Prepare against Herwig Pilaj
IM · Austria · World #3,528 classical · FIDE ID 1604040
Our database contains 837 games by Herwig Pilaj, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Herwig Pilaj's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Herwig Pilaj 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 | 2,318 | 2,431 | Oct 2004 |
| Rapid | 2,304 | 2,304 | Jul 2026 |
| Blitz | 2,304 | 2,304 | Jul 2026 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 837 | 249 | 367 | 221 | 29.7% |
| As White | 412 | 133 | 177 | 102 | 32.3% |
| As Black | 425 | 116 | 190 | 119 | 27.3% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Herwig Pilaj's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Herwig Pilaj's side.
First moves as White (412 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 125 | 30.3% | 60.0% |
| Nf3 | 116 | 28.2% | 50.4% |
| e4 | 112 | 27.2% | 52.7% |
| c4 | 52 | 12.6% | 51.9% |
| g3 | 5 | 1.2% | 30.0% |
| d3 | 1 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 30% of White games, 60.0% score
- …Nf6 (46% of these games) — Pilaj usually continues c4 (55.0% score)
- …d5 (36% of these games) — Pilaj usually continues c4 (64.6% score)
- …f5 (6% of these games) — Pilaj usually continues g3 (83.3% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 28% of White games, 50.4% score
- …Nf6 (54% of these games) — Pilaj usually continues c4 (40.0% score)
- …d5 (29% of these games) — Pilaj usually continues c4 (57.5% score)
- …c5 (8% of these games) — Pilaj usually continues e4 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (191 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 159 | 83.2% | 51.3% |
| e6 | 28 | 14.7% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 2 | 1.0% | 75.0% |
| c6 | 1 | 0.5% | 50.0% |
| e5 | 1 | 0.5% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (143 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 81 | 56.6% | 53.1% |
| d5 | 51 | 35.7% | 40.2% |
| g6 | 6 | 4.2% | 50.0% |
| c5 | 3 | 2.1% | 66.7% |
| e6 | 2 | 1.4% | 50.0% |
Herwig Pilaj's chess games
All 837 games by Herwig Pilaj in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Jul 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: 249 wins, 367 draws, 221 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D46 | Slav Defense | 37 | 14/14/9 | 37.8% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 27 | 8/13/6 | 29.6% |
| A16 | English Opening | 26 | 10/6/10 | 38.5% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 23 | 7/11/5 | 30.4% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 20 | 5/12/3 | 25.0% |
| E92 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 20 | 7/10/3 | 35.0% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 18 | 7/7/4 | 38.9% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 17 | 7/6/4 | 41.2% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 17 | 2/10/5 | 11.8% |
| A14 | English Opening: Neo-Catalan | 15 | 5/7/3 | 33.3% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B42 | Sicilian | 75 | 28/26/21 | 37.3% |
| D11 | Slav Defense | 52 | 6/28/18 | 11.5% |
| A56 | Benoni Defense | 28 | 9/11/8 | 32.1% |
| A37 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 25 | 3/12/10 | 12.0% |
| B35 | Sicilian: Accelerated Dragon | 21 | 7/10/4 | 33.3% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 20 | 8/4/8 | 40.0% |
| B31 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 20 | 3/10/7 | 15.0% |
| C18 | French: Winawer Variation | 17 | 5/9/3 | 29.4% |
| A40 | Modern Defense | 15 | 4/8/3 | 26.7% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 14 | 6/5/3 | 42.9% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2005 | Alexander Naumann | 2,538 | chT-AUT 0405 | D13 |
| Oct 2004 | Robert Zelcic | 2,531 | Olympiad-36 | E16 |
| Mar 2008 | Carlos S. Matamoros Franco | 2,529 | 11th Malaga Open | E92 |
| Jun 2008 | Fabio Bellini | 2,518 | 27th Mitropa Cup | D37 |
| Mar 2007 | Ilia Balinov | 2,516 | chT-AUT 0607 | D87 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-AUT | 2017 | 133 | 71 | 2,342 |
| Graz Open | 2007 | 41 | 22 | 2,301 |
| Finkenstein Open | 1999 | 20 | 12 | 2,174 |
| Graz Open A | 2008 | 18 | 10.5 | 2,318 |
| ch-AUT U14 | 1995 | 14 | 9 | 2,191 |
| Olympiad-37 | 2006 | 11 | 4.5 | 2,318 |
| 10th ch-EU | 2009 | 11 | 4.5 | 2,227 |
| chT2M-AUT 1011 | 2011 | 11 | 5 | 2,341 |
Interactive opening tree from all 837 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Herwig Pilaj's chess games?
837 games by Herwig Pilaj, from Apr 2003 to Jul 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 Herwig Pilaj has played.
What does Herwig Pilaj play on the first move as White?
Across 412 games with White in our database, Herwig Pilaj opens with 1.d4 (30% of games), 1.Nf3 (28% of games), 1.e4 (27% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Herwig Pilaj answers 1...c5 (83% of games), 1...e6 (15% of games), 1...g6 (1% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (57% of games), 1...d5 (36% of games), 1...g6 (4% of games).
What openings does Herwig Pilaj play as White?
As White, Herwig Pilaj's most-played openings in our database are: Slav Defense (37 games, 37.8% win rate); Réti Opening (27 games, 29.6% win rate); English Opening (26 games, 38.5% win rate). The full breakdown of 412 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Herwig Pilaj play as Black?
As Black, Herwig Pilaj most often plays: Sicilian (75 games, 37.3% win rate); Slav Defense (52 games, 11.5% win rate); Benoni Defense (28 games, 32.1% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 425 games.
What is Herwig Pilaj's FIDE rating?
Herwig Pilaj is currently rated 2,318 in classical chess, 2,304 in rapid and 2,304 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,431 (Oct 2004).
How many games has Herwig Pilaj played?
Our database contains 837 games by Herwig Pilaj, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 249 wins, 367 draws, 221 losses (29.7% win rate).
How do I prepare against Herwig Pilaj?
837 games by Herwig Pilaj 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.