Alex Thach

A Prodigy's Ascent

Alex Thach's journey into competitive Tetris began in 2020 when he was 11 years old. His interest was sparked by a video of the 2018 Classic Tetris World Championship finals, where Joseph Saelee defeated Jonas Neubauer. Demonstrating immediate and extraordinary talent, Thach achieved a major milestone within that same year by becoming the youngest player ever to max out the NES version of Tetris, reaching the game's maximum displayed score of 999,999 points. This early success marked him as a prodigy.

His record-breaking trajectory continued on June 2, 2021, when he became the first player in the world to reach level 41 in the game. These accomplishments quickly made him a prominent figure within the Tetris community and earned him a spot in the 2022 Classic Tetris World Championship. Although he was eliminated early and placed 16th in his debut, it was a foundational experience. Around April 2023, he introduced what would become his signature post-victory ritual, celebrating wins by dumping parmesan cheese on his head.

Redefining the Possible: The 10 Million Point Quest

The year 2024 was defined by Thach systematically dismantling the perceived limits of classic Tetris. The pursuit of a 10 million point score, a long-standing community goal with a $2,600 bounty, became his focus. On March 11, he first uploaded a photo showing a score of 9.9 million points, surpassing the previous record of 8,952,432 set by Andrew Artiaga (PixelAndy) earlier that January.

He followed this with a historic, hour-long livestreamed game. Using a modified game cartridge that suppresses the crashes which normally end games at high levels, Thach pushed far beyond any previous play. He reached an unprecedented level 235 and achieved a final score of 16,248,080 points, definitively breaking the 10 million barrier and claiming the bounty. This score was later recognized by Guinness World Records as the record for the modified version of NES Tetris.

Not content with dominating the modified version, Thach turned to the original, unmodified cartridge. On April 3, 2024, he broke the original cartridge records for highest score and latest game crash. In doing so, he became only the fourth person ever to beat the game by triggering a crash, and the first to trigger a rare visual glitch the community nicknamed Summoning Satan. He further raised the modified cartridge record to 16,700,760 points on April 15.

Championship Dominance

Thach's mastery in marathon record-setting translated directly to tournament success. On June 9, 2024, he faced two-time former champion Michael Artiaga (Dogplayingtetris) in the finals of the Classic Tetris World Championship. Thach emerged victorious, earning his first world title. In a memorable moment, the golden J-Piece trophy was given to his mother to present to him instead of the event host.

He defended his crown with even greater authority in 2025. Competing from June 6 to 8, Thach won his second consecutive CTWC championship without losing a single one of his 15 games across five matches. His performance was record-setting within the tournament itself. He surpassed the 1.9 million point barrier in a match against Willis Gibson (Blue Scuti) and set a new qualifying record by tying the previous mark of 16 maxouts but improving the tiebreaker kicker score to 971,440 points. This undefeated run led The Classic W to describe him in a 2025 interview as the greatest Tetris player in the world.

The Technical Evolution: Hypertapping to Rolling

Thach's rise coincided with a significant shift in high-level Tetris technique. He began his career using hypertapping, a method where the player rapidly vibrates their arm to press the D-pad buttons faster. This was the technique used by Joseph Saelee to win the 2018 and 2019 CTWC titles, and Thach found his early success with it.

As the competitive field advanced, hypertapping became obsolete among the elite. Around 2023 and 2024, Thach made the crucial switch to the rolling technique to remain competitive. Rolling was created by fellow player Christopher Martinez (Cheez) before the 2020 CTWC. It involves the player rolling the back of the controller with all five fingers, allowing for significantly faster and more precise piece placement than hypertapping. Adopting this more efficient and physically sustainable technique was essential for Thach to maintain his peak performance during long record attempts and high-pressure tournament matches.

Personality, Pop Culture, and the Parmesan Cheese

Beyond his technical skill, Thach is known for a charismatic and humorous demeanor during play. He frequently makes jokes and uses comedic body language, which he has admitted helps soothe his nerves when handling the game's most difficult levels. This relaxed, entertaining style has made him a fan favorite.

He is most famous for his elaborate victory celebrations, which involve destroying his setup and dumping various odd items on his head. The most notable of these is parmesan cheese. He first used this signature celebration after his record-breaking 10 million point livestream in March 2024. It reached its peak after winning the 2024 CTWC, where an inflatable pool was brought on stage to catch the cheese as he was doused by his mother and tournament hosts. In a 2025 interview, Thach explained he continues the tradition because it is really funny and got everyone laughing.

His fame extended beyond the core Tetris community in 2025 when he appeared on German television channel RTL's game show Drei gegen Einen. On the episode, he competed against three contestants in a race to clear one hundred lines and emerged victorious, presenting his skill to a broader audience.

Life Beyond the Stack

Born on November 7, 2008, Alex Thach lives in California. When not playing Tetris, he enjoys other video games such as Minecraft, Roblox, and Valorant. Demonstrating an appetite for challenge outside of gaming, he set a personal goal in 2025 to become competitive at rock climbing within the next ten years, highlighting a driven and varied personality.