Mar 15, 2025
Author's Commentary #379:
Time to talk about Chapter 379: Maestros galore.
This is a short one, so short in fact I might go back and edit it to include some more content. But at least for now, it highlights the maestros as well as who's closest to beating all of them.
To the surprise of none, Peter, Okisato, and Mimoko are in the lead, though that's largely due to the fact that it's a challenge just to gain the ability to even challenge a maestro. Some players such as Iori, Noa, Zsa Zsa, Laura, Red Reaper, Tsar Grigori, Govindrao, Arun, and even Diederich, Hubert, Maccabee, and Miralem all have the potential to beat a maestro or two as do many others. That being said, beating a maestro not named Xiao Lin is no easy task, and even then, while Xiao Lin is the weakest maestro and resident jobber of the series, she is still a maestro. The strongest maestro on the other hand, is easily Amelia with Daria being a close second. In fact, I'll list all the maestros by strength and rating.
At number 7 is Xiao Lin, rated 3020. Not only is she the lowest rated maestro, but also the weakest. Number 6 is Wiley Frisch, rated 3050. In his prime, he was far more formidable, but age is catching up. Despite that, he's still better than a majority of the field, but there's a chance an up and coming youngster can get the better of him occasionally. At number 5 is Alexandre Belieu, rated 3100. He's pretty much average in terms of all the maestros, with his greatest strength being his ability to find winning lines not even the most advanced chess engines at the time could find. Number 4 belongs to the one maestro that has yet to be properly introduced. Their rating is 3250, yet despite being higher-rated than Daria, they are far weaker than her and have never beaten her in a game, only getting their rating simply due to how the maestro project played out. There is more to why they're only at the number 4 spot, but I still have to refine that plotpoint, so that's the end of discussion for this maestro. At number 3 is Ian Kimovich, rated 3151. He's come close to beating Daria and Amelia, but the best he can do against them is draw. At number 2 is Daria, rated 3200. She needs no introduction as her feats are already known. And number 1 is Amelia, rated 3300. Amelia's currently the only maestro that has never lost to anyone in a non-practice match. That being said, she's never been able to beat Daria, with the two drawing at every encounter they have. When they eventually face each other in the tournament, expect a grand spectacle of peak chess.
That's all for this commentary. I hope you enjoyed it.
