Jan Karsten
South African chess player (born 2008)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jan Karsten (born 2008) is a South African chess player who was awarded the FIDE title of International Master in 2023.[2]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2008 (age 17–18) |
| Chess career | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Title | International Master (2023) |
| Peak rating | 2385 (June 2025) |
Chess career
At age 14, and one of the youngest contestants,[3] Karsten won the 2022 African Junior Chess Championship, finishing unbeaten on 6.5/9.[4][5] This earned him the title of International Master.
As a result of this win, he qualified for the 2022 World Junior Chess Championship where he finished on 4.5/11.[6]
Karsten won the 2024 Cape Town Chess Masters, where he was the top seed.[7][8]
In December 2025, Karsten beat world champion Magnus Carlsen in a simultaneous Chess960 exhibition, and in March 2026, Karsten won the South African Chess Championship.[1]
Personal life
Karsten attends Jan van Riebeeck High School.[9] As of 2026, Karsten is in his final year of high school, and also plays tennis, swimming, cricket and hockey.[1]