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Aristotelis Stylianou (2001-2023)

Aristotelis Stylianou (2001-2023)

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Aristotelis Stylianou, Chess.com official coach, Arena FIDE Master, National FIDE Arbiter, player, and passionate chess community builder, has passed away at the age of 21 last month from an accident.

Today he would have celebrated his 22nd birthday.

As a player, his FIDE rating was on the rise even as recent as July this year where he achieved a rating of 1704. In 2022, he played a beautiful game versus a player as strong as Hristoforos Nemtsas (1942 peak FIDE rating) where he sacrificed 2 rooks for the win. In this game, he began with sacrificing an exchange to stop white's initiative while forcing the bishop's retreat.

He ended the game by giving up his second rook for 3 connected passed pawns which white could not deal with as they ran up the board.
In online chess, he achieved an AFM title this year and reached a peak rating of 2401 Blitz on Chess.com.
AFM Title Certificate

Outside of playing, Aris contributed to the chess community in many more ways. Last year, at the age of 20, he became a FIDE National Arbiter in Greece where he performed chief arbiter duties for the Athens Chess Club. He started the Bishop Chess Academy where he gave lessons, coached, and mentored chess players, eventually building a community of over 300+ members in the Academy's Discord server.

"I just want people to remember Aristotelis as a great person who had a significant impact on the chess community in a way that I can't even explain. He was a great friend and coach to me since 2021 when I was 13 and new to the game. I went from basically 0 elo to 1000+ in just a month after his lessons. Whenever I felt like giving up, he would encourage me to persevere and never give up. I remember the talks we often had about our lives before he passed away. I never had the chance to say goodbye to him, but I want to pay my respects to him and ensure he's not forgotten in the chess world." - Felicia (friend and student)

Author's Note

I did not know Aris well, having only met him online in August of this year, but everything about his character showed me how passionate he was about chess and about sharing the joy and beauty of the game with others. I write this in hopes that he will not be forgotten in the world of chess and that his dear friends, students, and chess fans, may remember him by continuing to build the community he loved. If any Chess.com staff read this, please help in honoring his account and canceling the billing for his membership ♥