Introduction
Samu Ristoja, known online as weqo, is a National Master whose online chess identity is built on relentless Blitz activity. Since 2015, he has played thousands of fast games, peaking at a Blitz rating of 2534 (2023-09-12) in September 2023. His journey from a 1399 rating in his first recorded month to a 2534 peak shows a player who improved through volume, study, and an unmistakable love for the clock.
Style and Openings
Ristoja is a 1.e4 player at heart, though in recent years he has shifted toward 1.d4 and 1.c4. His opening repertoire is deeply rooted in the Sicilian Defense, especially the Closed and Taimanov variations, and he handles the Scandinavian Defense with confidence on both sides of the board. His most frequent weapon, the Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack, appears in over 400 games and has served as a reliable scoring system. He also enjoys the French Defense and the Döry Defense, showing a taste for solid yet combative structures.
Rivalries and Resilience
No biography of weqo would be complete without mentioning his long running battles. His most frequent opponent is Anna-Maria Botsari, with 68 games played and a nearly even score. Against other regulars like epolkovnikov and galumpher, he has positive records, while matches with sinisa75 have been tougher. Ristoja's resilience is remarkable: he has a comeback rate of 85.54% and a 47.61% win rate after losing a piece, meaning he rarely stops fighting. His longest winning streak reached 12 games, and even after a 13 game losing streak he returned stronger.
Legacy and Numbers
With more than 7,300 Blitz games, over 3,600 wins, and a strength adjusted win rate of nearly 50%, Samu Ristoja embodies the modern online National Master. His best time to play appears to be 04:00, and his win rate on Mondays is 53.82%. The chart below shows his rating climb across the years.
His opening performance by win rate is also telling: