The Blitz Journey
Alexander Krastev, who battles online under the handle Alex-11211, has grown from a 1000-ish blitz scrapper into a bona fide FIDE International Master. His specialty is clear: blitz. The rating chart below tracks his climb from a 1312 high in early 2014 to a monstrous 3010 (2026-07-08) peak.
It wasn't always smooth sailing. He endured a 15-game losing streak, but he also rattled off a 27-game winning streak. By 2025 something clicked, and he started playing like a man who wanted to hit 3000, which he eventually did.
Opening Repertoire and Style
Alexander is a devoted 1.e4 player. His online games are a masterclass in the Sicilian Defense in many of its forms, especially the Closed and Alapin variations. He also leans heavily on the French Defense and the Caro-Kann Defense, with strong win rates against both as White.
When he has the black pieces, he is happy to steer into the Modern Defense and its Pterodactyl Variation, and he is not afraid to accept or offer the Amar Gambit. This mix of solid classical setups and spicy sidelines makes him a nightmare to prepare against in a 3-minute game.
Rivalries and Regulars
Over thousands of games, Alexander has developed a few great rivalries. His most frequent opponent is TheArcticCold, with 135 meetings and a lopsided 82 wins for Alexander. He also has a dominant record against luisabashylina, winning 82 of their 94 encounters, while marty-bird has felt his sting 69 times in 104 games.
Not everyone gets beaten into submission. Alexander Velikanov and Shelev Oberoi have both managed winning records against him, proof that even an IM has his problem children.
Quirks and Numbers
- His best time of day to play is 5 AM, which explains a lot.
- He wins 81.65% of games after falling behind, and 53.16% even after losing a piece.
- His longest winning streak is 27; his longest losing streak is 15.
- He has also pushed his bullet rating to 3098 (2026-08-10), making him dangerous in every fast format.