Prepare against Michael Pfau
DEU · World #24,201 classical · FIDE ID 24608017
Our database contains 68 games by Michael Pfau, covering Apr 2004 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Michael Pfau's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Michael Pfau 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 | 2,024 | 2,089 | Jun 2016 |
| Rapid | 2,049 | 2,067 | Nov 2016 |
| Blitz | 1,986 | 1,991 | Aug 2012 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 68 | 20 | 7 | 41 | 29.4% |
| As White | 37 | 13 | 2 | 22 | 35.1% |
| As Black | 31 | 7 | 5 | 19 | 22.6% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Michael Pfau's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Michael Pfau's side.
First moves as White (37 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 36 | 97.3% | 38.9% |
| Nc3 | 1 | 2.7% | 0.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 97% of White games, 38.9% score
- …c5 (33% of these games) — Pfau usually continues Nf3 (15.0% score)
- …e5 (25% of these games) — Pfau usually continues Nf3 (66.7% score)
- …e6 (17% of these games) — Pfau usually continues Nf3 (30.0% score)
- 1.Nc3 — 3% of White games, 0.0% score
- …d5 (100% of these games) — Pfau usually continues d4 (0.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (11 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 11 | 100.0% | 45.5% |
As Black against 1.d4 (9 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 9 | 100.0% | 11.1% |
Michael Pfau's chess games
All 68 games by Michael Pfau in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2004 - 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: 20 wins, 7 draws, 41 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B40 | Sicilian | 10 | 1/1/8 | 10.0% |
| C50 | Italian Game | 7 | 5/0/2 | 71.4% |
| C00 | French Defense | 6 | 2/1/3 | 33.3% |
| B10 | Caro-Kann | 3 | 0/0/3 | 0.0% |
| B29 | Sicilian: Closed | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 2 | 2/0/0 | 100.0% |
| B01 | Scandinavian Defense: Main Line | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| D01 | Richter-Veresov Attack | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| C68 | Ruy Lopez: Exchange | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | 7 | 2/1/4 | 28.6% |
| A22 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 5 | 1/2/2 | 20.0% |
| C61 | Ruy Lopez | 4 | 1/0/3 | 25.0% |
| D07 | Queen's Gambit | 4 | 0/0/4 | 0.0% |
| C50 | Italian Game | 2 | 2/0/0 | 100.0% |
| C23 | Bishop's Opening | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
| A03 | Bird's opening | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| C27 | Vienna Game | 1 | 0/1/0 | 0.0% |
| C44 | King's Knight Opening | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| D35 | London System | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2016 | Danijel Gibicar | 2,241 | BL2-Sued 1516 | C61 |
| Apr 2002 | Thiemo Thomas | 2,241 | ch-Baden MA | C55 |
| Jan 2010 | Nicolas Curien | 2,240 | 12th Basel Hilton Open | C11 |
| Jan 2015 | Marc Schwierskott | 2,232 | Basel Open | B07 |
| Jan 2016 | Andreas Aerni | 2,178 | Basel Open | C50 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basel Open | 2016 | 18 | 7.5 | 2,119 |
| ch-Baden MA | 2002 | 9 | 2 | 1,906 |
| 12th Basel Hilton Open | 2010 | 7 | 2.5 | 2,099 |
| Verbandsliga Suedbaden 2122 | 2022 | 6 | 1 | 1,827 |
| 29th Zuerich Open B | 2005 | 5 | 5 | – |
| 8th Basel Hilton Open | 2006 | 4 | 0 | 1,748 |
| Oberliga Baden 1617 | 2017 | 4 | 1 | 2,015 |
| 13th Benidorm Open U2000 | 2014 | 3 | 1 | 1,684 |
Interactive opening tree from all 68 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Michael Pfau's chess games?
68 games by Michael Pfau, from Apr 2004 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 Michael Pfau has played.
What does Michael Pfau play on the first move as White?
Across 37 games with White in our database, Michael Pfau opens with 1.e4 (97% of games), 1.Nc3 (3% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Michael Pfau answers 1...e5 (100% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d5 (100% of games).
What openings does Michael Pfau play as White?
As White, Michael Pfau's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (10 games, 10.0% win rate); Italian Game (7 games, 71.4% win rate); French Defense (6 games, 33.3% win rate). The full breakdown of 37 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Michael Pfau play as Black?
As Black, Michael Pfau most often plays: Queen's Pawn Game (7 games, 28.6% win rate); English Opening: Reverse Sicilian (5 games, 20.0% win rate); Ruy Lopez (4 games, 25.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 31 games.
What is Michael Pfau's FIDE rating?
Michael Pfau is currently rated 2,024 in classical chess, 2,049 in rapid and 1,986 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,089 (Jun 2016).
How many games has Michael Pfau played?
Our database contains 68 games by Michael Pfau, covering Apr 2004 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 20 wins, 7 draws, 41 losses (29.4% win rate).
How do I prepare against Michael Pfau?
68 games by Michael Pfau 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.