Jan Karsten IM

Quick summary (recent blitz)

Nice work — your last wins show clean conversion of a passed pawn and a precise mating finish; your losses are mostly time-related and from positions where a little extra consolidation or a faster plan would have saved the game. Below I highlight concrete things to keep doing and specific areas to fix.

Highlights — what you did well

• Converted a connected passed pawn very confidently in the a‑file promotion game (excellent endgame vision and patience). Example: you pushed and promoted the a‑pawn decisively and finished with a precise rook checkmate — great technique.
  
• Good sense for active rook play — you used open files and rook swings to force your opponent into passive king positions (seen in both conversion and tactical wins).
• Tactical alertness in the Qg2# game — you exploited back‑rank and coordination weaknesses quickly to deliver a decisive mating net. (Martin Luis Eliseo Herrera)
• Opening variety and results: you handle many systems (Caro‑Kann, Najdorf, French) and have good practical scoring with dynamic openings — use that as an advantage in blitz.

Main weaknesses to target

• Time management / clock panic: multiple games ended on time despite playable positions. You repeatedly reached sub‑10 seconds in winning or complex positions — this is the biggest leak.
• Occasional passivity after simplifications: when you swap into an endgame or simplify, you're sometimes slow to find the best improving move and the opponent gets counterplay.
• Tactical oversights in crowded positions: while your tactics are strong, there are moments (especially when low on time) where a simple fork/pin is missed or you allow a tactical resource.
• Practical endgame technique under time pressure: you convert well when calm, but when short on clock you make awkward choices — practice speed endgames.

Concrete drills & short training plan (next 2 weeks)

• Daily 15–20 min tactics (mixed puzzles) with a fast cadence — focus on forks, pins, deflections and queen/rook endgame motifs.
• 3x per week: 20 minutes of 5|0 or 3|2 blitz with the explicit goal of keeping 10+ seconds on the clock at move 20. Practice simple, fast moves and avoid long calculation unless the position requires it.
• Endgame sprint: 10 minutes, 3× per week — practice king + pawn vs king, rook+pawn endgames, and basic queen vs rook tactics (promotions, perpetuals). Do these with a 5s increment if possible to simulate time trouble.
• Post‑game habit: after every loss, spend 3–5 minutes and find the one moment you should have played faster or simplified earlier. Make it a checklist item: "clock + objective".
• One engine‑assisted post‑mortem per day: try to find the mistake yourself first, then confirm with the engine. Focus on reasoning behind the fix (why it’s better), not just the move.

Practical tips for tournament blitz

• When low on time but ahead on the board: trade down when safe. Simplify to a winning technical endgame rather than hunting for flashy tactics that cost time.
• If behind on time but equal or better on the board: create practical complications that require human judgment (not long forced refutations). Use checks and direct threats to keep the opponent thinking.
• Use premoves sparingly. Premoves are great in clear recaptures or forced pawn moves — avoid in complicated positions.
• Set mental time checkpoints: by move 10 have ≥2:30, by move 20 ≥1:30. If you fail to meet checkpoints, switch to speed mode (play sensible, non‑ambitious moves until time recovers).

Game‑specific notes & links

• Promotion win vs Menua Hakobyan — model conversion of a connected passed pawn, good rook activity and finish. Study idea: similar pawn‑end conversions and queen promotion tactics (play 10 quick endgames where you must promote under opposition/rook harassment).
• Qg2# victory vs Martin Luis Eliseo Herrera — excellent exploitation of coordination and back‑rank weaknesses; keep drilling mating patterns and moves that force the king into the corner.
• Losses to Pablo Salinas Herrera and strong opponents — most ended on time. Your play was often sound; the fix is speed. Drill: do 10×3|2 games with the explicit rule “if position is equal or better, exchange pieces to reach a simple winning plan.”

Short weekly plan you can start now

• Monday–Friday: 15 min tactics, 15 min endgames, 1 rapid (10|0) or 2 blitz (3|2) focusing on clock checkpoints.
• Weekend: 1 hour game review — pick the worst loss and the best win of the week; find the turning point and the practical clock decision.
• Monthly goal: reduce "loss on time" rate by 50% and convert two won positions under <0:20 remaining into wins.

Small checklist to follow during games

• Do I have a passed pawn or open file? If yes — prioritize piece activity to support it.
• Is my clock below 30s? If yes — switch to safe, quick moves and avoid long calculations.
• Can I trade to a clearly winning technical endgame? If yes — do it and simplify.

Want me to dig deeper?

I can do a move‑by‑move annotated post‑mortem for any of these games (one at a time). Pick the game you want — e.g. the promotion win vs Menua Hakobyan or the time loss vs Pablo Salinas Herrera — and I’ll produce a short annotated analysis with candidate moves and alternative plans.