Prepare against Niels Willems
FM · France · World #1,853 classical · FIDE ID 20695586
Our database contains 274 games by Niels Willems, covering Jan 2011 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Niels Willems's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Niels Willems 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 | 2,391 | 2,414 | Feb 2025 |
| Rapid | 2,296 | 2,296 | Aug 2026 |
| Blitz | 2,376 | 2,376 | Aug 2026 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 274 | 104 | 102 | 68 | 38.0% |
| As White | 135 | 63 | 43 | 29 | 46.7% |
| As Black | 139 | 41 | 59 | 39 | 29.5% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Niels Willems's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Niels Willems's side.
First moves as White (135 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c4 | 116 | 85.9% | 64.7% |
| e4 | 13 | 9.6% | 50.0% |
| d4 | 5 | 3.7% | 40.0% |
| b3 | 1 | 0.7% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.c4 — 86% of White games, 64.7% score
- …e6 (27% of these games) — Willems usually continues Nc3 (61.7% score)
- …Nf6 (27% of these games) — Willems usually continues Nc3 (71.7% score)
- …e5 (25% of these games) — Willems usually continues Nc3 (48.2% score)
- 1.e4 — 10% of White games, 50.0% score
- …c5 (54% of these games) — Willems usually continues Nf3 (50.0% score)
- …c6 (23% of these games) — Willems usually continues d4 (75.0% score)
- …e6 (15% of these games) — Willems usually continues d4 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (75 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c6 | 55 | 73.3% | 58.2% |
| c5 | 11 | 14.7% | 54.5% |
| e5 | 8 | 10.7% | 56.3% |
| e6 | 1 | 1.3% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (40 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 40 | 100.0% | 42.5% |
Niels Willems's chess games
All 274 games by Niels Willems in the Chess.ceo database (Jan 2011 - 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: 104 wins, 102 draws, 68 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A17 | English Opening | 56 | 30/18/8 | 53.6% |
| A28 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 37 | 15/9/13 | 40.5% |
| A34 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 10 | 7/3/0 | 70.0% |
| A11 | English Opening: Slav Setup | 6 | 4/1/1 | 66.7% |
| A10 | Modern Defense | 4 | 1/2/1 | 25.0% |
| B51 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 3 | 1/2/0 | 33.3% |
| B40 | Sicilian | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 2 | 0/2/0 | 0.0% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 2 | 1/1/0 | 50.0% |
| A45 | Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B18 | Caro-Kann: Classical | 15 | 7/5/3 | 46.7% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 12 | 6/4/2 | 50.0% |
| B11 | Caro-Kann: Two Knights Variation | 10 | 2/2/6 | 20.0% |
| D41 | Indian Defense | 9 | 4/1/4 | 44.4% |
| A43 | Benoni Defense | 8 | 2/4/2 | 25.0% |
| B13 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 7 | 1/4/2 | 14.3% |
| B10 | Caro-Kann | 7 | 5/2/0 | 71.4% |
| E04 | Catalan | 6 | 0/4/2 | 0.0% |
| A15 | English Opening | 6 | 0/2/4 | 0.0% |
| A05 | Réti Opening | 6 | 2/3/1 | 33.3% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | Mircea-Emilian Parligras | 2,560 | chT-FRA Top 16 GpA | D41 |
| Feb 2025 | Mikhail Kobalia | 2,538 | Djerba Blitz | B90 |
| Jul 2018 | Alexandre Dgebuadze | 2,519 | Agneaux St Lo Open 20th | B18 |
| May 2025 | Konstantin Peyrer | 2,480 | Mitropa Cup | A13 |
| Aug 2025 | Ioannis Georgiadis | 2,480 | chT-SUI 2025 | A13 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| chT-SUI | 2022 | 23 | 12.5 | 2,421 |
| Agneaux St Lo Open 20th | 2019 | 12 | 8 | 2,355 |
| 25th ch-EUR Indiv | 2025 | 11 | 5.5 | 2,297 |
| chTA-FRA U20 1011 | 2010 | 10 | 6.5 | 1,576 |
| Paris IM | 2022 | 9 | 7 | 2,596 |
| Sligo Open | 2026 | 9 | 5.5 | 2,266 |
| 3 Saint Charbel Cup | 2025 | 9 | 3.5 | 2,300 |
| Mitropa Cup | 2025 | 9 | 5 | 2,475 |
Interactive opening tree from all 274 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Niels Willems's chess games?
274 games by Niels Willems, from Jan 2011 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 Niels Willems has played.
What does Niels Willems play on the first move as White?
Across 135 games with White in our database, Niels Willems opens with 1.c4 (86% of games), 1.e4 (10% of games), 1.d4 (4% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Niels Willems answers 1...c6 (73% of games), 1...c5 (15% of games), 1...e5 (11% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (100% of games).
What openings does Niels Willems play as White?
As White, Niels Willems's most-played openings in our database are: English Opening (56 games, 53.6% win rate); English Opening: Reverse Sicilian (37 games, 40.5% win rate); English Opening: Symmetrical (10 games, 70.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 135 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Niels Willems play as Black?
As Black, Niels Willems most often plays: Caro-Kann: Classical (15 games, 46.7% win rate); Caro-Kann: Advance Variation (12 games, 50.0% win rate); Caro-Kann: Two Knights Variation (10 games, 20.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 139 games.
What is Niels Willems's FIDE rating?
Niels Willems is currently rated 2,391 in classical chess, 2,296 in rapid and 2,376 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,414 (Feb 2025).
How many games has Niels Willems played?
Our database contains 274 games by Niels Willems, covering Jan 2011 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 104 wins, 102 draws, 68 losses (38.0% win rate).
How do I prepare against Niels Willems?
274 games by Niels Willems 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.