Hobbies

A glimpse into the creative and personal interests that keep me energized outside the lab.

Field days

When I’m not buried in equations and code, you’ll usually find me chasing a ball or smacking it over the boundary. Outdoor sports are my reset button, with cricket, soccer, and badminton topping the list.

In cricket, I’m a left-handed opening batsman and a right-arm medium pacer, always trying to get my team off to a flying start in the powerplay. On the soccer field I bounce between the left and right wing, running perhaps more enthusiastically than skillfully, but always in the thick of the play.

Rafid Umayer Murshed driving a cricket ball through the covers during a weekend league match
Weekend league cricket keeps my competitive streak sharp and fuels my love for team sports.
  • Technically Solid Batsman
  • Aggressive Opener
  • Flying Winger trying to emulate CR7

Board battles

Chess is my indoor obsession. Despite never having formal training, I’ve clawed my way to ~2100 on chess.com and ~2300 on lichess, occasionally stealing a win from an International Master when the tactics flow.

It’s equal parts hobby and addiction, a mix of late-night puzzles, scrappy bullet games, and the occasional celebratory screenshot. Blitz, bullet, rapid, I’m game for any of the faster formats that lets me avoid theory and preparation.

Rafid Umayer Murshed contemplating a chess position across a tournament board
Blitz sessions and weekend tournaments are where I test new openings and sharpen my tactics.
Rapid peak: 2257 (lichess) Blitz peak: 2353 (lichess) Bullet peak: 2391 (lichess)

Currently plotting

Lining up campus scrimmages, scouting new chess openings, and forever tweaking my sports playlist. If you have a must-play strategy game or a cricket league (near Champaign-Urbana) that needs an aggressive opener, drop me a line at rafid.buet.eee16@gmail.com.