Pankaj Joshi - FIDE Master (FM)
Meet Pankaj Joshi, known on the chess battlefield as pankajfm, a proud bearer of the FIDE Master title—because “Grandmaster” was just a bit too mainstream. With a peak blitz rating soaring to an impressive 2456 in April 2023, Pankaj has proven he’s no stranger to quick thinking and rapid strikes on the 64 squares.
Playing Style & Statistics
A master of the ticking clock, Pankaj’s blitz games reveal a commendable balance of patience and aggression. Known for a tactical prowess that’s willing to fight back with an astounding 84.43% comeback rate, Pankaj has mastered the art of turning a bad situation into a fighting chance. However, his bullet record shows just how wild and unpredictable those lightning-fast battles get, with a rugged win rate but a fearless willingness to keep pushing forward despite losses.
Interestingly, Pankaj seems to be a creature of the early morning—the best time of day to play is a spectacular 4 AM! Whether it’s sheer genius or just the lack of distractions, the stars seem to align for him at dawn. Though the psychological tilt factor sits at 34, showing he’s human after all, this warrior bounces back with impressive mental fortitude.
Signature Openings & Game Patterns
When it comes to openings, Pankaj plays a bit mysterious, wielding what’s labeled an “Unknown Opening” in many blitz encounters. But the secret sauce lies in his “Top Secret” opening repertoire—where his win rates sneak above 50% in blitz and even better in rapid games. Perhaps it’s a secret weapon or just well-honed preparation, but opponents beware!
Recent Highlights
Fresh from the boards, Pankaj clinched a neat victory against promising_talent with a dynamic Modern Defense battle, showcasing calculated aggression and quick exploitation of weaknesses to win by resignation in just 24 moves.
Of course, even masters stumble: a recent match loss to Jojo_898 involved some brutal tactical finesse against Pankaj’s defense, reminding us that even FM titans sometimes bite the dust — but only to rise stronger and wiser.
Fun Facts & Trivia
- Longest Winning Streak: 9 games - a solid streak proving Pankaj can catch fire!
- Longest Losing Streak: A humbling 34 games - because even the greatest have their "why is this happening" moments.
- White vs Black: Surprisingly, white pieces offer Pankaj a slightly higher win rate (24.85%) compared to black (21.51%), so better watch out when he's got the first move!
- Early Resignation Rate: Only 1.52%—resilience is key, and Pankaj doesn't give up that easily.
Summary
In the world of online and over-the-board chess chaos, Pankaj Joshi stands as a determined FIDE Master who combines tactical courage with a quirky preference for early mornings and unpredictable openings. Challenging opponents near and far, Pankaj’s journey is a compelling mix of thrilling wins, educational losses, and lots of passion for the game. Whether you meet him in a frantic blitz battle or a carefully crafted rapid game, expect a fight, a smile, and maybe a secret opening or two!
Keep your pawns close and your queen closer—Pankaj is coming!
Positives from Recent Games
Pankaj, your recent win demonstrates solid opening preparation and tactical awareness. Against Queen's Pawn Opening systems, you successfully built a strong central and queenside presence. Your ability to convert pressure into opponent resignation is a great strength.
- Good control of the center and space advantage early on.
- Effective use of pawn structure to limit your opponent's counterplay.
- Confident finishing technique—forcing resignation by building up threats steadily.
Areas to Work On
Looking at your recent losses and overall stats, there are a few key areas to focus on improving:
- Handling Complex Positions: Some of your losses occurred in sharp tactical positions like the Scandinavian Defense. Improving calculation accuracy and recognizing tactical motifs could help reduce losses.
- Opening Repertoire Balance: Your win rate in some openings like the Caro-Kann Exchange Variation is good (60%), but you struggle in the Sicilian Alapin Variant (10%). Studying these weaker areas to understand typical plans and pitfalls will help.
- Endgame Technique: The recent losses show that endgames become challenging under pressure. Focusing on practical endgame knowledge could improve your conversion and defense.
- Time Management: Maintaining steady time usage, especially in blitz, can prevent rushed mistakes. Consider practicing faster yet accurate calculation.
