Meet Sibelephant
Vladislav Artemiev, better known online as Sibelephant, is a FIDE Grandmaster who plays chess like a Siberian winter: cold, ruthless, and impossible to predict. His username hints at an elephant's memory with Siberian ice in the veins, and his online record certainly backs that up.
A Speed Demon on the Board
While Artemiev is a complete chess player, his natural habitat is bullet chess. He has pushed his bullet rating to an absurd 3285 (2022-11-13), and he regularly hangs out above 3200 in blitz. His long-term
shows a steady climb from strong club master to online elite, with no signs of slowing down.His style is brutally practical. He puts together long winning streaks, owns a 90 percent comeback rate, and loves to torture opponents in the endgame. His decisive games routinely stretch deep into move 80, and his most common checking piece is the rook. If you face him, you need to finish early, because he will find a way to squeeze you later.
Opening Lab
Artemiev's repertoire blends classical ideas with creative surprises. As White, he frequently reaches the English Opening with setups such as the Agincourt Defense and the Anglo-Indian Defense, where his win rates are outstanding. As Black, he is equally at home in the Caro-Kann Defense, the Sicilian Defense, and the Modern Defense. This opening variety makes preparation against him a nightmare.
Rivalries
He has done battle with nearly every elite online name. His most played opponent is Vladimir Fedoseev, with over 150 encounters. He has also engaged in marathon battles with Alexander Grischuk, Alireza Firouzja, Hikaru Nakamura, and Magnus Carlsen. Against top grandmasters, he holds his own and often punishes slower players in tense time scrambles.
Fun Facts
- His best time of day is midnight, which makes perfect sense for a bullet predator.
- He once put together a 20-game winning streak, and his comeback rate sits near 90 percent.
- He wins 58 percent of games even after losing a piece, so celebrating early against him is risky.
- His first move as White has evolved from 1.e4 to more positional tries like 1.Nf3, 1.c4, and 1.d4, showing a deep shift toward maneuvering play.