Reem Sherman: The Sherman Variation
Who Is Reem Sherman?
Reem Sherman, known online as The_Sherman_Variation, is a FIDE Master with a reputation for fearless attacking chess. She combines an open e4 repertoire with a stubborn refusal to go quietly in the endgame. While her online schedule is packed with blitz battles, her preferred time control is Rapid, where she has shown some of her cleanest and most efficient play.
Career Highlights
Sherman's rating graph is a story of steady climbing and explosive breakthroughs. In 2023 she played more than 2,000 blitz games, and by the summer of 2026 she touched a remarkable peak that would make many titled players jealous. Her longest winning streak stretched to 14 games, and her ability to bounce back is just as eye catching.
At her peak she reached 2906 (2026-07-26), and her Rapid play also surged when she gave it focus, with a strength adjusted win rate near 65 percent.
Playing Style
Sherman is an endgame grinder who also enjoys early tactics. Her games run long, often past move 80, and she is comfortable trading pieces into a heavy piece endgame. She plays 1.e4 almost exclusively as White, and as Black she is at home in the French Defense, the Caro-Kann Defense, and the Scotch Game.
Her resilience stands out. Her comeback rate is over 90 percent, meaning she rarely lets a lost position stay lost. She is also an aggressive checker. Opponents feel constant pressure from queen and rook checks, and Sherman wins more often when she is the first player to deliver a check.
Signature Repertoire
The username says it all. Sherman loves variations, especially in the French Defense. She plays the Advance, the Exchange, and deeper sidelines with real conviction. Her record with the Caro-Kann Defense is strong on both sides of the board, and she is not afraid to meet 1.e4 with the Blackburne Shilling Gambit when the mood strikes.
A typical Sherman game can start as the Two Knights Defense, a line she handles with sharp intentions rather than quiet development.
Rivalries
Nobody gets a free ride against Sherman. Her most frequent opponent, Vladimir Bilic, has faced her 31 times, and Sherman holds the edge. Sanjeev Mishra and Nebojsa Djordjevic have also played her nearly 30 times each, producing marathon series full of decisive results and few draws. Paul Szuper is another regular who keeps her honest in tight endings.
These rivalries helped shape her fighting style. She knows her regulars well, and she is always looking for one more variation to test against them.
Fun Facts and Quirks
- Her online handle is a joke about her surname and her love of named variations.
- Her stats suggest she is at her best around 1:00 AM, when other players are asleep and she is still calculating.
- She has a 90.6 percent comeback rate, which is a polite way of saying she never surrenders.
- Although she is a blitz machine, her Rapid results are unusually efficient, with more than 30 wins in just 39 games.