Karsten Foltz - The Chess Adventurer
Meet Karsten Foltz, known to many as karstenbot, a chess player who navigates the 64 squares with more persistence than a cat chasing a laser pointer. With a flair for blitz and rapid games, Karsten's journey is a rollercoaster of exciting wins, tough losses, and passionate draws.
Journey Through the Ratings
Starting modestly around 500 in blitz back in 2020, Karsten catapulted to over 1300 by 2025, mastering the art of quick thinking and lightning-fast calculations. Rapid games have seen an even more impressive climb, peaking beyond 1500 in 2024! Bullet games? A spirited competitor with steady improvement, pushing past the 1000 rating mark as well. Daily chess may be a quiet corner of Karsten's play, but that one perfect game was a 100% victory, proving the finesse never sleeps.
Style and Strategy
With an early resignation rate of just over 21%, Karsten isn't one to give up without a fight—but knows when to save time for the next battle. Endgames appear more than half the time, making Karsten a lover of long, strategic duels. Expect games with about 48 average moves per win—not too quick, not too drawn out, just right for keeping the audience on edge.
Interestingly, Karsten’s comeback rate is a valiant 57%, proving resilience runs deep. Even after losing a piece, the odds of turning the tide into a win hit an impressive 80%. So if you think you’ve got the upper hand early on, beware—Karsten’s tactical radar and psychological fortitude might just surprise you.
Achievements & Records
Karsten boasts over 750 blitz wins, close to 730 rapid victories, and almost 300 bullet wins—a testament to versatility across formats. The longest winning streak? A mighty twelve in a row, showing when Karsten’s gears are in perfect motion, nothing stands in the way.
Memorable Games
One of the most amusing recent wins: a cunning game using the Alekhine’s Defense - Scandinavian Variation, where Karsten’s opponents gracefully resigned under pressure. Karsten’s play is a delightful blend of strategic calm and tactical fireworks, reminding us all that sometimes, resignation is the kindest move.
Opponents and Rivalries
Playing against a rich gallery of opponents, Karsten especially loves a good matchup with hoooooolo (15 games), papatu82, and richardo55. With a unique streak of 100% win rates against several challengers, Karsten clearly knows how to keep the throne warm.
Fun Facts
- Peak win rates often occur late at night (22:00) with nearly 57% success—midnight oil fuels some brilliant moves!
- Karsten’s psychological tilt factor is low at 9, meaning setbacks are met with a Zen-like calm rather than freak-outs.
- White pieces slightly favored with a 51.77% win rate, but don’t underestimate Karsten’s black—the nearly even 49.94% win rate proves equally threatening from the dark side.
All in all, Karsten Foltz is a spirited player whose chess journey is just as captivating as a well-played Sicilian Defense: dynamic, strategic, and with just a bit of unexpected flair. Whether racing against the clock in blitz or plotting deep strategies in rapid, Karsten keeps the chessboard alive with energy and heart.
Positive Aspects in Your Recent Games
Karsten, your recent rapid games show solid understanding of key opening principles and you are actively seeking dynamic piece play, which is a great approach for rapid time controls.
- Your use of the Scandinavian Defense and Alekhine Defense aligns well with your higher win rates in those openings, indicating comfort and preparation.
- You demonstrate initiative by creating tactical threats – for example, you pressured your opponent's king and active pieces in the game ending with a successful mating attack.
- You maintain good control of central squares and often develop pieces harmoniously, especially knights and bishops to strong squares early in the game.
Areas to Improve
While you’ve shown strengths, some recurring themes in your recent games could be addressed to raise your level further:
- Opening Stability: Though your opening repertoire brings dynamic games, some positions require more precise move orders to avoid falling behind in development or allowing opponent counters. Reviewing the key ideas behind your most played openings like Scandinavian and Alekhine can improve early game confidence.
- Endgame Technique: In some games, conversion of advantage was missed or ended in unfavorable trades. Studying basic endgame themes, especially rook and pawn endgames, can help you finish games more effectively.
- Time Management: Your quick attacking attempts sometimes lead to mistakes under time pressure. Practice managing the clock better, giving yourself a few seconds to verify critical moves, especially in tactical positions.
- Capturing Tactical Opportunities: Although you often create pressure, be cautious of overlooking opponent captures or counter threats. Regular puzzles focusing on tactical motifs like pins, forks, and discovered attacks will sharpen this.
Suggestions for Your Next Steps
To build on your current foundation and address the points above, consider the following actions:
- Review and deepen your understanding of your chosen openings, especially the typical pawn structures and key plans behind the Scandinavian and Alekhine Defenses.
