Jon Holtan-Hartwig

Jon Holtan-Hartwig (aka JonGiw)

Meet Jon Holtan-Hartwig, a chess player whose rating rollercoaster could rival the thrill rides of any amusement park. Known online as JonGiw, Jon's journey through the ranks is nothing if not entertaining—and occasionally bewildering.

Playing Stats & Style

Jon's peak rapid rating of 866 in early 2021 shows flashes of serious potential, but more recently, his blitz and bullet ratings have been on a bit of a rollercoaster ride, peaking around the high 200s and dipping to the low 100s. Don't let the numbers fool you: with a blitz max rating of 280 and bullet max of 257, Jon can strike hard and fast—when he's on.

His approach? A mix of resilience and quirky impatience. With an early resignation rate of 3.91% and an average of 34 moves per win versus almost 44 moves per loss, Jon seems to prefer fast-paced tactical skirmishes that wrap up before anyone realizes what just happened.

A self-proclaimed comeback king, Jon's tactical awareness shines with a 63.38% comeback rate, proving he's the kind of player who never truly says die—even if his tilt factor hovers at a spicy 15%. His psychological swings mean you never quite know if he's plotting a game-winning queen sacrifice or just Googling "how to resign gracefully."

Favorite Openings (aka: The Good, The Bad, and The Occasionally Brilliant)

• King's Pawn Opening: Jon's bread and butter in blitz, with a respectable 44.75% win rate over 257 games. He's even split the difference in the King's Knight variation, balancing wins and losses like a zen master.
• Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Variation: One of his shining moments, where he’s punching above his weight with a win rate over 53% in blitz and bullet.
• Englund Gambit: A cheeky choice where Jon manages a surprising 53%+ win rate in blitz and bubble wrap his opponents in bullet play.
• Not-so-favorite: Bishop's Opening and the Queen’s Pawn Chigorin variations, where his win rates drop and the scoreboard looks a bit unhappy.

When to Catch Him In Action

Jon's best time to challenge fate (and his opponents) is around 2 PM when his win rates peak, especially between 14:00 and 18:00 hours—likely after a good lunch or a carefully timed caffeine boost. Mondays and Saturdays are his "meh" days with win rates in the high 30s, but come Tuesday and Thursday, he's firing on all cylinders with win percentages pushing 45%.

Recent Battles in the Arena

In his most recent triumphs, Jon dazzled opponents with sharp play and resilient tactics:

• Against wladdb (Blitz, 2025-06-04), Jon masterfully navigated a King's Pawn Opening, winning by resignation in a swift, strategic finisher.
• Versus divyansh0169 on the same day, he clinched a checkmate employing the English Opening Kings English Variation—long game, precise execution.
• And in a classic Bishop's Opening Berlin Defense duel, Jon forced his rival to resign, asserting dominance in the midgame chaos.

But even heroes stumble: a recent loss to 1D19 ended in an early game retreat (game abandoned), and a bullet time scramble with SamuelPorto01 saw him lose on time—proof that even sharp swords need to keep an eye on the clock.

Opponent Interactions & Win Records

Jon's online battlefields are littered with friends, rivals, and the occasional "checkmate or timeout" scenario. Fun fact: some opponents like benja125s and georgeci100 simply haven't managed to crack Jon's defenses yet, holding a perfect win record against him. Conversely, others, such as melihhmu, have left Jon biting the dust zero percent of the time—always a good reminder that chess is a humbling game.

In Summary

Jon Holtan-Hartwig is a fighter, tactician, and a bit of a wildcard in the chess world. Whether jousting in bullet blurs or taking his time in rapid engagements, he blends patience, resilience, and just enough wildcard craziness to keep both spectators and opponents guessing. One thing's for sure—playing against JonGiw is never boring, and the adventure is half the fun.