Strategic Suggestions
Based on your openings and performance trends, here are some focused suggestions for improvement:
- Deepen your understanding of the Queen's Pawn structures you frequently encounter, to anticipate opponent plans better and prepare effective countermeasures.
- Review key tactical patterns common in your favorite openings, especially where losses happen, to increase your tactical alertness.
- Include targeted endgame study sessions, concentrating on king and pawn endgames and rook endgames since these appear frequently in your games.
- Try to incorporate some opening variations with higher success rates into your repertoire, such as the Caro-Kann Exchange Variation and King's Indian Defense Sämisch Variation where you have had positive results.
- Analyze positions from your recent losses, focusing on moments where the position shifted unfavorably, and learn the critical resource moves.
Overall Progress and Outlook
Your current strength adjusted win rate is about 49.8%, showing you are competitive but have room to grow, especially as recent rating changes show a slight dip (-43 rating over 6 months). However, a positive rating trend slope over several months indicates potential for improvement if the right areas are addressed.
Consistent study of your recent game losses and wins, combined with opening refinement and endgame practice, will help you regain momentum and push your rating higher.
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| Maria Larina | 13W / 19L / 5D | |
| Mike Sailer | 6W / 15L / 2D | |
| Wilfredo Sariego Figueredo | 4W / 11L / 2D | |
| Jemal Ovezdurdyeva | 1W / 12L / 1D | |
| Димитрий Король | 2W / 11L / 1D | |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2117 | 2192 | 2187 | |
| 2024 | 2143 | 2259 | 2191 | |
| 2023 | 1915 | 2240 | 2191 | |
| 2022 | 2418 | 2247 | ||
| 2021 | 2406 | |||
| 2020 | 2379 | 2247 | ||
| 2019 | 2244 | |||
| 2018 | 2193 | 1647 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8W / 50L / 2D | 16W / 41L / 5D | 67.6 |
| 2024 | 52W / 179L / 8D | 45W / 191L / 4D | 59.8 |
| 2023 | 92W / 369L / 24D | 79W / 392L / 18D | 58.3 |
| 2022 | 3W / 0L / 0D | 0W / 1L / 1D | 71.0 |
| 2021 | 4W / 3L / 2D | 7W / 2L / 1D | 67.8 |
| 2020 | 37W / 16L / 4D | 34W / 20L / 7D | 73.4 |
| 2019 | 3W / 1L / 0D | 2W / 1L / 0D | 81.9 |
| 2018 | 11W / 4L / 1D | 10W / 8L / 0D | 68.4 |
Openings: Most Played
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sicilian Defense: Closed | 22 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 27.3% |
| Amazon Attack | 18 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 27.8% |
| Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack | 14 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 35.7% |
| Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 60.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation | 10 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 10.0% |
| Sicilian Defense | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Australian Defense | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 55.6% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 44.4% |
| King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Bobotsov-Korchnoi-Petrosian Variation | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 66.7% |
| Blackburne Shilling Gambit | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 33.3% |
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caro-Kann Defense | 121 | 18 | 99 | 4 | 14.9% |
| Amar Gambit | 91 | 20 | 70 | 1 | 22.0% |
| Modern | 74 | 15 | 59 | 0 | 20.3% |
| Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation | 66 | 13 | 50 | 3 | 19.7% |
| Amazon Attack | 58 | 6 | 51 | 1 | 10.3% |
| Barnes Defense | 56 | 13 | 42 | 1 | 23.2% |
| Australian Defense | 51 | 11 | 40 | 0 | 21.6% |
| Nimzo-Larsen Attack | 51 | 9 | 42 | 0 | 17.6% |
| Hungarian Opening: Wiedenhagen-Beta Gambit | 45 | 7 | 37 | 1 | 15.6% |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation | 44 | 7 | 33 | 4 | 15.9% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sicilian Defense | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.7% |
| QGD: 3.Nc3 Bb4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66.7% |
| Benoni Defense: Old Benoni | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Unknown | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Czech Defense | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation, English Attack | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Dutch Defense | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| QGD: Exchange, 5.Bg5 c6 6.Qc2 g6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Australian Defense | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 9 | 0 |
| Losing | 34 | 4 |