Avatar of Karsten Foltz

Karsten Foltz

Username: karstenbot

Location: Seattle, WA

Playing Since: 2018-11-17 (Active)

Wow Factor: ♟♟♟♟♟

Chess.com

Daily: 595
2W / 0L / 0D
Rapid: 1293
719W / 684L / 64D
Blitz: 1200
484W / 445L / 30D
Bullet: 1054
259W / 233L / 11D

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.


Coach's Avatar

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
Rating by Year2020202120222023202420251452546YearRatingBulletBlitzRapidDaily

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