Bullet First, Questions Later
Meet Tosh, a chess player who posts under the name ToshQueen and treats a chess clock like a toy. Tosh arrived online in mid-2021, started in Bullet with a 700 rating, and immediately decided the best way to learn was to play about 112 bullet games in a single August. That month alone pushed the rating from 700 to 1,378, and by September the same number had flickered close to the low 1800s.
Bullet remains the preferred habitat, but Tosh did not stop there. A 2025 run in Rapid produced a career high 2019 (2025-12-06), while the earlier bullet record earned its own badge at 1875 (2023-04-20). If there is a recurring Tosh trait, it is this: never let a lichess clock go unused.
The Repertoire
The opening book is not complicated to describe. As white, almost every path begins with 1.e4. As black, the Sicilian Defense is a favorite, and Tosh has repeated the Najdorf Variation often enough to earn a personal welcome mat at the board.
- Against 1.e4: The Sicilian Defense is the main event, with the Najdorf as the local favorite. A typical invitation:
- As White: The Caro-Kann Defense and Scandinavian Defense appear over and over. These are not rare surprises; they are loyal travel companions.
- Spinal opponents: The Amar Gambit has been the source of many late-night puzzles. Tosh meets it with curiosity, loud quickplay and mixed results.
The Public List
Some players collect trophies; Tosh collects rivalries. The leaderboard of the most frequent opponents reads like a chapter of chess fan-fiction:
- Noé Oudar appears 89 times and has the upper hand, with a 61 to 26 record across the series.
- 0zra is the sunnier side of the diagram; Tosh leads that series 32 to 18.
- Przemysław Kindler has claimed 37 wins in 40 meetings, which should be called a learning after many sessions. Tosh keeps coming back anyway, and that has its own heroics.
Tosh's streak collection is a famous roller coaster: a 12-game winning streak, a 17-game losing streak, and the heart to queue up immediately after both.
What the Scoresheet Says
On a chessboard made only of bullet clocks, Tosh does not resign early. The early resignation rate is tiny and endgame-heavy games are the regular diet. The queen is the most common piece used to check, which fits someone who lives on the fast lane and enjoys a slow win.
There is also a comeback quality hidden in the lines: after losing a piece or falling behind, Tosh's win chances somehow remain alive. If the opponent gets the first check, the numbers drop; if Tosh lands the first check, the win rate, on the other hand, is noticeably healthier.
The scouting report is simple: play the Sicilian if they will let me; do not feed the 2 A.M. tournament; and always keep a spare board in the living room. Tosh has been playing long enough to prove that bullet is not just a speed, it is the endgame of one very active chess life.