Prateeth Nayak

Profile Summary: Prateeth Nayak (aka PunForPawn)

Meet Prateeth Nayak, known in the chess realms by his alter ego PunForPawn. A cunning strategist with a flair for surprise attacks and an opening repertoire that includes the tricky Vienna Game and the fierce Pirc Defense. Prateeth’s games are like a rollercoaster ride—full of thrilling ups, dramatic downs, and the occasional unexpected loop!

Rating & Performance

Over the years, Prateeth has diligently climbed the blitz rating ladder, peaking at a respectable 1488 in 2025. While not yet a Grandmaster, this resilient competitor has logged thousands of blitz games with over 2,700 wins — proving persistence beats pure talent every time. His rapid peak rating of 1502 hints at his blitz speed tactics translating well into the slightly slower pace formats. Bullet chess? A brief flirtation, but a notable 1378 peak rating shows he can blitz with the best of them when he wants!

Playing Style & Quirks

• Endgame Lover: Prateeth enjoys lingering in the trenches, showing a penchant for marathon battles rather than quick knockouts, with an average game length over 68 moves for wins.
• Comeback King: An impressive 85% comeback rate after setbacks makes him a nightmare opponent who refuses to throw in the towel (though he has an early resignation rate of 1.31%, because sometimes even PunForPawn knows when to quit before losing in style).
• Tactical Awareness: Loves a good tactical skirmish and can win around 45% of games even after losing a piece – talk about turning lemons into lemonade!
• Peak Performance Time: His best moves usually come around 11 AM – so if you want to catch him off guard, challenge him before that coffee kicks in.

Favorite Openings

Warning to opponents: His trusty Pirc Defense is his personal battleground, having played over 600 blitz games with it. The Vienna Game and its charming gambits are also his weapons of choice, keeping opponents busy figuring out if they’re in a classical game or a merry dance.

Memorable Moments

One of Prateeth's recent delights was a masterful checkmate using the Vienna Game’s Falkbeer Vienna Gambit variation, where he breezed through 33 moves to seal victory against "vemos". Victory was not without drama: sacrifices, captures, and strategic positional juggling make this game a perfect representation of his fighting spirit.

Opponent Spotlight

Prateeth has tangled most often with mrugank1992 (32 games), where he has fought hard through wins and losses alike. Off the board, he’s known for friendly banter and comedic quips, often leaving opponents wondering whether he’s plotting a joke or a checkmate.

Fun Fact

Despite being a formidable player, PunForPawn’s username suggests he has a sense of humor ready to pounce—after all, who doesn’t love a good chess pun? Whether it’s sacrificing pawns for laughs or positions, he knows how to keep the mood light and the board hotter than a kettle on a stove.

In summary, Prateeth Nayak is a relentless, witty battler on the 64 squares: a player who combines tactical brilliance with a knack for thrilling finishes. Keep an eye on him—he’s still climbing, still learning, and always ready to turn your king into the punchline.