Prepare against Carl Strugnell
FM · United Kingdom · World #9,497 classical · FIDE ID 616753
When preparing against Carl Strugnell, expect 1.e4 in 84% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (48% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (83%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Sicilian: Najdorf as White, 25.0% over 16 games.
Our database contains 579 games by Carl Strugnell, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Carl Strugnell's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Carl Strugnell before a game. You can open the same data in the free interactive preparation workstation, which builds a move-by-move opening tree from every game.
Ratings
| Time control | Current | Peak | Peak date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classical | 2,178 | 2,334 | Oct 2017 |
| Rapid | 2,200 | 2,321 | Feb 2017 |
| Blitz | 2,159 | 2,254 | Aug 2012 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 579 | 224 | 100 | 255 | 38.7% |
| As White | 301 | 134 | 39 | 128 | 44.5% |
| As Black | 278 | 90 | 61 | 127 | 32.4% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Carl Strugnell's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Carl Strugnell's side.
First moves as White (301 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 253 | 84.1% | 50.8% |
| d4 | 20 | 6.6% | 50.0% |
| Nf3 | 15 | 5.0% | 60.0% |
| c4 | 13 | 4.3% | 46.2% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 84% of White games, 50.8% score
- …c5 (43% of these games) — Strugnell usually continues Nf3 (42.0% score)
- …e5 (18% of these games) — Strugnell usually continues Nf3 (46.6% score)
- …e6 (16% of these games) — Strugnell usually continues d4 (47.4% score)
- 1.d4 — 7% of White games, 50.0% score
- …Nf6 (65% of these games) — Strugnell usually continues Nc3 (40.0% score)
- …d5 (25% of these games) — Strugnell usually continues Nc3 (75.0% score)
- …e5 (5% of these games) — Strugnell usually continues dxe5 (100.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (150 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 72 | 48.0% | 42.4% |
| e5 | 55 | 36.7% | 35.5% |
| e6 | 22 | 14.7% | 47.7% |
| c6 | 1 | 0.7% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (81 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 67 | 82.7% | 46.3% |
| d5 | 7 | 8.6% | 14.3% |
| e6 | 4 | 4.9% | 50.0% |
| c5 | 3 | 3.7% | 50.0% |
Carl Strugnell's chess games
All 579 games by Carl Strugnell in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Sep 2026) are free to browse, search and replay: filter by opening, opponent, event or date on the player page, or step through any game on the analysis board. Record: 224 wins, 100 draws, 255 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B43 | Sicilian | 39 | 10/9/20 | 25.6% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 24 | 15/2/7 | 62.5% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 21 | 7/0/14 | 33.3% |
| C91 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 17 | 6/2/9 | 35.3% |
| B80 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 16 | 4/1/11 | 25.0% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 15 | 7/1/7 | 46.7% |
| C15 | French: Winawer Variation | 14 | 7/3/4 | 50.0% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 13 | 10/1/2 | 76.9% |
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 11 | 8/0/3 | 72.7% |
| A05 | Réti Opening | 10 | 5/3/2 | 50.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B66 | Sicilian | 44 | 15/7/22 | 34.1% |
| D00 | Indian Defense | 17 | 5/3/9 | 29.4% |
| A16 | English Opening | 11 | 2/5/4 | 18.2% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 11 | 5/4/2 | 45.5% |
| E04 | Catalan | 9 | 5/0/4 | 55.6% |
| A44 | Benoni Defense | 9 | 2/1/6 | 22.2% |
| C77 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 8 | 3/0/5 | 37.5% |
| C45 | Scotch Game | 8 | 4/2/2 | 50.0% |
| C05 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 8 | 5/2/1 | 62.5% |
| D38 | Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense | 8 | 5/0/3 | 62.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2006 | Viorel Iordachescu | 2,603 | Lausanne Open | B06 |
| Mar 2013 | Victor Mikhalevski | 2,548 | Skopje Karposh Open | C66 |
| Jan 2011 | Anatoli Vaisser | 2,545 | ch-Paris Blitz | B30 |
| Jul 2012 | Vlad-Cristian Jianu | 2,507 | Arad Open | B76 |
| Dec 2016 | Mark L Hebden | 2,492 | 8th London Classic Super rapid | C88 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 53 | 21 | 2,097 |
| chT-Belgrade | 2020 | 17 | 7 | 2,217 |
| Veliko Gradiste Silver Lake Open A | 2021 | 15 | 7 | 2,150 |
| Skopje Karposh Open | 2017 | 13 | 5.5 | 2,413 |
| ch-FRA Accession | 2009 | 12 | 4 | 2,097 |
| chT2B-FRA 0506 | 2006 | 11 | 7 | 2,317 |
| Belgrade-chT Quality | 2022 | 11 | 6.5 | 2,295 |
| chT2S-FRA 0203 | 2003 | 10 | 5 | 2,217 |
Interactive opening tree from all 579 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Carl Strugnell's chess games?
579 games by Carl Strugnell, from Apr 2003 to Sep 2026, are free to browse and replay move by move — no signup needed. The preparation view groups them into an opening tree showing every line Carl Strugnell has played.
What does Carl Strugnell play on the first move as White?
Across 301 games with White in our database, Carl Strugnell opens with 1.e4 (84% of games), 1.d4 (7% of games), 1.Nf3 (5% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Carl Strugnell answers 1...c5 (48% of games), 1...e5 (37% of games), 1...e6 (15% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (83% of games), 1...d5 (9% of games), 1...e6 (5% of games).
What openings does Carl Strugnell play as White?
As White, Carl Strugnell's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (39 games, 25.6% win rate); Sicilian: Closed (24 games, 62.5% win rate); French: Classical Variation (21 games, 33.3% win rate). The full breakdown of 301 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Carl Strugnell play as Black?
As Black, Carl Strugnell most often plays: Sicilian (44 games, 34.1% win rate); Indian Defense (17 games, 29.4% win rate); English Opening (11 games, 18.2% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 278 games.
What is Carl Strugnell's FIDE rating?
Carl Strugnell is currently rated 2,178 in classical chess, 2,200 in rapid and 2,159 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,334 (Oct 2017).
How many games has Carl Strugnell played?
Our database contains 579 games by Carl Strugnell, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 224 wins, 100 draws, 255 losses (38.7% win rate).
How do I prepare against Carl Strugnell?
579 games by Carl Strugnell reveal their opening repertoire, most-played lines, and the variations where they score worst — the raw material for targeted preparation. The interactive opening tree lets you walk every line to any depth.