Prepare against Marcel Van Herck
Belgium · World #29,047 classical · FIDE ID 200344
Our database contains 646 games by Marcel Van Herck, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Marcel Van Herck's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Marcel Van Herck 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 | 1,991 | 2,216 | Apr 2004 |
| Rapid | 1,976 | 2,034 | May 2018 |
| Blitz | 1,938 | 2,186 | May 2017 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 646 | 199 | 273 | 174 | 30.8% |
| As White | 327 | 120 | 135 | 72 | 36.7% |
| As Black | 319 | 79 | 138 | 102 | 24.8% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Marcel Van Herck's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Marcel Van Herck's side.
First moves as White (327 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 204 | 62.4% | 58.1% |
| d4 | 107 | 32.7% | 59.3% |
| c4 | 10 | 3.1% | 25.0% |
| Nf3 | 4 | 1.2% | 75.0% |
| g3 | 2 | 0.6% | 0.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 62% of White games, 58.1% score
- …c5 (43% of these games) — Herck usually continues Nf3 (56.5% score)
- …e5 (20% of these games) — Herck usually continues f4 (54.8% score)
- …e6 (15% of these games) — Herck usually continues d4 (66.1% score)
- 1.d4 — 33% of White games, 59.3% score
- …Nf6 (56% of these games) — Herck usually continues c4 (53.0% score)
- …d5 (29% of these games) — Herck usually continues c4 (69.2% score)
- …f5 (4% of these games) — Herck usually continues e4 (75.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (162 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c6 | 77 | 47.5% | 44.8% |
| c5 | 37 | 22.8% | 51.4% |
| e6 | 25 | 15.4% | 42.0% |
| e5 | 17 | 10.5% | 58.8% |
| g6 | 3 | 1.9% | 83.3% |
| d5 | 2 | 1.2% | 25.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (93 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 79 | 84.9% | 43.0% |
| d5 | 11 | 11.8% | 40.9% |
| c5 | 1 | 1.1% | 100.0% |
| g6 | 1 | 1.1% | 0.0% |
| c6 | 1 | 1.1% | 50.0% |
Marcel Van Herck's chess games
All 646 games by Marcel Van Herck in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Aug 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: 199 wins, 273 draws, 174 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B40 | Sicilian | 24 | 6/14/4 | 25.0% |
| B95 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 21 | 9/6/6 | 42.9% |
| C33 | King's Gambit | 20 | 8/7/5 | 40.0% |
| C15 | French: Winawer Variation | 15 | 5/7/3 | 33.3% |
| B47 | Sicilian: Taimanov | 12 | 2/7/3 | 16.7% |
| D91 | Grünfeld Defense | 11 | 2/4/5 | 18.2% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 11 | 2/6/3 | 18.2% |
| E80 | King's Indian: Sämisch | 10 | 5/3/2 | 50.0% |
| A43 | Benoni Defense | 10 | 4/4/2 | 40.0% |
| D15 | Slav Defense | 9 | 5/3/1 | 55.6% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 26 | 8/7/11 | 30.8% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 20 | 3/10/7 | 15.0% |
| B17 | Caro-Kann: Karpov Variation | 19 | 3/8/8 | 15.8% |
| B20 | Sicilian | 17 | 4/8/5 | 23.5% |
| B13 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 15 | 3/8/4 | 20.0% |
| E09 | Catalan | 12 | 2/6/4 | 16.7% |
| E40 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 10 | 3/3/4 | 30.0% |
| E61 | King's Indian Defense | 9 | 2/4/3 | 22.2% |
| D13 | Slav Defense | 9 | 1/4/4 | 11.1% |
| B10 | Caro-Kann | 8 | 3/1/4 | 37.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2018 | Stefan Docx | 2,444 | 18th Brasschaat Open | A85 |
| Sep 1978 | Franco Trabattoni | 2,435 | EU Economic Community Team-ch02 | E37 |
| Jul 1972 | Evgenij Ermenkov | 2,410 | WchT Students 19th Group3 | E04 |
| Jul 1972 | Thomas Buerger | 2,360 | WchT Students 19th Group3 | E35 |
| Jan 2001 | Gorik Cools | 2,355 | BEL VSF Open A | D91 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-Antwerp League Experts | 1999 | 55 | 36 | 2,300 |
| WchT Seniors 65 | 2024 | 43 | 22 | 2,084 |
| ch-BEL Open | 2025 | 24 | 15 | 2,032 |
| chT-EU Seniors 65 | 2024 | 15 | 8.5 | 2,130 |
| chT-EU Seniors | 2012 | 15 | 3.5 | 2,000 |
| ch-Flemish | 2017 | 14 | 7 | 2,140 |
| ch-BEL | 2010 | 13 | 6.5 | 2,185 |
| ch-BEL B | 1989 | 13 | 5.5 | 2,091 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Robert Schuermans (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 646 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Marcel Van Herck's chess games?
646 games by Marcel Van Herck, from Apr 2003 to Aug 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 Marcel Van Herck has played.
What does Marcel Van Herck play on the first move as White?
Across 327 games with White in our database, Marcel Van Herck opens with 1.e4 (62% of games), 1.d4 (33% of games), 1.c4 (3% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Marcel Van Herck answers 1...c6 (48% of games), 1...c5 (23% of games), 1...e6 (15% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (85% of games), 1...d5 (12% of games), 1...c5 (1% of games).
What openings does Marcel Van Herck play as White?
As White, Marcel Van Herck's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (24 games, 25.0% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (21 games, 42.9% win rate); King's Gambit (20 games, 40.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 327 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Marcel Van Herck play as Black?
As Black, Marcel Van Herck most often plays: Caro-Kann: Advance Variation (26 games, 30.8% win rate); Indian Defense (20 games, 15.0% win rate); Caro-Kann: Karpov Variation (19 games, 15.8% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 319 games.
What is Marcel Van Herck's FIDE rating?
Marcel Van Herck is currently rated 1,991 in classical chess, 1,976 in rapid and 1,938 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,216 (Apr 2004).
How many games has Marcel Van Herck played?
Our database contains 646 games by Marcel Van Herck, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 199 wins, 273 draws, 174 losses (30.8% win rate).
How do I prepare against Marcel Van Herck?
646 games by Marcel Van Herck 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.