Zaven Cigdemoglu: The Relentless Chess Virtuoso
If chess were a battlefield, Zaven Cigdemoglu would be the general commanding legions with both charm and cunning. Starting out in 2008 with modest ratings navigating the Daily leagues, Zaven’s journey is nothing short of a rollercoaster ride — minus the safety bar but packed with strategic genius.
From a foundational rating flirting around 1100 to hitting rapid and blitz peaks well above 1900 and even dabbling in the fiery worlds of Bullet chess at 2000+, Zaven is a player who clearly prefers to keep opponents sweating at the clock. His playstyle combines patience with aggression, demonstrated by an Early Resignation Rate of just 2.54% and a penchant for long games averaging over 70 moves to victory. Clearly, he likes to savor his wins—like a fine wine aging on the board.
But Zaven is no one-trick pony: his openings repertoire is a kaleidoscope of famous defenses with an affection for the King’s Gambit Accepted (Bishop’s Gambit) boasting a whopping 73.7% win rate in Daily games, and solid Sicilian variations that keep enemies on their toes. His prowess is backed by a tactical awareness so sharp it borders on wizardry, with a 99.6% win rate after losing a piece and an astonishing 77.5% comeback rate. Underdog stories? Zaven crafts them regularly.
Psychological resilience is part of his toolkit too — an assertive Tilt Factor of 59 means he doesn’t easily crumble under pressure, instead rising phoenix-like after setbacks. It may not surprise you that Zaven’s biggest winning streak was an eye-popping 36 consecutive wins, proving that once he’s on a roll, it’s better to step back and watch from afar.
When does this chess warrior strike? Currently, late evenings between 18:00 and 22:00 see his sharpest performances, seizing victory with win rates climbing past 59%. Weekdays also favor his tactical exploits, particularly Fridays with a near-60% success rate—perfect timing for sneaking in some checkmating between weekends.
Memorable Victories and Defining Moments
Just recently, Zaven clinched a Daily victory with a graceful resignation win after a complex advance bayonet attack in the Caro-Kann Defense, showcasing his ability to outmaneuver with both precision and patience. Not one to back down, his live games boast impressive finishes, even sealing wins by checkmate against higher-rated opponents.
Summary
In short: Zaven Cigdemoglu is the chess player who proves that perseverance, a rich opening repertoire, and tactical genius can turn any game into a masterpiece. Whether plotting complex long-term strategies or executing sharp, killer combinations, this player radiates both passion and humor—he’s sure to give you a run for your pawns. Chess.com’s opponents take note: playing Zaven means stepping into the ring with a gladiator of the 64 squares.
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Recent Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| prsolans | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| pryingmantis | 1W / 3L / 0D | |
| gazzy74 | 0W / 1L / 0D | |
| bendgedig | 0W / 1L / 0D | |
| gordonogilvie | 3W / 0L / 1D | |
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| tugmen0972 | 103W / 61L / 20D | |
| shunsed | 125W / 15L / 12D | |
| bronztunc | 129W / 14L / 7D | |
| russellderecho | 42W / 49L / 15D | |
| prochessman10 | 54W / 22L / 11D | |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1602 | 1951 | 1495 | |
| 2024 | 1566 | 1805 | 1380 | |
| 2023 | 1534 | 1649 | 1867 | 1534 |
| 2022 | 1552 | 1593 | 1725 | 1624 |
| 2021 | 1530 | 1644 | 1756 | 1357 |
| 2020 | 1463 | 1710 | 1755 | 1769 |
| 2019 | 1438 | 1721 | 1031 | 1587 |
| 2018 | 1935 | 1531 | ||
| 2017 | 1831 | 1035 | 1392 | |
| 2016 | 1773 | 1574 | ||
| 2015 | 1719 | 1555 | ||
| 2014 | 1721 | 973 | 1547 | |
| 2013 | 1658 | 1284 | ||
| 2012 | 1266 | |||
| 2010 | 898 | |||
| 2009 | 998 | |||
| 2008 | 1062 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 121W / 54L / 39D | 120W / 70L / 23D | 81.3 |
| 2024 | 510W / 311L / 136D | 508W / 350L / 107D | 78.8 |
| 2023 | 754W / 419L / 163D | 678W / 484L / 154D | 82.8 |
