Overview — UnhappyDefender, Candidate Master
UnhappyDefender is a FIDE-titled Candidate Master and a prolific online chess competitor known for a relentless Bullet clock and a dry sense of humor. A self-styled “defensive pessimist,” this player often defends like the world is ending — and then counters like it’s their day job. Preferred time control: Bullet.
Across formats UnhappyDefender has logged over 3,200 rated games online and climbed to notable peaks late in 2025 (see peak stats below). Expect fast decisions, stubborn endgames and a surprising comeback rate when the chips are down.
Peak ratings: 2504 (2025-10-03) • 2583 (2025-10-21) • (also strong at Rapid).
Career highlights & milestones
- Earned the Candidate Master title from FIDE — a formal nod to consistent strength and tournament success.
- Massive experience in Bullet chess, with hundreds of games per year and sustained peaks in 2024–2025.
- Longest winning streak: 17 games; longest losing streak: 8 games. Currently on a short 2-game losing run and plotting a comeback.
- Known for dramatic comebacks — a 77.41% comeback rate after falling behind.
- Popular online rivalries include many matches vs. EinPassaaaaaaant (most-played opponent).
Playing style, tactics & habits
UnhappyDefender blends stubborn defense with tactical opportunism. Games often go deep (average decisive game length well into the 60s–70s moves), reflecting a preference to outplay opponents in long, practical endgames.
- Strengths: Exceptional comeback ability and a high win rate after losing material (56.89%).
- Endgame-focused: Endgame frequency is high (about 67%), and many wins are squeezed out late.
- Psychology: TiltFactor 8 — try not to bait them into time trouble unless you like fireworks.
- Best time to play them: oddly, they perform best very late — around 02:00 according to their logs.
- Early resignation rate is low for a fast player (~5.6%), meaning they fight to the last pawn.
Favorite openings & repertoire
True to the username, UnhappyDefender often fields solid and provocative defenses. They are comfortable both serenely defensive and explosively tactical depending on the clock.
- Bullet favorites: Alekhine Defense, Caro-Kann Defense, Sicilian and a cheeky “Unknown Opening*” repertoire that keeps opponents guessing.
- Blitz & Rapid staples: Caro-Kann, Sicilian (Closed lines and Alapin), and the Amazon Attack — all showing strong win rates in fast play.
- Notable: exceptional Caro-Kann results in Rapid (win rate listed at 85% in several sample months), and an Amazon Attack success rate of over 85% in Blitz sample sets.
Streaks, scheduling & what to expect in a match
- Streaks to watch: 17-game peak hot streak; be wary if they’ve been winning — they can go cold too (max losing streak 8).
- Time-of-day edge: highest win-per-hour clusters in late morning and early morning hours; best single-hour performance listed at 02:00.
- Game tempo: in Bullet expect quick practical decisions and muscle memory openings; in Blitz/Rapid games they’re more methodical and endgame-oriented.
Sample game (capture the vibe)
Here’s a short illustrative sequence showing the classical maneuvering that often defines UnhappyDefender’s games. Load and replay the moves:
Fun facts & curiosities
- Nickname irony: “UnhappyDefender” frequently wins by counterpunching — the name is less self-fulfilling prophecy than a challenge flag.
- Volume machine: roughly 1,400+ Bullet games and similar counts in Blitz — an enormous live training ground.
- Notable quirks: many wins vs. one particularly common opponent, EinPassaaaaaaant, creating a mini-legend in their match history.
- SEO-friendly keywords you might search: Candidate Master, Bullet specialist, Alekhine, Caro-Kann, Sicilian, online chess strategist.
Quick summary
Nice cluster of games — you’re comfortable in sharp, unbalanced positions and you convert tactical chances quickly. A few recurring patterns cost you losses (kingside pawn storms and back‑rank / mating nets). Below are focused, practical fixes you can apply right away in bullet.
Games to review
Start with the mate game vs EinPassaaaaaaant — it shows the main problem clearly (your king left exposed while the opponent’s passed pawn/promotions and queen checks crushed you). Open it in the mini viewer below and replay the key sequence from move 16 onward.
- Live opponent: EinPassaaaaaaant
- Opening to note: East
- Interactive replay:
What you’re doing well
- You punish overambitious pawn pushes (the early g4/h4 storms from opponents) — your tactical reactions to capture and then reclaim initiative are strong.
- You convert material and create decisive threats quickly once you gain the initiative — good instincts for simplification when ahead.
- Your opening choices produce asymmetrical positions where you thrive — keep those lines in your toolkit in bullet.
Recurring issues & immediate fixes
- King safety after pawn captures: when you capture on g4 (or when the opponent opens the h‑file), check: can your king be chased with checks or does the opponent have a quick queen infiltration? If yes, trade queens or keep a blocking pawn/knight available before grabbing material.
- Allowing a passed pawn to run: in longer games you let a pawn storm promote — identify and block passed pawn routes early (use a king or rook to blockade; don’t race pawns if you can stop promotion cheaply).
- Back‑rank & mating nets: many bullet mates come from back‑rank or repeated checks. Give your king luft (a quick pawn move or knight lift) and avoid lining up rooks on the 1st/8th rank without escape squares.
- Passive piece placement: you sometimes retreat into cramped positions (bishops stuck, rooks inactive). When under attack pick one active plan: trade an attacking piece, or reroute a piece to the kingside to help defend.
