Prepare against Karol Motuz
FM · Slovakia · World #6,194 classical · FIDE ID 14902621
When preparing against Karol Motuz, expect 1.d4 in 59% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (41% of games); against 1.d4, 1...d5 (53%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Catalan as Black, 13.3% over 15 games.
Our database contains 1,030 games by Karol Motuz, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Karol Motuz's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Karol Motuz 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 | 2,243 | 2,432 | Nov 2017 |
| Rapid | 2,335 | 2,363 | Jun 2022 |
| Blitz | 2,201 | 2,343 | Oct 2015 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,030 | 411 | 329 | 290 | 39.9% |
| As White | 514 | 233 | 158 | 123 | 45.3% |
| As Black | 516 | 178 | 171 | 167 | 34.5% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Karol Motuz's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Karol Motuz's side.
First moves as White (514 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 301 | 58.6% | 58.3% |
| c4 | 100 | 19.5% | 65.0% |
| e4 | 82 | 16.0% | 62.8% |
| Nf3 | 19 | 3.7% | 68.4% |
| b3 | 11 | 2.1% | 54.5% |
| g3 | 1 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 59% of White games, 58.3% score
- …Nf6 (59% of these games) — Motuz usually continues c4 (56.8% score)
- …d5 (27% of these games) — Motuz usually continues c4 (58.1% score)
- …e6 (4% of these games) — Motuz usually continues c4 (59.1% score)
- 1.c4 — 19% of White games, 65.0% score
- …Nf6 (29% of these games) — Motuz usually continues Nc3 (61.5% score)
- …e5 (25% of these games) — Motuz usually continues a3 (72.2% score)
- …e6 (12% of these games) — Motuz usually continues d4 (75.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (247 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 102 | 41.3% | 61.3% |
| e5 | 75 | 30.4% | 58.7% |
| e6 | 59 | 23.9% | 55.9% |
| g6 | 4 | 1.6% | 62.5% |
| d6 | 4 | 1.6% | 50.0% |
| g5 | 2 | 0.8% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (152 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 81 | 53.3% | 38.9% |
| Nf6 | 34 | 22.4% | 57.4% |
| e6 | 25 | 16.4% | 48.0% |
| f5 | 5 | 3.3% | 60.0% |
| c5 | 3 | 2.0% | 83.3% |
| d6 | 2 | 1.3% | 100.0% |
Karol Motuz's chess games
All 1,030 games by Karol Motuz 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: 411 wins, 329 draws, 290 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D15 | Slav Defense | 55 | 25/18/12 | 45.5% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 42 | 17/14/11 | 40.5% |
| A20 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 29 | 17/4/8 | 58.6% |
| E81 | King's Indian: Sämisch | 29 | 12/10/7 | 41.4% |
| A39 | English Opening | 25 | 8/10/7 | 32.0% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 22 | 13/3/6 | 59.1% |
| E70 | King's Indian Defense | 22 | 11/6/5 | 50.0% |
| E04 | Catalan | 15 | 6/7/2 | 40.0% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 15 | 7/4/4 | 46.7% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 15 | 8/6/1 | 53.3% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A31 | Sicilian | 44 | 20/16/8 | 45.5% |
| A30 | English Opening | 38 | 8/14/16 | 21.1% |
| D46 | Slav Defense | 28 | 4/10/14 | 14.3% |
| B85 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 26 | 11/7/8 | 42.3% |
| C03 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 23 | 8/7/8 | 34.8% |
| A90 | Horwitz Defense | 21 | 5/10/6 | 23.8% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 21 | 11/5/5 | 52.4% |
| D20 | Queen's Gambit Accepted | 20 | 7/5/8 | 35.0% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 20 | 6/5/9 | 30.0% |
| E04 | Catalan | 15 | 2/8/5 | 13.3% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2018 | Levente Vajda | 2,568 | Dunajska Streda | C03 |
| Aug 2017 | Isan Reynaldo Ortiz Suarez | 2,556 | Badalona Open 43rd | A70 |
| Oct 2020 | Davit Shengelia | 2,544 | Banicky Kahanec | A46 |
| Aug 2017 | Fernando Peralta | 2,540 | Badalona Open 43rd | E01 |
| Feb 2019 | Tadeas Kriebel | 2,515 | chT-SVK 1819 | C11 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tatry Open | 2020 | 142 | 96.5 | 2,326 |
| WchT Seniors 50 | 2024 | 33 | 21.5 | 2,340 |
| chT-EU Seniors 50 | 2024 | 17 | 11.5 | 2,353 |
| ch-SVK | 1981 | 13 | 8 | 2,388 |
| chT-SVK 9596 | 1996 | 12 | 4.5 | 2,219 |
| chT-SVK 9900 | 2000 | 11 | 5 | 2,252 |
| chT-SVK 1718 | 2018 | 11 | 3.5 | 2,317 |
| chT-SVK 2324 | 2024 | 11 | 6.5 | 2,369 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Claudiu Andrei Zetocha (10 games) · Milan Pacher (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,030 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Karol Motuz's chess games?
1,030 games by Karol Motuz, 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 Karol Motuz has played.
What does Karol Motuz play on the first move as White?
Across 514 games with White in our database, Karol Motuz opens with 1.d4 (59% of games), 1.c4 (19% of games), 1.e4 (16% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Karol Motuz answers 1...c5 (41% of games), 1...e5 (30% of games), 1...e6 (24% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d5 (53% of games), 1...Nf6 (22% of games), 1...e6 (16% of games).
What openings does Karol Motuz play as White?
As White, Karol Motuz's most-played openings in our database are: Slav Defense (55 games, 45.5% win rate); Indian Defense (42 games, 40.5% win rate); English Opening: Reverse Sicilian (29 games, 58.6% win rate). The full breakdown of 514 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Karol Motuz play as Black?
As Black, Karol Motuz most often plays: Sicilian (44 games, 45.5% win rate); English Opening (38 games, 21.1% win rate); Slav Defense (28 games, 14.3% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 516 games.
What is Karol Motuz's FIDE rating?
Karol Motuz is currently rated 2,243 in classical chess, 2,335 in rapid and 2,201 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,432 (Nov 2017).
How many games has Karol Motuz played?
Our database contains 1,030 games by Karol Motuz, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 411 wins, 329 draws, 290 losses (39.9% win rate).
How do I prepare against Karol Motuz?
1,030 games by Karol Motuz 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.