Milestone: 1600 on Lichess Bullet

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Amir Afsai Lichess Bullet milestone 2026-04-30 Gemini generated image

On Mondays and Thursdays my first class doesn't start until 8:30. Typically I arrive at school at 7:30 and use the time to prepare for my first few classes, but last Thursday I had nothing to prepare, was feeling bold, and on a whim sought a Bullet opponent on Lichess while sitting in an empty classroom. It was my first rated Bullet game since December 2024.

Thursday's game went badly. I lost as White in a Queen's Gambit Accepted, and Lichess slashed my rating from 1455 to 1334. Maybe it was rust, I thought, and played another game. This time I won, and Lichess restored 83 of the 121 points it had just docked me. Then I played a third game, won again, and was awarded another 71 points. On Monday I found myself in a similar situation, queued up for an opponent, won as White in a Samisch King's Indian, and my rating surged 63 points. This morning's win earned me 62 points and boosted my rating from 1551 to 1613.


1. 2026-04-30: Konoty-ahmed v. physics2112

Konoty-ahmed v. physics2112 2026-04-30 move 11
Position 1: Black to move

Assigned the black pieces I replied to White's 1.d4 with 1...Nf6, and after 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 we were in a Nimzo-Indian. White continued 4.e3, the Rubinstein, and I struck with 4...c5. White advanced 5.d5, which was surprising, and the Fish says I should have escalated my threat against White's knight on c3 with 5...Ne4 or castled with 5...0-0 but I exchanged with 5...exd5 6.cxd5 and then castled with 6...0-0.

White unpinned his knight with 7.Bd2, and I correctly put pressure along my semiopen e-file with 7...Re8. White's 8.Bc4 was an awkward way to develop the light-square bish, and I correctly fixed White's d-pawn on a light square with 8...d6. We each developed our knights with 9.Nge2 Nbd7, White castled with 10.0-0, and I correctly attacked White's bish with 10...Ne5. After White retreated with 11.Bb3 I had a negligible advantage of -0.4, but White gained an advantage of +1.8 after my 11...Qd2.

1. Why did I choose the move 11...Qd2?
It's possible the plan was to maneuver my queen to the g-file and follow up with ...Nf3+.

2. Why is my move not ideal?
11...Qd2 overlooked a tactic White had in 12.Ba4, skewering my queen.

3. Why is the better move better than my chosen move?
The engine's top moves involved developing my light-square bish, either with 11...Bd7 or 11...Bf5. Both are intuitive, deploying the last undeveloped minor piece to an active square.

Konoty-ahmed v. physics2112 Lichess Bullet 2026-04-30 move 22
Position 2: Black to move

White missed 12.Ba4, instead continuing 12.Ng3, but 12...Nfg4 offered him a second chance. Again White missed 13.Ba4, instead kicking my knight with the weakening 13.h3 that would later seal his fate. I retreated with 13...Ng6 and for the third time White missed 14.Ba4, instead putting pressure on h7 with 14.Bc2 and prompting 14...h6. At last White found 15.Ba4, and I played 15...b5 to at least have counterplay on the b-file. White chopped with 16.Bxb5, and I played the engine's third-best move with 16...Qb7. We exchanged with 17.Bxe8 Nxe8, and after White's 18.Nce4 I was down to 35 seconds on the clock while White had 54.

18...Bxd2 19.Qxd2 resolved the tension between our bishes, and here I had a vague plan beginning with 19...Bd7 to go after White's h3-pawn. White continued 20.Rab1, lining up a rook with my queen, but that was fine because my plan was 20...Qc8 anyway. White tried 21.Rfc1, lining up his other rook with my queen, and now I executed my plan: 21...Bxh3. After White chopped with 22.gxh3 I immediately replied 22...Qxh3. A momentary advantage of -2.2 flipped to +3.7; however, this move turned out to be the blunder that won me the game. White, as I had, failed to appreciate the threat of my knight on e5, and after 23.b4 I mated with 23...Nf3#.


2. 2026-04-27: physics2112 v. OvejaElectrica

Amir Afsai physics2112 v. OvejaElectrica Lichess Bullet 2026-04-27 move 10
Position 1: White to move

Assigned the white pieces I opened 1.d4, and Black replied 1...Nf6. I continued 2.c4, and Black pushed 2...d6. I developed with 3.Nc3, and Black pushed 3...g6. After 4.e4 Bg7 5.f3 we were in a Samisch King's Indian.

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