Stylish.

Chess types › Precision

ASIO The Sniper: Waits quietly, then ends the game with a single move. Picture: A bishop in the corner aims down one diagonal at the queen across the board
The picture A bishop in the corner aims down one diagonal at the queen across the board (white pieces are you, black pieces are the opponent)

ASIO The Sniper

Waits quietly, then ends the game with a single move

AAttackMany moves target the enemy king and pieces directly. High aggressive and tactical scores.
SSafeYou prefer moves that hold up against any reply, and trades that tidy the position.
IInitiativeYou take the lead, forcing your opponent's replies with threats.
OOriginalYou often play moves that people at your rating rarely play, according to the human-move model Maia3.

What a Sniper is like

The Sniper aims for the decisive shot without overreaching. Normally they set up with safe moves, and the moment a weakness shows up in the enemy camp, they strike precisely with a move others didn't consider. Quiet until the chance comes, but they rarely miss it.

What shows up in their games

Strengths

  • Tactical sense at critical moments
  • Risk management
  • Efficient wins

Weaknesses

  • Games easily end in draws when no chance appears
  • Hesitates when it's time to shake things up
  • Few chances against well-prepared opponents

Real moves by Sniper players

Picked from real games of Lichess players (names removed) that Stylish classified as ASIO when building its cutoffs. Routine recaptures and moves everyone plays were skipped in favor of moves that show the style most clearly.

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Signature move

24. Qxe7+

Rated 917 · White

Tactical 93Counterattack 89Aggressive 86

A move with high tactical and counterattack scores. A human at the same rating would play it here 40% of the time, a natural choice that still shows the style clearly.

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Signature move

15... Bxe2

Rated 1983 · Black

Counterattack 89Tactical 83Simplifying 75

A move with high counterattack and tactical scores. A human at the same rating would play it here 14% of the time, so it is an unusual choice that is hard to find.

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Typical mistake

15. Qxe6+

Rated 1558 · White · Mistake

Aggressive 80Tactical 80Simplifying 75

This move dropped the expected score by 43 percentage points. The better move was Qf3 (green arrow). It leans strongly aggressive and tactical, the kind of mistake a Sniper makes when the habit goes too far.

How to improve

The opposite type

PWRE The SurvivorSurvives any mess by sticking to the principles. Every letter is reversed, so against this type your style either works best or not at all.

Other Precision

Players who aim to attack without overreaching, striking sharply inside a safe frame.

ASIE Commander ASIECommanderDrives the enemy king back with relentless pressure ASRO Tactician ASROTacticianHides traps inside safe-looking moves ASRE Prosecutor ASREProsecutorHolds firm and makes the opponent pay for every mistake

Are you really a Sniper?

Check with your recent games.

A type describes tendencies, not skill level. See all 16 types