Hema Vikas (Flora): The Comeback Queen of Online Chess
Hema Vikas, known on the virtual board as Flora, is a FIDE Woman Candidate Master with an endless appetite for competition. While her favorite time control is Rapid chess, she has also played tens of thousands of Bullet games, pushing her peak Bullet rating beyond 2400. With over 13,000 analyzed games, a 12-game winning streak, and a matching 12-game losing streak, she has experienced the full emotional range of the royal game.
Playing Style
Under the username Flora, Hema plays a patient, resourceful brand of chess. Her endgame frequency is close to 79%, and decisive games often run 74 to 76 moves, so her opponents rarely get a quick night. The numbers also reveal a rare gift for escape: an 85% comeback rate means she repeatedly wins from losing positions. Opponents who relax after gaining material often live to regret it.
That resilience has a chaotic twin. Her tilt factor sits at 12, her early resignation rate is 54%, and her win rate falls from 51% to 36% when she is checked first instead of delivering the first check. When Flora is on the front foot, she is dangerous; when the position swings against her, the drama is guaranteed.
Opening Repertoire
As White, Hema is a loyal 1.e4 player. As Black, she is a devoted student of the Sicilian Defense, posting a 60% Rapid win rate in that opening. When she wants maximum tension, she reaches for the Najdorf Variation, and she has extraordinary experience with the Amar Gambit, with more than 1,500 Bullet games in that line alone. A typical Najdorf starter looks like this:
.For slower battles, she regularly turns to the French Defense, the Caro-Kann Defense, and the Scandanavian Defense. Her openings are practical, combative, and built for long games.
Familiar Rivals
Online chess produces repeat friendships, and Hema's record is full of them. Aston Roberts leads their 156-game series 95 to 47, with 14 draws, yet Flora keeps returning for another round. Luc2008 is a true nemesis with a 53 to 3 advantage, while Chloe Gaw has taken 74 wins from 107 meetings. These running battles show her stubborn, rematch-ready spirit.
Milesstones and Curiosities
- Peak Rapid rating: 2096 (2025-08-29); peak Blitz: 2428 (2026-09-18); peak Bullet: 2408 (2026-04-19).
- Her Rapid journey climbed from around 1000 to 2096 (2025-08-29), and the full arc appears below.
- She beats lower rated players 67.5% of the time and higher rated players 26.8% of the time, an honest scoreboard.
- Her strongest hour is 10:00, with a 53% win rate, while 7:00 is her personal Bermuda Triangle at 34%.
- She wins with White 45.5% and with Black 43.8%, making her balanced with either color.
- Her first capture typically lands on move six, so the fireworks start early.
Her opening performance chart tells a similar story: she scores best when steering the game into sharp, familiar territory.