Luciano Justi Antunes (th3d4rkness)
Meet Luciano Justi Antunes, a National Master who has mastered more than just the chessboard — they're also a charismatic streamer, sharing their chess journey with the world. With a keen tactical eye and a knack for comebacks, Luciano doesn't just play chess; they perform it.
Chess Career Highlights
- Title: National Master (awarded by National)
- Peak Ratings:
- Daily: 1800 (early 2024)
- Blitz: 2318 (November 2024)
- Rapid: 2334 (April 2022)
- Bullet: 2140 (August 2022)
- Noteworthy Openings: Luciano shows exceptional love for Sicilian Defense variations, especially the Open Pelikan and Sveshnikov variations where they maintain about a 50-55% win rate in Blitz. Also, the Trompowsky Attack and Queens Pawn Opening make frequent appearances, showing their versatile opening repertoire.
- Playing Style: With an average of around 72 moves for a win and nearly 76 moves in losses, Luciano is clearly in no rush to checkmate or resign — they're in it for the long strategic battle. They also sport a decent White win rate (54.79%) and black is no walk in the park either with a 50.6% win rate.
Streamer and Strategist
When Luciano isn’t streaming their next awesome win (or dramatic loss), they’re busy plotting comebacks — boasting an impressive 81.5% comeback rate after facing adversity. Their endgames are frequent and intense, with over 78% of games reaching this stage. Despite the drama, they keep tilt at bay with a Tilt Factor of just 13 (yes, that’s pretty chill for a competitive chess player!), and their best time to wreak havoc on the board is around 11 AM. Early birds get the bishop, after all!
Recent Success
On May 15, 2025, Luciano dazzled their followers with a stunning win featuring the French Defense Tarrasch Variation, sealing the deal by resignation against a tough opponent. The name "th3d4rkness" echoed once again as a force to be reckoned with on Chess.com.
Fun Facts
- Longest winning streak: 16 games. That’s nearly a fortnight of pure chess domination!
- Most played opponent: bruscato (102 clashes). Rivalry or friendship? Only the pawns know.
- Luciano’s favorite playing hours include a surprising 11 AM peak with a 73.7% win rate — maybe breakfast really is the most important meal of the day!
Whether streaming or battling through complex blitz rounds, Luciano Justi Antunes proves that chess isn't just a game—it's a lifestyle. And if you ever face them over the board, beware: there's a good chance you're about to be outmaneuvered by th3d4rkness!
What You're Doing Well
Luciano, your recent games show several strong points in your bullet play:
- You demonstrate good attacking instincts, particularly with sharp moves leading to checkmates, as highlighted in your wins.
- Your opening repertoire includes a solid mix with decent results, especially in the Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation (over 70% win rate) and the Amazon Attack variation (80% win rate).
- You maintain good time management, which is crucial in bullet games. You manage to use your time effectively to press advantages and complete complex tactics.
- Your 6-month upward rating trend and positive slope indicate consistent improvement over recent months, showing growth potential.
Areas for Improvement
To continue improving and boost your performance in bullet games, consider focusing on these areas:
- Handling Pressure in Critical Positions: Review your losses to identify moments where the opponent exploited tactical or positional weaknesses. For example, in your recent loss, watch how important it was to anticipate threats near your king and maintain defensive coordination.
- Opening Preparation: While you have solid results in some openings, certain defenses like the Dory Defense have been more challenging (0% win rate). You might want to either avoid these lines or spend more time studying them to avoid early disadvantages.
- Endgame Technique: Bullet games demand rapid evaluation of endgame positions. Strengthening your basics here will help convert advantages more reliably and avoid sudden turnarounds by opponents.
- Positional Play and Pawn Structure: Your recent victories involve active piece play and tactics, but improving understanding of pawn breaks and positional nuances can reduce losses in more strategic games.
- Consistent Practice on Weak Openings: Focus on openings with a lower than 50% win rate, like the French Defense (~20% win rate) and anti-Sveshnikov lines. Preparing plans and key moves can reduce unexpected losses.
Next Steps for Improvement
Here are some actionable steps you can take:
- Analyze your recent games deeply, focusing especially on the moments before losing positions to learn the critical mistakes.
- Watch instructional content on the openings where you perform less well and try to understand common plans and themes.
