What if I told you that the worldās #1 bullet player isnāt a grandmaster⦠isnāt titled⦠and has been banned multiple times?
Meet Arkadiy Khromaev ā the most controversial name in online chess today.
š„ The Hook
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No GM title
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No IM title
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Ahead of Magnus, Hikaru, and everyone else ā by over 100+ rating points on the live bullet leaderboard.
This guy is dominating in one of the fastest, most brutal formats in chess ā and he’s doing it without the credentials we normally associate with world-class players.
šØ The Wild Backstory
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His account has been banned and unbanned multiple times.
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Yet every time he comes back, he climbs straight back to #1.
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All of this while remaining untitled and mostly unknown in the broader chess world.
Itās either the most underrated bullet prodigy everā¦
Or itās a sign that something in online chess is seriously broken.
š¤ How Is This Even Possible?
In over-the-board chess, such a story would be unthinkable. Tournaments, arbiters, FIDE ratings ā everything is structured.
Online chess? Itās chaos. Itās fast. And itās open to everyone. Thatās what makes it beautiful ā and dangerous.
Hereās what Arkadiyās rise tells us:
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Online leaderboards donāt always reflect classical strength.
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Anti-cheat systems still have gaps ā especially in niche formats.
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Talent in bullet doesnāt always come with titles or fame.
š§ Why This Matters
Online chess is now the main arena for most players, especially younger ones. But when the top spot is surrounded by confusion, bans, and doubt ā it affects everyoneās trust in the system.
Real FIDE tournaments? Still the gold standard.
Online chess? Incredible for growth, training, and speed ā but it needs work.
šÆ Final Question
Is Arkadiy a legit bullet genius defying all norms?
Or is this a glitch in the matrix ā proof that the online chess world still has serious bugs to fix?