Étienne a. - The Brave Tactical Adventurer
Étienne a., known in the chess world by the enigmatic handle sophte_22, is the kind of player who embraces the rollercoaster ride that is online chess. With a competitive spirit and a touch of comedy in their playstyle, Étienne has tangoed through peaks and valleys in ratings but always marches forward with a smile (even if their queen sometimes takes a sudden stroll off the board).
Rating Journey
Beginning with a modest rapid rating a few years back, around 666, Étienne steadily climbed the ladder, hitting a rapid peak of 769 in April 2021. After a dip (because what's life without a little challenge?), the rating rebounded to a commendable 606 as of mid-2025. Bullet and blitz enthusiasts will find Étienne's evolution equally interesting, boasting a bullet high of 651 and a blistering blitz peak at 679. Versatility? Check. Persistence? Double check.
Playing Styles & Preferences
If Étienne were a chess opening, they’d be an unpredictable mix of the King's Pawn Opening - Leonardis Variation and the Queen's Pawn Opening. Strong results in these lines demonstrate Étienne’s love for classical, positional play peppered with sharp tactics. With a cool 54.55% and 52.94% win rates in these openings (respectively in rapid), the strategy is clearly working.
But don’t let those stats fool you into thinking Étienne plays safe. They wield a sharp tactical knife: boasting an impressive 85% comeback rate after falling behind—because resigning early is for quitters, and this player fights to the very last pawn. Although the tilt factor of 8 hints at moments of frustration, these are brief and don’t define their character.
Fun Facts & Quirks
- Étienne prefers late-night battles—their best time? Midnight sharp! Apparently, the stars align better then for queen sacrifice opportunities.
- Known for an uncanny “Timeout survival instinct”, winning games even when the clock ticks down faster than their opponent's internet connection.
- Playing white or black, Étienne holds an almost balanced win rate (~49% as White, ~47% as Black), proving no side is left defenseless.
- In rapid games, they once won a thrilling 7-game streak but have also endured an 8-game losing streak – it’s all part of the excitement!
Memorable Game Highlight
One recent gem was a rapid game on May 30, 2025, where Étienne, playing Black against joshua_manullang, danced through the Kings Pawn Opening - Leonardis Variation. After temptingly grabbing a pawn on move 6 with Qxb7, Étienne turned defense into offense, ultimately winning by resignation on move 20. The final position was so convincing that even the opponent threw in the towel, probably wondering where their queen vanished to.
Community & Opponent Relations
Étienne has faced many challengers online, including well-known rivals like lowis_2 (with a gritty 37% win rate) and rusticsneeze (a balanced 50%). Their friendly yet competitive spirit makes matches fun clashes of wit and strategy. Maybe don’t let them rematch immediately after a loss—they have a sneaky way of turning tables!
In the grand tapestry of chess hustling, Étienne a. is the fearless tactician who may not always win easily, but sure knows how to make the journey memorable and full of drama, one move at a time.