- Premoves & time play: use pre-moves only in forced recaptures or obvious replies. In chaotic positions (attacks/promotions) slow down one extra click — the saving move often appears in that second of thought.
Concrete training plan (7 days)
- Days 1–3 (10–15 min): tactical puzzles focused on mating nets, forks and back‑rank scenarios. Aim for pattern recognition, not just speed.
- Days 4–5 (10 min): quick endgame drills — king & pawn promotion defense and rook+king vs lone king basics. Practice blocking passed pawns.
- Days 6–7 (15–20 min): play 5–10 rapid (3+0) games focusing on one objective: king safety or active rooks. After each game, note one move that changed the evaluation and why.
Bullet‑specific checklist (in-game)
- Before capturing a pawn that opens a file toward your king, ask: “Does this create checks or a queen route?” If yes, don’t take it yet.
- When opponent pushes h/g pawns, consider timely trades (queen or minor piece) to reduce attacking potential.
- Keep a square for king escape (create luft) whenever possible — one pawn move is cheap insurance.
- Use premoves for obvious recaptures only. Avoid auto‑premoves when the position can change with one check or intermediate move.
Next steps I can help with
- I can annotate that loss move‑by‑move if you want — say “annotate loss” and I’ll mark critical mistakes and alternatives.
- If you want, I’ll build a 30‑day drill plan tailored to your opening preferences and the specific tactical patterns you’re facing.
- Want a short video‑style explanation? Ask for “coach voice notes” and I’ll produce a tight, 3–5 minute step plan you can follow during practice.
Parting note
You already have strong instincts and convert well — tighten king safety and pass‑pawn defense and your bullet losses will drop quickly. If you want, tell me which game (win/loss/draw) to deep‑annotate and I’ll do a move‑by‑move coach review.
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Recent Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| konsky-handlir | 0W / 1L / 0D | View |
| abobkr02 | 0W / 1L / 0D | View |
| 88cm | 1W / 1L / 0D | View |
| Benjamin Tereick | 0W / 1L / 0D | View |
| stankovicivan | 0W / 1L / 0D | View |
| Matthieu Saint-Guily | 2W / 0L / 0D | View |
| axthoz | 1W / 0L / 0D | View |
| cabflores | 0W / 1L / 0D | View |
| zadymka_fiufiu | 1W / 0L / 0D | View |
| Vladimir Petkov | 1W / 0L / 0D | View |
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| EinPassaaaaaaant | 37W / 27L / 5D | View Games |
| ottakringer_basilisk | 8W / 10L / 2D | View Games |
| Volen Dyulgerov | 4W / 6L / 1D | View Games |
| blackmagic00 | 9W / 1L / 0D | View Games |
| wiseking_08 | 2W / 3L / 3D | View Games |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2504 | 2504 | 2504 | |
| 2024 | 2320 | 2303 | 2328 | |
| 2023 | 2136 | 2204 | 2168 | |
| 2022 | 1776 | 1697 | 1760 | |
| 2021 | 1425 | 1385 | 1675 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 202W / 117L / 30D | 185W / 132L / 32D | 77.5 |
| 2024 | 499W / 248L / 57D | 474W / 292L / 29D | 63.5 |
| 2023 | 267W / 127L / 18D | 232W / 159L / 16D | 71.4 |
| 2022 | 35W / 16L / 0D | 33W / 21L / 1D | 63.4 |
| 2021 | 15W / 2L / 1D | 10W / 6L / 0D | 57.7 |
Openings: Most Played
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line | 37 | 22 | 15 | 0 | 59.5% |
| Alekhine Defense | 28 | 19 | 9 | 0 | 67.9% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 59.1% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 20 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 85.0% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 66.7% |
| Hungarian Opening: Wiedenhagen-Beta Gambit | 15 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 46.7% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Sherzer Variation | 14 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 71.4% |
| Sicilian Defense | 14 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 71.4% |
| Catalan Opening: Open Defense | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 57.1% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 13 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 53.9% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alekhine Defense | 157 | 86 | 63 | 8 | 54.8% |
| Unknown Opening* | 102 | 72 | 27 | 3 | 70.6% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 74 | 43 | 30 | 1 | 58.1% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 71 | 45 | 22 | 4 | 63.4% |
| Amar Gambit | 42 | 28 | 12 | 2 | 66.7% |
| Barnes Defense | 35 | 19 | 13 | 3 | 54.3% |
| Sicilian Defense | 35 | 23 | 11 | 1 | 65.7% |
| Australian Defense | 35 | 19 | 14 | 2 | 54.3% |
| French Defense | 35 | 24 | 9 | 2 | 68.6% |
| Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation | 34 | 16 | 18 | 0 | 47.1% |
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alekhine Defense | 155 | 88 | 60 | 7 | 56.8% |
| Unknown | 130 | 82 | 48 | 0 | 63.1% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 70 | 43 | 22 | 5 | 61.4% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line | 61 | 40 | 19 | 2 | 65.6% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation | 36 | 24 | 11 | 1 | 66.7% |
| Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Accelerated Dragon | 35 | 24 | 6 | 5 | 68.6% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 27 | 23 | 4 | 0 | 85.2% |
| French Defense | 25 | 15 | 8 | 2 | 60.0% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 25 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 52.0% |
| Czech Defense | 23 | 16 | 7 | 0 | 69.6% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 17 | 0 |
| Losing | 8 | 2 |