- Practice basic tactical motifs daily to enhance your ability to catch opponent threats and create your own tactical shots rapidly.
- Play longer time controls occasionally to get practice in complex positions without severe time pressure. This will improve your strategic decision-making.
- Work on your endgame fundamentals, especially rook endings and basic mating patterns, to capitalize on opportunities.
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Recent Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| AlpacaCheck | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| bogoljub54 | 2W / 0L / 0D | |
| Jorge A González Rodríguez | 11W / 8L / 1D | |
| likeablewolf | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| huansohnius | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| periodic78 | 0W / 0L / 1D | |
| karengrigiryan | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| davoodpourali58 | 1W / 2L / 0D | |
| dr_silver_fox | 0W / 1L / 0D | |
| attractorstrange | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bruscato | 61W / 32L / 8D | |
| gameoverbrow | 22W / 11L / 1D | |
| ch3 | 19W / 12L / 1D | |
| Krikor Sevag Mekhitarian | 5W / 19L / 4D | |
| beckermammarcelo | 17W / 10L / 0D | |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2321 | 2199 | 1730 | |
| 2024 | 2016 | 2258 | 2187 | 1583 |
| 2023 | 1991 | 2142 | 2146 | |
| 2022 | 2065 | 2059 | 2151 | 1497 |
| 2021 | 2034 | 2036 | 1570 | |
| 2020 | 1979 | 2050 | 1964 | 1528 |
| 2019 | 1583 | 1984 | 1821 | 1184 |
| 2018 | 1994 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 243W / 219L / 35D | 213W / 233L / 48D | 75.4 |
| 2024 | 761W / 613L / 128D | 718W / 674L / 123D | 77.3 |
| 2023 | 336W / 224L / 34D | 284W / 251L / 50D | 79.6 |
| 2022 | 504W / 309L / 68D | 497W / 310L / 75D | 79.4 |
| 2021 | 449W / 302L / 60D | 426W / 340L / 58D | 75.2 |
| 2020 | 1012W / 648L / 89D | 880W / 771L / 119D | 74.1 |
| 2019 | 515W / 362L / 54D | 500W / 403L / 42D | 72.6 |
| 2018 | 7W / 1L / 0D | 4W / 3L / 0D | 77.2 |
Openings: Most Played
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sicilian Defense: Closed | 926 | 443 | 422 | 61 | 47.8% |
| Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation, Cobra Variation | 841 | 430 | 344 | 67 | 51.1% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 520 | 297 | 185 | 38 | 57.1% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 493 | 253 | 216 | 24 | 51.3% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation | 444 | 211 | 196 | 37 | 47.5% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line | 367 | 206 | 142 | 19 | 56.1% |
| Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack, Fianchetto Variation | 323 | 164 | 146 | 13 | 50.8% |
| Sicilian Defense | 320 | 184 | 114 | 22 | 57.5% |
| French Defense | 273 | 146 | 107 | 20 | 53.5% |
| Budapest: 3...Ng4 4.e3 | 268 | 111 | 139 | 18 | 41.4% |
| Daily Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Sicilian Defense | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 77.8% |
| Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation, Cobra Variation | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 77.8% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 57.1% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 71.4% |
| Australian Defense | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack, Fianchetto Variation | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 60.0% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 80.0% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 93 | 57 | 28 | 8 | 61.3% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 67 | 44 | 16 | 7 | 65.7% |
| Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation, Cobra Variation | 62 | 30 | 21 | 11 | 48.4% |
| Scotch Game | 58 | 48 | 5 | 5 | 82.8% |
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 46 | 40 | 3 | 3 | 87.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line | 44 | 24 | 16 | 4 | 54.5% |
| Sicilian Defense | 42 | 27 | 15 | 0 | 64.3% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation | 38 | 22 | 10 | 6 | 57.9% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed | 37 | 19 | 16 | 2 | 51.4% |
| Blackburne Shilling Gambit | 36 | 28 | 6 | 2 | 77.8% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation, Cobra Variation | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 71.4% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 40.0% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 80.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 40.0% |
| French Defense | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 20.0% |
| Unknown | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Döry Defense | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Sicilian Defense | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Czech Defense | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.7% |
| Alekhine Defense | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.7% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 16 | 1 |
| Losing | 13 | 0 |