Arnar Erwin Gunnarsson IM

Overview

Arnar Erwin Gunnarsson (Xtrmntr78) is an International Master who plays like someone who thinks three moves ahead — and occasionally five moves behind. A fierce competitor online, Arnar is best known for explosive tactical play in fast time controls and a surprising fondness for long, slow Daily games (Preferred time control: Daily).

• Title: International Master
• Username: Xtrmntr78
• Preferred time control: Daily

Career highlights

Arnar’s career is equal parts marathon and sprint. He has climbed to eye-catching peaks in blitz and bullet, often switching gears between hyper-aggressive openings and grinding endgames that last longer than a coffee break.

• Peak blitz performance: 2953 (2025-12-11) — a point many opponents remember the next morning.
• Notable streaks: longest winning streak of 22 games; longest losing streak of 16 games (nobody’s perfect, except maybe his opening prep).
• Strong online presence across Blitz, Bullet and Rapid with thousands of games logged — experience that shows in both tactics and resilience.

Playing style & statistics

Arnar blends tactical daring with endgame persistence. Expect sharp middlegames and long average game lengths — he likes to let the position simmer.

• Endgame frequency: high — Arnar reaches endgames often and knows how to make them hurt (EndgameFrequency: 84.66%).
• Average moves: wins ~73 moves, losses ~78 moves — not the sort to resign early (Early resignation rate is low).
• Comeback specialist: strong comeback rate — opponents beware after a slip (ComebackRate: 84.85%).
• Time-of-day edge: best at midday (around 12:00) and shows solid win rates in the late morning and early afternoon hours.
• Online record highlights: massive game volume and a nearly even Blitz Win/Loss record that underlines how often Arnar takes on top opposition.

Openings and repertoire

Arnar favours English-style systems and a delightful fondness for the Elephant Gambit when the chaos meter needs raising. He mixes rare sidelines with principled play to keep opponents uncomfortable.

• Signature/most-played: Elephant Gambit — prolific and effective in rapid skirmishes.
• Reliable choices: English Opening (including Mikenas-Carls and Four Knights systems), Dutch Defense experiments, and occasional Amar Gambit injections.
• Daily games: a chance to try offbeat lines like the Barnes Defense or specialized Sicilian setups.

Notable opponents & rivalries

Arnar has developed mini-rivalries with a handful of frequent opponents online; these are the names that pop up in his history most often.

• zzww18 — 304 games (a long-running scoreboard soap opera): Pieter Heesters
• benecyrill — 301 games; many epic battles: Anselm Wagner
• never_walk_alone — 248 games; classic tactical duels: Never_walk_alone

Example game (illustration)

A short sample to give a feel for Arnar’s handling of the English-style opening and early central fights:

(Use the viewer above to step through this illustrative mini-game.)

Personality & anecdotes

Friends describe Arnar as equal parts fierce competitor and charming trash-talker — usually with a smile. He’s the kind of player who will play an offbeat opening to make the chat window more interesting, then grind you down for 80 moves.

• Best time to challenge him: midday — he’s sharp and surprisingly polite before move 40.
• Table talk: may send a single, cryptic emoji after a brilliant tactic.
• Practice philosophy: “Play a lot, laugh at blunders, learn faster.”

Quick facts & placeholders

• Preferred Time Control: Daily (long games, deeper ideas)
• International Master — enjoys both speed chess and slow brews of positional wins
• Peak blitz rating tracker: 2953 (2025-12-11)
• Snapshot chart of recent blitz form:
• Try these opening terms in study: Elephant Gambit, English Opening