Prepare against Hannes Rau
IM · DEU · World #1,757 classical · FIDE ID 4657594
When preparing against Hannes Rau, expect 1.d4 in 94% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (90% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (94%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Queen's Indian Defense as Black, 26.1% over 23 games.
Our database contains 644 games by Hannes Rau, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Hannes Rau's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Hannes Rau 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 | 2,396 | 2,481 | Mar 2016 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 644 | 305 | 197 | 142 | 47.4% |
| As White | 330 | 175 | 96 | 59 | 53.0% |
| As Black | 314 | 130 | 101 | 83 | 41.4% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Hannes Rau's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Hannes Rau's side.
First moves as White (330 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 309 | 93.6% | 68.1% |
| c4 | 19 | 5.8% | 60.5% |
| Nf3 | 2 | 0.6% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 94% of White games, 68.1% score
- …Nf6 (53% of these games) — Rau usually continues c4 (70.2% score)
- …d5 (27% of these games) — Rau usually continues c4 (69.8% score)
- …e6 (7% of these games) — Rau usually continues c4 (60.5% score)
- 1.c4 — 6% of White games, 60.5% score
- …e5 (26% of these games) — Rau usually continues Nc3 (50.0% score)
- …e6 (16% of these games) — Rau usually continues g3 (100.0% score)
- …Nf6 (16% of these games) — Rau usually continues Nc3 (66.7% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (170 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 153 | 90.0% | 58.2% |
| c6 | 8 | 4.7% | 62.5% |
| e6 | 5 | 2.9% | 60.0% |
| e5 | 4 | 2.4% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (90 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 85 | 94.4% | 58.2% |
| d5 | 5 | 5.6% | 40.0% |
Hannes Rau's chess games
All 644 games by Hannes Rau 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: 305 wins, 197 draws, 142 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D15 | Slav Defense | 41 | 19/13/9 | 46.3% |
| E97 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 40 | 23/10/7 | 57.5% |
| D36 | Indian Defense | 34 | 24/3/7 | 70.6% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 32 | 18/10/4 | 56.3% |
| A67 | Benoni Defense | 26 | 14/6/6 | 53.8% |
| D89 | Grünfeld Defense | 23 | 10/8/5 | 43.5% |
| D35 | Queen's Gambit Declined | 13 | 10/1/2 | 76.9% |
| A87 | Dutch Defense | 10 | 6/3/1 | 60.0% |
| E11 | Horwitz Defense | 10 | 4/5/1 | 40.0% |
| E44 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 9 | 4/3/2 | 44.4% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B66 | Sicilian | 103 | 37/34/32 | 35.9% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 23 | 6/7/10 | 26.1% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 17 | 10/3/4 | 58.8% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 15 | 10/3/2 | 66.7% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 15 | 8/3/4 | 53.3% |
| A31 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 14 | 2/9/3 | 14.3% |
| A30 | English Opening | 14 | 8/3/3 | 57.1% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 13 | 5/6/2 | 38.5% |
| C00 | Réti Opening | 12 | 5/2/5 | 41.7% |
| E05 | Catalan | 11 | 6/4/1 | 54.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2009 | Alexander Graf | 2,643 | 2nd Pfalz Open | D37 |
| Jan 2009 | Viktor Erdos | 2,581 | 13th Neckar Open A | D27 |
| Apr 2012 | Tornike Sanikidze | 2,549 | 16th Neckar Open A | E03 |
| May 2008 | Thomas Luther | 2,539 | ch-Stuttgart A int | D92 |
| Apr 2015 | Ralf Appel | 2,526 | Bundesliga 2014-15 | A56 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-GER U20 int | 2004 | 20 | 8.5 | 2,293 |
| chT-GER U20 | 2004 | 19 | 15 | 2,348 |
| ch-GER U18 | 2003 | 18 | 10.5 | 2,250 |
| ch-GER U16 | 2001 | 18 | 13 | 2,359 |
| ch-GER U11 | 1996 | 15 | 10.5 | – |
| Wch U14 | 1999 | 13 | 7.5 | 2,255 |
| Wch U20 | 2005 | 13 | 7 | 2,421 |
| Bundesliga 2011-12 | 2012 | 11 | 3 | 2,257 |
Interactive opening tree from all 644 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Hannes Rau's chess games?
644 games by Hannes Rau, 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 Hannes Rau has played.
What does Hannes Rau play on the first move as White?
Across 330 games with White in our database, Hannes Rau opens with 1.d4 (94% of games), 1.c4 (6% of games), 1.Nf3 (1% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Hannes Rau answers 1...c5 (90% of games), 1...c6 (5% of games), 1...e6 (3% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (94% of games), 1...d5 (6% of games).
What openings does Hannes Rau play as White?
As White, Hannes Rau's most-played openings in our database are: Slav Defense (41 games, 46.3% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (40 games, 57.5% win rate); Indian Defense (34 games, 70.6% win rate). The full breakdown of 330 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Hannes Rau play as Black?
As Black, Hannes Rau most often plays: Sicilian (103 games, 35.9% win rate); Queen's Indian Defense (23 games, 26.1% win rate); Indian Defense (17 games, 58.8% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 314 games.
What is Hannes Rau's FIDE rating?
Hannes Rau is currently rated 2,396 in classical chess. Peak classical rating: 2,481 (Mar 2016).
How many games has Hannes Rau played?
Our database contains 644 games by Hannes Rau, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 305 wins, 197 draws, 142 losses (47.4% win rate).
How do I prepare against Hannes Rau?
644 games by Hannes Rau 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.