance! His overall Blitz and Bullet performances are similarly gritty, with a knack for clawing back victories even when the chips are down.

Recent Highlights

His most recent victory in May 2025 was a checkmate triumph that would make grandmasters raise an eyebrow, featuring a quiet Sicilian French Variation where he outmaneuvered his opponent with clever bishop plays and timely pawn pushes until delivering a sleek checkmate at move 71. A true chess marathoner!

Of course, a few losses punctuate the recordbook — including dramatic resignations and even the infamous "game abandoned" scenario — but that’s just the spice of the chess life. Shubham keeps returning to the board, ready to battle opponents new and old.

Off the Board

When not orchestrating tactical fireworks or engaging in long endgames, Shubham is likely contemplating the mysteries of life — or devising a witty comeback for the next online chess chat. After all, a player who survives 11-game losing streaks and still boasts 16-game winning streaks is one who knows that chess is not just a game, but a life philosophy. In his world, the motto is “Keep calm and castle on!”