- Study common endgame positions to improve conversion skills; practice basic rook endings and pawn promotion tactics.
- Incorporate regular tactical training focused on vision and calculation accuracy to reduce missed opportunities and blunders.
- Analyze your own games to identify where timing or move choice under time pressure led to lost positions, and practice playing longer on critical moves.
- Consider occasional slower time controls to practice strategic planning and reduce impulsive moves.
Overall Performance Insights
Your adjusted win rate is about 52%, which shows you are competitive against similarly rated players. However, your rating has declined a bit recently, indicating the importance of focusing on patching up tactical and endgame weaknesses. The positive rating trend slope over recent months suggests with focused work you can regain and surpass your previous peak.
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Recent Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| malikrey | 0W / 1L / 0D | |
| prannesshbalu | 0W / 1L / 0D | |
| ekooo01 | 0W / 1L / 0D | |
| arkarmyokhaing | 0W / 1L / 0D | |
| mnuyao | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| nitzz17 | 0W / 2L / 0D | |
| naddddder | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| leo_surer | 0W / 1L / 0D | |
| oshinnlegoat | 1W / 0L / 0D | |
| croak2012 | 0W / 1L / 0D | |
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| hoooooolo | 34W / 7L / 4D | |
| papatu82 | 1W / 6L / 2D | |
| richardo55 | 7W / 1L / 0D | |
| Alex Yermolinsky | 0W / 5L / 1D | |
| hb_soule | 2W / 3L / 0D | |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1054 | 1206 | 1293 | 595 |
| 2024 | 1013 | 1040 | 1405 | 546 |
| 2023 | 1038 | 1452 | ||
| 2022 | 833 | 895 | 1300 | |
| 2021 | 591 | 839 | 1034 | |
| 2020 | 588 | 830 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 117W / 106L / 8D | 112W / 107L / 3D | 64.6 |
| 2024 | 280W / 250L / 13D | 263W / 256L / 13D | 64.1 |
| 2023 | 83W / 65L / 5D | 76W / 72L / 8D | 69.9 |
| 2022 | 217W / 181L / 13D | 205W / 183L / 18D | 53.7 |
| 2021 | 250W / 209L / 13D | 247W / 240L / 10D | 37.5 |
| 2020 | 12W / 15L / 3D | 17W / 13L / 2D | 46.0 |
Openings: Most Played
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 673 | 352 | 320 | 1 | 52.3% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 187 | 93 | 89 | 5 | 49.7% |
| Alekhine Defense | 90 | 49 | 40 | 1 | 54.4% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 64 | 36 | 26 | 2 | 56.2% |
| Barnes Defense | 50 | 26 | 23 | 1 | 52.0% |
| Amazon Attack | 42 | 22 | 19 | 1 | 52.4% |
| Amar Gambit | 40 | 27 | 13 | 0 | 67.5% |
| French Defense | 38 | 18 | 19 | 1 | 47.4% |
| Czech Defense | 29 | 19 | 7 | 3 | 65.5% |
| Petrov's Defense | 26 | 7 | 19 | 0 | 26.9% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scandinavian Defense | 296 | 141 | 140 | 15 | 47.6% |
| Alekhine Defense | 124 | 61 | 55 | 8 | 49.2% |
| Amazon Attack | 75 | 37 | 35 | 3 | 49.3% |
| Barnes Defense | 67 | 30 | 35 | 2 | 44.8% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 66 | 36 | 28 | 2 | 54.5% |
| Sicilian Defense | 51 | 24 | 25 | 2 | 47.1% |
| London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation | 41 | 19 | 20 | 2 | 46.3% |
| Czech Defense | 38 | 18 | 19 | 1 | 47.4% |
| Ruy Lopez: Old Steinitz Defense, Semi-Duras Variation | 37 | 20 | 15 | 2 | 54.0% |
| Philidor Defense | 35 | 16 | 18 | 1 | 45.7% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scandinavian Defense | 101 | 47 | 52 | 2 | 46.5% |
| Alekhine Defense | 64 | 41 | 22 | 1 | 64.1% |
| Amar Gambit | 31 | 18 | 13 | 0 | 58.1% |
| French Defense | 26 | 12 | 14 | 0 | 46.1% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 26 | 12 | 14 | 0 | 46.1% |
| Barnes Defense | 20 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 40.0% |
| Amazon Attack | 20 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 55.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation | 15 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 40.0% |
| Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 54.5% |
| Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Benelux Variation | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Daily Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hungarian Opening: Wiedenhagen-Beta Gambit | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 12 | 0 |
| Losing | 9 | 4 |