Grandmaster2B

I'm Grayson Rorrer, an 18-year-old FIDE Master with one GM Norm and an avid writer from Lockhart, TX. Feel free to offer a friend request or use this direct link  I have limited availability for coaching/training games, you're welcome to send a message here or email if interested!

A collection of my best games from real life and highlights from online practice can be found below, along with a few other tidbits. ("More" if that's of interest…)

Titled players, please send me a message if you may be interested in mutually beneficial training games, I've become a bit disillusioned from blitzing in the pool Good times in the past, but at present I am fully focused on improving my chess skills and getting as far as possible. While I still have the time to dedicate to this fascinating game – in other words, before life throws a wrench in the equation…

chess.com messaging isn't exactly glamorous, I accept them, but for long-term cooperation it'd be ideal to move elsewhere. I don't have too much of an online presence, which is a conscious choice, but we can get in touch via Skype (contact to start a conversation) or Discord (username: grandmaster2b).

Please, don't invite me to clubs unless I know you, I'm not looking to become a part of online communities at present. I also don't accept challenges, my sincere apologies. No offense intended, but I don't have much time to spare and usually can't respond to messages either.

I suggest all you fellow puzzle enthusiasts scoring above 40 in three minute puzzle rush/battle, or 48 in five minutes, and looking to improve further – or just connect with other skilled solvers from around the world – check out the PRO Puzzle Solvers Team. Hope to see you around!

My best achievements on the battlefield, which I've now mostly stepped back from but hold fond memories of nonetheless:

• My current high score – a flawless 56! I have also achieved 47 in two minutes and around 34 or 35 in one minute. Now, if only I could sustain that kind of pace throughout…
• 61 in five minute puzzle rush is the most I've managed to muster thus far, while my individual puzzle rating peaked at an absurd ~9100, mainly on account of memorization
• December 9th 2020: I entered top 50 in the World for the first – and, realistically, last – time (#49) by adopting @Peshkach, and achieved my current peak rating of 2903. To be fair, Tihon was streaming, and ratings were definitely inflated back then, but still no easy feat. Since then I've managed to push 2700 on occasion, which isn't bad at all either.
• I've had the good fortune to do battle with a number of immensely strong chess players, like GM Frederik Svane, IM Casper Schoppen, innumerable GMs/IMs, and taken some memorable scalps. One highlight was a match against GM Baadur Jobava (not my last time crossing paths with the enigmatic Georgian GM, as we'll see…) that I won to the tune of 27-12. Certainly not reflective of his true strength, by any means…
• The honor was all mine to play several long matches against the crown prince of the battlefield himself, @jimis98. On May 10, 2023 the score was 14½-27½ in his favor, which is about the best I could hope for against this absolute monster, unless it's 3:00 AM in Greece For the most part I was used as a punching doll, but even so it was a real honor, and I hope the training was useful for him in some way. Nowadays, though, I don't have that kind of time to waste!

All fun and games, but naturally the only real test of skill lies in the tournament hall. A summary of my accomplishments so far –

• Working my way up from the level of a beginner, in under four years I achieved the USCF rating marks of Class A (1800+, 1y. 2m.), Expert (2000+, 2y. 3m.) and, finally, National Master right in time before the pandemic hit (2200+, 3y. 10m.). Since then National Rating hasn't been of the slightest interest to me, but it was a good benchmark starting out.
• After the pandemic I soon established myself as a dangerous if raw and inconsistent player, crossing 2200 FIDE in June 2021. My first real achievement on an International level was tying for first in the 2022 Charlotte Fall IM Norm Invitational (just before Thanksgiving Weekend) with 7/9, and scoring my first norm in the process! It's nostalgic now to look back at these formative games in my chess life and laugh at how unformed and, honestly, weak of a player I still was. Sometimes luck at exactly the right time is what one needs to progress further, and I'll profess to receiving my fair share of it at times.
• Plateaus often follow major breakthroughs and I had a big drop in results and level of play in early 2023. Soon I started to adjust though, and finally, having achieved a more mature style through hard work, I was ready to move ahead. A trip to Budapest in October 2023 was a major success, as I scored my second IM Norm in the First Saturday GM Norm Invitational and gained 73 FIDE rating points in the process, finally breaking out of a slump.
• Since then success has almost followed success – the 2023 SPICE Cup (just before Christmas) would have provided me with my final IM Norm needed from a Swiss, and the title, if I had faced one more foreign player…
• After a few rough outings I made a major breakthrough towards the ultimate title in chess, achieving my maiden GM Norm with 7/9 in St. Louis (February 2024)! That's where I'm at today (April 2024), confident in my skills and working hard to make my dream a reality. Even entertaining ambitions of… skipping IM? One game at a time

Here's a selection of strong/enjoyable moments from my online blitzing (I don't play these games seriously anymore, but fun times indeed) and more meaningful real life tournament practice. Enjoy, and may we one day meet at the board!