The Bullet Machine
Cayetano, better known online as Tanov78, is a chess player who treats the bullet clock as a close friend. After a quiet start in 2016, he discovered bullet in 2020 and never looked back. His rating graph tells the story of a player who climbs from just 947 bullet points in April 2020 to a stunning peak of 2510 (2026-06-16) in June 2026. That climb was not a straight line. It was a mountain range built from thousands of mouse clicks, flag falls, and barely legal moves.
With more than 88,000 rated bullet games to his name, Cayetano has effectively made the one minute game his full time job. His win total in bullet alone exceeds the entire career game counts of most online players.
Opening Repertoire
Cayetano is not shy with the white pieces. He leans heavily on the English Opening, building slow positional pressure at ridiculous speed. When he wants chaos, he reaches for the Amar Gambit, and with black he often answers 1.d4 with the Czech Defense. His repertoire is a mix of tried and true setups and offbeat surprises, which makes him very uncomfortable to prepare against.
The stats confirm a practical fighter. His win rate in the English Opening is consistently positive, and he has racked up thousands of games in the Amar Gambit without losing his enthusiasm for it. He plays the board, not the reputation.
Rivalries and Battles
No opponent defined Cayetano's online journey more than iamcreamchess. They faced each other 474 times, with Cayetano winning 233, losing 195, and sharing 46 draws. That rivalry alone is a full bullet career. He also waged wars with HustlatheGreat across 408 games and themightygopher across 315 games. These repeat battles created a deep mutual understanding, even at speeds where understanding mostly means guessing faster.
A Marathon in Bullet Clothing
Despite the rapid time control, Cayetano plays surprisingly long games. His wins average around 92 moves and his losses around 97 moves. He reaches the endgame in more than 93 percent of his games, which is extremely rare for bullet. This is a player who enjoys the struggle even when the clock is screaming.
- Longest winning streak: 18 games
- Longest losing streak: 15 games
- Comeback rate: nearly 90 percent
- Best time of day to play: 12:00
Cayetano is not easily discouraged. He has won more than 35,000 bullet games on time alone, proving that he understands the true art of the bullet player: making the opponent run out of clock while your own flag somehow survives.
The Tanov78 Experience
To face Cayetano is to accept a simple truth. The game may end in a checkmate, a resignation, or a timeout, but it will always be a fight. He has a tilt factor of 15, yet he keeps coming back. He wins about 51 percent of games with white and 49 percent with black, numbers that reflect a genuine all rounder.
In a world where many players specialize in one opening or one style, Cayetano has built his chess life around volume, resilience, and a deep love for the bullet board. His profile is a monument to the internet chess grind.