Meet Eric Kurtz
Eric Kurtz, known online as ekurtz, is a National Master whose chess personality is equal parts endgame patience and relentless volume. He may list Daily chess as his preferred time control, but his blitz record includes more than 47,000 games. From his first online games in 2016 to a career blitz peak of 2903 (2025-06-27), Eric has always found another game to play.
Opening Repertoire
When Eric has the white pieces, he almost always starts with 1.c4. The English Opening and its many branches, including the Agincourt Defense, the Drill Variation, and the Botvinnik System, make up the backbone of his play. As Black, he is loyal to the Czech Defense, the Pirc Defense, and the Benko Gambit. His preparation depth has grown from three moves in 2016 to seven moves in recent years, and his endgame frequency sits above 83 percent. He wants the game to go long.
Volume, Streaks, and Climbing
Eric's path up the ladder is full of steep climbs, sudden drops, and one very stubborn rider.
. He reached a peak blitz rating of 2903 (2025-06-27), a rapid peak of 2572 (2025-10-11), and a Daily peak of 1737 (2024-11-21). He once won 21 games in a row, and he also lost 16 in a row before returning to form. His blitz strength adjusted win rate is still close to 50 percent, which is remarkable given how often he faces elite opposition.Familiar Rivals
Some players are defined by their rivalries. Eric has faced Alan Stein in 257 games, a near even series that could go either way on any night. Against Aman Hambleton, he has battled 135 times, learning that some opponents are puzzles you solve slowly over years. Those extended head to head wars taught him resilience, patience, and the fine art of pressing rematch.
The Comeback King
Eric's numbers suggest he is never truly out of a game. His comeback rate is 87.7 percent, his win rate after losing a piece is 44.72 percent, and his one-sided loss rate is only 1.26 percent. He almost never resigns early, with an early resignation rate of 0.63 percent, and his average winning game runs about 87 moves. He also wins more than 7,700 games on time while losing fewer than 2,900 on time, proof that he manages the clock as well as the board. His best time of day is 11:00, but his mental clock seems to run all day.
- Longest winning streak: 21 games
- Longest losing streak: 16 games
- Comeback rate: 87.7 percent
- More than 52,000 games analyzed
Daily Chess and a Final Thought
For someone with so many blitz games, Eric's preference for Daily chess is a fitting plot twist. With time to think, he becomes even more dangerous: 22 wins, 4 losses, no draws, and a strength adjusted win rate of 63 percent in Daily games. Eric Kurtz is not a player who beats you with a single brilliant move. He beats you by remaining present long after most players would have looked away. That is the mark of a true National Master.