Samuel Rico Jiménez: The Pirc Defense Prodigy
Meet Samuel Rico Jiménez, aka So_Fan, a chess enthusiast who has danced with the Pirc Defense so much it’s practically his second language. With a peak blitz rating soaring to 2380 in August 2019, Samuel has battled countless opponents with the fierceness of a knight charging into battle... sometimes winning, occasionally stumbling, but always with flair.
Starting his online journey around 2017, Samuel quickly showed a penchant for rapid-fire fun on the chessboard, preferring the adrenaline-pumping Bullet format, where he achieved a peak rating of 2174. When not blitzing, he’s no slouch in classical forms either—his Rapid peak rating nudged close to 2000, proving he can play both fast and thoughtfully (though, rumor has it, his lucky time to play is the mysterious 3 AM, when zombies and grandmasters alike are equally vulnerable).
Playing Style & Tactics
Samuel’s chess style is a mix of patience and tactical flare. He’s known to savor the endgame, diving deep with an endgame frequency of 72%, and battles often last around 70 moves—enough time to make a cup of coffee and then check if the opponent’s still paying attention. His comeback rate is an astonishing 88.15%, proving he’s not one to throw in the towel early—unless that towel is a mouse slip or a timeout.
White pieces or black, Samuel plays with steady aggression: a 49.3% win rate with White and close behind with Black at 46%. His preferred weapon? The Pirc Defense Maroczy Defense, where he’s played hundreds of blitz games and maintained a respectable win rate around 48.7%. When that’s not on the board, he flirts with the French Defense Knight Variation Wing Gambit and the Four Knights Game—because variety is the spice of chess life!
Memorable Moments & Records
Ranking among his favorites are a few rivals he’s repeatedly faced with mixed results. His showdown against aromera is almost legendary: 92 games with a win rate of just over 70%—talk about a love-hate relationship! Other frequent foes include dforcen and mubuf, ensuring no two games are ever quite alike.
True to his bullet speed demon status, Samuel's most recent win featured a decisive victory by time forfeit—demonstrating that sometimes simply outlasting your oppponent can be just as effective as a queen sacrifice. And if you watch closely, you might catch his strategic use of the Closed Sicilian Defense, his sneaky ace in the hole.
Off the Board
When not contemplating complex positions, Samuel might be found pondering life's deeper questions, such as “Why did my knight just get forked?” or “Should I resign now or in five moves?” Luckily, his early resignation rate is a humble 1.58%, so he prefers to wrangle opponents for as long as possible.
With a tilt factor of 10 and a strange affection for the wee hours of the morning, Samuel proves that chess mastery and sleep deprivation often go hand in hand. Whether he's charming opponents with his blitz or tricky openings, Samuel Rico Jiménez brings passion (and maybe a caffeine buzz) to every game.
Featured Game
1. e4 g6 2. Nf3 Bg7 3. c3 d6 4. Bd3 Nf6 5. O-O O-O 6. Bc2 c5 7. d4 Nc6 8. d5 Nb8 9. h4 e6 10. dxe6 Bxe6 11. Nbd2 Nc6 12. Ng5 Re8 13. Nxe6 Rxe6 14. Bb3 Re7 15. f3 Qc7 16. Nc4 Rd8 17. Ne3 Na5 18. Bd5 Bh6 19. Qa4 a6 20. Bxf7+ Rxf7 21. Nd5 Nxd5 22. Bxh6 Nf4 23. Bxf4 Rxf4 24. b4 Nc4 25. Qb3 b5 26. a4 cxb4 27. axb5 axb5 28. Qxb4 Qc5+ 29. Qxc5 dxc5 30. Rad1 Rxd1 31. Rxd1 Rf8 32. Kf2 Rb8 33. Rd5 Rc8 34. Ke2 Kf7 35. Kd3 Ke6 36. f4 Nd6 37. g4 b4 38. f5+ gxf5 39. gxf5+ Ke7 40. c4 b3 41. e5 Nxf5 42. Kc3 Rb8 43. Rxc5 b2 44. Rc7+ Ke6 45. Rc6+ Kxe5 46. Rc5+ Ke6 47. Rc6+ Kd7 48. Rc5 b1=Q 49. Rd5+ Ke7 50. Re5+ Kf6 51. Rxf5+ Qxf5 52. Kd4 Rd8+ 53. Kc3 Qd3+ 54. Kb4 Rc8 55. c5 1-0