ismail Kubrick

Ismail Kubrick (aka Sum3h) - The Gambit Guru with a Twist

Meet Ismail Kubrick, the chess enthusiast whose rating graph looks more like a roller coaster than a mountain range. Known online as Sum3h, he embraces the chaos of the game with a style that’s part daring, part unpredictability, and 100% fun.

Rapid Fire Reality

Ismail’s journey through rapid chess is nothing short of legendary — with a peak rating of 635 in early 2025, he’s shown the ability to scale impressive heights, only to tumble down and climb again. Playing almost 600 rapid games in 2025 with a modest win-to-loss ratio (268 wins to 257 losses) and 67 draws, he’s familiar with both sweet victory and bitter defeat. To put it lightly: victory tastes great, but Ismail knows the value of losing... often spectacularly.

Blitz and Bullet: Speed Demon Mode

When the clock ticks faster, Ismail’s spirit remains untamed. His blitz peak rating hovers just over 200 and bullet rating hits an eye-popping 800, but the win counts tell a story of relentless enthusiasm with, shall we say, "interesting" results. In bullet, all 7 games end in losses — because every speedster needs a challenge, right?

Opening Tactics — The “Top Secret” Repertoire

Ismail prefers mystery. His most played opening is intriguingly labeled Top Secret in rapid, spanning nearly 400 games. His success rates vary wildly: under 43% overall but with a fiery preference for the Van t Kruijs Opening where he boasts nearly 58% wins. He’s also a fan of mixing it up with the French Defense Exchange Variation and the trusty Queens Pawn Opening Zukertort Variation, where his win rate climbs to an enviable 67%.

Playing Style: The Art of Drama

Average moves per win hover around 64 – a hint that Ismail loves the long, gritty battles. His games frequently reach the endgame (almost 61% of the time), and he has a comeback rate of a remarkable 69%, making him the master of “wait for it… and then BAM!” moments.

But beware — he has an early resignation rate close to 8%, because sometimes it’s just more entertaining to bow out theatrically. His tilt factor at 8 suggests that emotional rollercoasters are part of the package, and his best time to pounce on unsuspecting opponents? The crack of dawn at 5 AM — when the world is sleepy, but Sum3h’s tactical awareness is sharpest.

Perfect Timing & Peculiar Patterns

Tuesday seems to be his lucky day with a win rate just above 50%. Late-night to early-morning hours (5 AM to 7 AM) see the highest winning percentages — so if you want to catch him off guard, don't challenge him with a coffee less than a half hour old!

Recent Battles: Victory & Defeat

In his last rapid victory, Ismail (White) executed a beautiful game against Machrone using the Caro-Kann Defense Exchange Variation, closing out with confident pawn pushes and a classic flank attack. Yet, just a few minutes later, fate flipped as he succumbed to a checkmate from CandyTaker1 in a tense game where defense was the name of the game but luck was not on his side.

This dynamic of rapid strikes and dramatic losses perfectly encapsulates the essence of Ismail Kubrick's playstyle: bold, unpredictable, and never boring.

In Conclusion

Ismail Kubrick aka Sum3h is a player who embodies the spirit of chess as a dance between triumph and humiliation, intellect and whimsy. Whether storming the board at dawn or grappling with the complexities of the “Top Secret” opening, he’s a legend in his own right — not because he dominates every game, but because every game he plays tells a story worth listening to.

Play against him at your own risk. And prepare to have fun.