Stephen Lubin

Stephen Lubin (slubtub)

Stephen Lubin, known to many by his battle tag slubtub, is a rapid chess aficionado whose journey through the 64 squares is as unpredictable as his opening repertoire. With a peak rapid rating of 426 achieved in May 2025, Stephen has proved time and again that humble beginnings (starting at 235 in April 2025!) can evolve into formidable play — or at least intriguing attempts at checkmate.

Playing Style & Strengths

Stephen prefers the Rapid time control, a fitting battlefield for his often tactical and energetic approach. His average game length hovers around 47 moves when winning, suggesting he enjoys a good, prolonged struggle rather than early forced victories. His comebacks are legendary — bouncing back with an impressive 64% comeback success rate. But beware if you catch him on a Monday or Tuesday, when his win rates dip below 45%, perhaps because he's still fighting to wake up!

Opening Repertoire Highlights

• Englund Gambit: A surprising delight with a 62.86% win rate over 35 games — because who doesn’t love a gambit that catches opponents off guard?
• King’s Pawn Opening: A solid 62.86% win rate shows Stephen’s comfort in classic e4 battles.
• Queen’s Pawn Opening Mikenas Defense: By far his most successful specialists, boasting a mighty 65.38% win rate across 26 games.
• Queen’s Pawn Opening Accelerated London System: His most frequented opening with 112 battles fought here, grinding to a respectable 47.32% win rate. Persistence is key, and Stephen has it in spades.

Memorable Streaks & Stats

Stephen’s longest winning streak stretched to 8 games, a mini-maraud through the ranks before those pesky losses crept back in. His record is almost a balanced tango with 291 wins to 281 losses in rapid games. If you meet him on the battlefield, expect an unpredictable ride!

Psychological Tendencies

With a tilt factor of 7, Stephen is human after all — sometimes the pressure gets to him (or maybe he just hates losing to the Caro Kann). His best time to strike is around 2pm, so if you want to dodge a potential checkmate, avoid matches at that time.

Famous Recent Games

Stephen’s latest triumph was a magnificent checkmate victory utilizing the Indian Game opening, showcasing strategic precision. He’s also known for causing chaos with the Caro-Kann Defense Two Knights Attack, where he expertly forced his opponents to toss in the towel—and his queens—without mercy.

Fun Facts

• Most played opponent: silas0077, managing a solid two wins out of three games.
• Stephen has a love-hate relationship with the Van t Kruijs Opening (win rate under 40%), proving even pros have their kryptonite.
• His average first capture move is around move 7, meaning he likes to feel out his opponent before jumping in — or he’s just indecisive about taking pawns.
• When behind, Stephen’s comeback rate is a ferocious 64%, so don't be surprised if he snatches victory from the jaws of defeat.

In all, Stephen Lubin is the kind of player whose games are as entertaining as they are competitive — a mix of sharp tactics, occasional missteps, and the relentless spirit of someone who simply can’t resist the call of the chessboard.