Prepare against Karl Thorsteins
IM · Iceland · World #1,555 classical · FIDE ID 2300060
Our database contains 558 games by Karl Thorsteins, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Karl Thorsteins's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Karl Thorsteins 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 | 2,407 | 2,489 | Apr 2004 |
| Blitz | 2,387 | 2,456 | Sep 2014 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 558 | 224 | 202 | 132 | 40.1% |
| As White | 272 | 130 | 101 | 41 | 47.8% |
| As Black | 286 | 94 | 101 | 91 | 32.9% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Karl Thorsteins's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Karl Thorsteins's side.
First moves as White (272 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 204 | 75.0% | 66.2% |
| c4 | 34 | 12.5% | 63.2% |
| e4 | 22 | 8.1% | 70.5% |
| Nf3 | 11 | 4.0% | 68.2% |
| g3 | 1 | 0.4% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 75% of White games, 66.2% score
- …Nf6 (70% of these games) — Thorsteins usually continues c4 (66.8% score)
- …d5 (13% of these games) — Thorsteins usually continues c4 (57.7% score)
- …e6 (8% of these games) — Thorsteins usually continues c4 (62.5% score)
- 1.c4 — 13% of White games, 63.2% score
- …e6 (29% of these games) — Thorsteins usually continues Nc3 (83.3% score)
- …Nf6 (24% of these games) — Thorsteins usually continues Nc3 (28.6% score)
- …c5 (21% of these games) — Thorsteins usually continues Nf3 (87.5% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (121 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 65 | 53.7% | 54.6% |
| c6 | 15 | 12.4% | 43.3% |
| Nf6 | 13 | 10.7% | 69.2% |
| d6 | 10 | 8.3% | 70.0% |
| e5 | 10 | 8.3% | 55.0% |
| g6 | 8 | 6.6% | 68.8% |
As Black against 1.d4 (106 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 61 | 57.5% | 47.5% |
| d5 | 32 | 30.2% | 56.3% |
| g6 | 12 | 11.3% | 45.8% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.9% | 0.0% |
Karl Thorsteins's chess games
All 558 games by Karl Thorsteins 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: 224 wins, 202 draws, 132 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D36 | Indian Defense | 27 | 14/7/6 | 51.9% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 20 | 12/6/2 | 60.0% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 15 | 5/8/2 | 33.3% |
| D10 | Slav Defense | 15 | 6/6/3 | 40.0% |
| A17 | English Opening | 13 | 5/6/2 | 38.5% |
| E81 | King's Indian: Sämisch | 12 | 6/4/2 | 50.0% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 11 | 7/2/2 | 63.6% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 11 | 4/5/2 | 36.4% |
| E48 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 10 | 2/4/4 | 20.0% |
| E20 | Nimzo-Indian Defense | 10 | 6/2/2 | 60.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B63 | Sicilian | 35 | 10/15/10 | 28.6% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 23 | 7/9/7 | 30.4% |
| D55 | Indian Defense | 20 | 4/5/11 | 20.0% |
| B85 | Sicilian: Scheveningen | 19 | 8/4/7 | 42.1% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 18 | 5/7/6 | 27.8% |
| D18 | Slav Defense | 15 | 7/6/2 | 46.7% |
| A34 | English Opening | 12 | 0/5/7 | 0.0% |
| D35 | Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense | 11 | 0/6/5 | 0.0% |
| B04 | Alekhine Defense | 11 | 7/3/1 | 63.6% |
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 8 | 5/3/0 | 62.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1988 | Mikhail Gurevich | 2,625 | Akureyri | E38 |
| Jan 1993 | Josif D Dorfman | 2,580 | ISL-FRA | D87 |
| Jan 1989 | Maxim Dlugy | 2,570 | New York Open | D41 |
| Jan 1990 | Walter Browne | 2,560 | Reykjavik Open | E20 |
| Jan 1990 | Margeir Petursson | 2,555 | Reykjavik Open | B09 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavik Open | 1990 | 52 | 25.5 | 2,448 |
| ch-ISL | 1991 | 41 | 27.5 | 2,519 |
| Reykjavik | 1992 | 24 | 11 | 2,457 |
| Titled Tuesday | 2022 | 18 | 8 | 2,218 |
| chT-ISL | 1997 | 15 | 11 | 2,470 |
| Rio de Janeiro U18 | 1982 | 15 | 11 | 2,481 |
| World U20-ch23 | 1984 | 13 | 9 | 2,530 |
| New York Open | 1989 | 13 | 6 | 2,456 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Margeir Petursson (15 games) · Helgi Olafsson (12 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 558 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Karl Thorsteins's chess games?
558 games by Karl Thorsteins, 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 Karl Thorsteins has played.
What does Karl Thorsteins play on the first move as White?
Across 272 games with White in our database, Karl Thorsteins opens with 1.d4 (75% of games), 1.c4 (13% of games), 1.e4 (8% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Karl Thorsteins answers 1...c5 (54% of games), 1...c6 (12% of games), 1...Nf6 (11% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (58% of games), 1...d5 (30% of games), 1...g6 (11% of games).
What openings does Karl Thorsteins play as White?
As White, Karl Thorsteins's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (27 games, 51.9% win rate); Benoni Defense (20 games, 60.0% win rate); Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation (15 games, 33.3% win rate). The full breakdown of 272 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Karl Thorsteins play as Black?
As Black, Karl Thorsteins most often plays: Sicilian (35 games, 28.6% win rate); Modern Defense (23 games, 30.4% win rate); Indian Defense (20 games, 20.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 286 games.
What is Karl Thorsteins's FIDE rating?
Karl Thorsteins is currently rated 2,407 in classical chess and 2,387 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,489 (Apr 2004).
How many games has Karl Thorsteins played?
Our database contains 558 games by Karl Thorsteins, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 224 wins, 202 draws, 132 losses (40.1% win rate).
How do I prepare against Karl Thorsteins?
558 games by Karl Thorsteins 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.