Stephane Mayer

Stephane Mayer - The Tenacious Top Secret Maestro

Chess.com’s very own stephanemayer is a player whose rating history reads like a rollercoaster designed by a chess fanatic with a thirst for improvement and more than a pinch of stubbornness.

Starting modestly in 2021 with a rapid rating barely breaking 800, Stephane has steadily climbed, hitting a peak rapid rating of an impressive 1499 in August 2024. Not content with merely rapid chess, he has dabbled with blitz, bullet, and daily formats, showing a well-rounded hunger for all things 64 squares.

Playing Style

With an endgame frequency hovering around 60%, Stephane takes his time, grinding out wins with an average of about 60 moves per game, no matter if it’s victory or defeat. He’s no quitter either, with a comeback rate pushing an admirable 75.94%—the guy just doesn't know when to fold!

He shows a healthy dose of pragmatism: a 2.3% early resignation rate means Stephane knows when to fight and when to rethink. His win rate from the white side is a confident 51.9%, just edging out black play at 48.1%, proving that he enjoys seizing the initiative.

Opening Repertoire

True to a secretive and strategic soul, Stephane relies heavily on the intriguing "Top Secret" opening, playing it over 2600 games rapid mode with a steady 50.5% win rate. When feeling classical, he cracks open the Italian Game or dives into the Sicilian and Caro-Kann defenses—his trusted openings to outwit opponents.

Psychological and Tactical Edge

With a tilt factor rated at just 11, Stephane has a poker face for sure. Although he knows how to bounce back from adversity (winning nearly 76% of his comeback chances), winning after losing a piece holds him steady at about 47%. Even when the chips are down, this player grinds his way back into contention.

Recent Battles

Fresh from the battlefield, Stephane sealed a classy victory with the Evans Gambit Declined—a game immortalized by relentless pressure and culminating in a clean resignation from his opponent.

Of course, this valiant warrior has tasted defeat too. His latest stumble was a timed loss against e_rogue in a Nimzowitsch variation, reminding us that even champions have off days.

Fun Facts

• Longest winning streak: a hearty 10 games. Clearly, when Stephane gets going, watch out!
• He’s a night owl with a strategic edge—his best time of day to play is surprisingly around 10:00 AM, so mornings are for chess domination, apparently.
• Stephane battles over 3,000 blitz games and more than 2,600 rapid games—if chess were a marathon, this guy is already at the finish line, gulping water and planning the next race.

In short, Stephane Mayer is the archetype of a dedicated chess enthusiast: a player who mixes classical wisdom with a dash of daring, who loves the scientific mystery of the "Top Secret" opening, and who wasn’t born to quit. The chessboard better watch out because stephanemayer plays on!