| 2022 | 1986W / 1093L / 417D | 1894W / 1208L / 379D | 78.1 |
| 2021 | 2057W / 995L / 341D | 1974W / 1072L / 330D | 72.3 |
| 2020 | 1544W / 702L / 249D | 1521W / 734L / 233D | 76.3 |
| 2019 | 884W / 499L / 143D | 832W / 530L / 147D | 75.7 |
| 2018 | 104W / 115L / 32D | 121W / 105L / 29D | 87.5 |
| 2017 | 81W / 65L / 26D | 83W / 65L / 27D | 89.2 |
| 2016 | 34W / 24L / 9D | 37W / 29L / 3D | 82.8 |
| 2015 | 2W / 2L / 0D | 2W / 0L / 1D | 65.9 |
| 2014 | 133W / 107L / 24D | 134W / 107L / 23D | 87.1 |
| 2013 | 119W / 50L / 18D | 112W / 61L / 14D | 88.0 |
| 2012 | 1W / 0L / 0D | 1W / 0L / 0D | 64.5 |
| 2010 | 0W / 0L / 0D | 0W / 1L / 0D | 9.0 |
| 2009 | 0W / 0L / 0D | 0W / 1L / 0D | 15.0 |
| 2008 | 0W / 3L / 0D | 0W / 1L / 0D | 9.8 |
Openings: Most Played
| Daily Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top Secret | 1102 | 591 | 380 | 131 | 53.6% |
| Sicilian Defense Open Accelerated Dragon Modern Variation | 387 | 186 | 144 | 57 | 48.1% |
| Alapin Sicilian Defense | 311 | 176 | 93 | 42 | 56.6% |
| French Defense Exchange Monte Carlo Variation | 265 | 114 | 94 | 57 | 43.0% |
| Sicilian Defense Old Sicilian Variation | 229 | 141 | 63 | 25 | 61.6% |
| Alapin Sicilian Defense Barmen Defense | 200 | 93 | 85 | 22 | 46.5% |
| Caro Kann Defense Advance Bayonet Attack | 190 | 80 | 84 | 26 | 42.1% |
| Ruy Lopez Opening Morphy Defense Exchange Variation | 183 | 94 | 53 | 36 | 51.4% |
| Kings Gambit Accepted Bishops Gambit | 179 | 132 | 33 | 14 | 73.7% |
| Undefined | 178 | 169 | 8 | 1 | 94.9% |
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top Secret | 1150 | 690 | 348 | 112 | 60.0% |
| French Defense Exchange Monte Carlo Variation | 393 | 155 | 169 | 69 | 39.4% |
| Sicilian Defense Open Accelerated Dragon Modern Variation | 389 | 199 | 149 | 41 | 51.2% |
| Alapin Sicilian Defense | 374 | 194 | 138 | 42 | 51.9% |
| Kings Gambit Accepted Bishops Gambit | 346 | 235 | 87 | 24 | 67.9% |
| Van t Kruijs Opening | 302 | 280 | 20 | 2 | 92.7% |
| Sicilian Defense Old Sicilian Variation | 298 | 173 | 96 | 29 | 58.0% |
| Alapin Sicilian Defense Barmen Defense | 294 | 146 | 117 | 31 | 49.7% |
| Undefined | 253 | 158 | 95 | 0 | 62.5% |
| French Defense | 251 | 238 | 13 | 0 | 94.8% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van t Kruijs Opening | 13 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 69.2% |
| Kings Gambit Declined Queens Knight Defense | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 72.7% |
| French Defense Exchange Monte Carlo Variation | 8 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 12.5% |
| Alapin Sicilian Defense | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 37.5% |
| Sicilian Defense Open Accelerated Dragon Modern Variation | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 62.5% |
| Sicilian Defense Open Pelikan and Sveshnikov Exchange Variation | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 66.7% |
| Kings Pawn Opening | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 83.3% |
| Sicilian Defense Open Lowenthal Variation | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 80.0% |
| Modern Defense with | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 40.0% |
| Sicilian Defense Old Sicilian Variation | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 80.0% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top Secret | 428 | 248 | 144 | 36 | 57.9% |
| Sicilian Defense Open Accelerated Dragon Modern Variation | 192 | 100 | 74 | 18 | 52.1% |
| Closed Sicilian Defense Traditional Line | 157 | 97 | 45 | 15 | 61.8% |
| French Defense Exchange Monte Carlo Variation | 153 | 68 | 63 | 22 | 44.4% |
| Alapin Sicilian Defense Barmen Defense | 150 | 69 | 57 | 24 | 46.0% |
| Alapin Sicilian Defense | 141 | 74 | 46 | 21 | 52.5% |
| Kings Gambit Declined Queens Knight Defense | 140 | 121 | 10 | 9 | 86.4% |
| Kings Gambit Accepted Bishops Gambit | 136 | 102 | 27 | 7 | 75.0% |
| Sicilian Defense Old Sicilian Variation | 124 | 86 | 32 | 6 | 69.3% |
| Kings Gambit | 108 | 86 | 18 | 4 | 79.6% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 36 | 1 |
| Losing | 59 | 0 |