Sergio Luis Avendaño Galvez

Sergio Luis Avendaño Galvez (aka slagzepi)

Meet Sergio Luis Avendaño Galvez, a spirited and resilient chess enthusiast whose journey through the ranks of blitz, rapid, bullet, and daily chess reads like an epic novel filled with thrilling battles, tactical wizardry, and the occasional face-palm moment. Known online as slagzepi, Sergio has dazzled opponents with a peak blitz rating of 1447 achieved in December 2024, proving he's no pushover in the fast-paced arena.

Sergio's chess career is a tale of steady growth and determination. Starting modestly in early 2023, he climbed the blitz ladder from the high 300s to breaking the 1300+ barrier by the spring of 2025. Along the way, he racked up over 2300 wins in blitz alone, with an almost equal tally of losses—talk about intense rivalries keeping him on his toes! If resilience were a rating, Sergio would be grandmaster-level.

His style? Sergio averages around 72 moves per win or loss in his games—a marathoner who plays deep into the endgame trenches. In fact, he enters endgames roughly 76% of the time, showing a penchant for grinding down opponents when others might have tapped out. Only about 1.4% of his games end in early resignation, highlighting his fighting spirit and refusal to yield until the final move.

Blitz is Sergio’s playground, where his opening repertoire is heavily shrouded in mystery—aptly named Top Secret in nearly 4700 games. When he's feeling adventurous, he dips into well-known territories like the Sicilian Hyperaccelerated Dragon or the Old Benoni Defense, winning more than half the time. But beware! Sergio’s Italian Game boasts an impressive 83% win rate, making it his signature trap to snare the unprepared.

On the psychological battlefield, Sergio's tilt factor is a commendably low 10, a true zen master who maintains calm even when the rook snatches a pawn unexpectedly. His comeback rate is a staggering 77%—he turns losing positions into epic victories with the flair of a true chess gladiator. And when he loses a piece? He still manages to squeak out wins about 45% of the time. Clearly, surrender isn’t in his vocabulary.

Timing-wise, Sergio is a night owl with a twist: his best time to play is around 11 AM, while evenings and late nights often see mixed results. As a strategic human clock, his hour-by-hour win rates range broadly but peak impressively at 75% around 11 AM—a perfect excuse for anyone to grab a coffee and challenge him right then.

Now, what about recent drama on the chessboard? On June 4th, 2025, Sergio triumphed over GM_Rufus in a fiery battle using the Giuoco Piano. The game was a roller coaster, ending in a dazzling rook capture and a time victory. Previous matches on the same day showcase Sergio's mastery of the Old Benoni Defense and the Philidor Defense, where he cleverly outmaneuvered opponents, though not without occasional setbacks.

With a slightly higher win rate when playing Black (50.4%) than White (47.7%), Sergio proves that he’s comfortable playing both defense and offense. His record also reveals a warrior who learns: his win percentage against lower-rated opponents is dominant at 69%, but when facing stronger players, he embraces the grind, winning nearly 30% of challenging clashes.

Outside the rating numbers and game stats, Sergio’s journey reflects the heart of a true chess lover: tirelessly studying, experimenting with openings, and battling through the ups and downs with a grin—a knight ready to charge into the chaos. Is he the next grandmaster in the making? Possibly. But more importantly, he’s the kind of player every chess community needs: passionate, relentless, and occasionally mysterious with his Top Secret openings.