Prepare against Rainer Knaak
GM · DEU · World #1,888 classical · FIDE ID 4611250
Our database contains 2,040 games by Rainer Knaak, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Rainer Knaak's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Rainer Knaak 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 | 2,389 | 2,492 | Mar 2011 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2,040 | 899 | 685 | 455 | 44.1% |
| As White | 1,034 | 529 | 310 | 195 | 51.2% |
| As Black | 1,006 | 370 | 375 | 260 | 36.8% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Rainer Knaak's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Rainer Knaak's side.
First moves as White (1,034 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 983 | 95.1% | 66.4% |
| e4 | 29 | 2.8% | 63.8% |
| c4 | 12 | 1.2% | 54.2% |
| Nf3 | 7 | 0.7% | 64.3% |
| g3 | 2 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
| b3 | 1 | 0.1% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 95% of White games, 66.4% score
- …Nf6 (64% of these games) — Knaak usually continues c4 (66.9% score)
- …d5 (22% of these games) — Knaak usually continues c4 (65.6% score)
- …d6 (4% of these games) — Knaak usually continues c4 (60.0% score)
- 1.e4 — 3% of White games, 63.8% score
- …c5 (38% of these games) — Knaak usually continues Nc3 (72.2% score)
- …e5 (24% of these games) — Knaak usually continues Nf3 (50.0% score)
- …e6 (17% of these games) — Knaak usually continues d3 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (442 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 214 | 48.4% | 59.6% |
| Nc6 | 94 | 21.3% | 56.4% |
| c5 | 54 | 12.2% | 53.7% |
| e5 | 45 | 10.2% | 53.3% |
| g6 | 31 | 7.0% | 64.5% |
| c6 | 2 | 0.5% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (311 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 165 | 53.1% | 50.6% |
| e6 | 70 | 22.5% | 47.9% |
| d5 | 49 | 15.8% | 58.2% |
| g6 | 24 | 7.7% | 60.4% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
| f5 | 1 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
Rainer Knaak's chess games
All 2,040 games by Rainer Knaak 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: 899 wins, 685 draws, 455 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E54 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 204 | 93/67/44 | 45.6% |
| D14 | Slav Defense | 101 | 52/30/19 | 51.5% |
| D36 | Indian Defense | 101 | 51/40/10 | 50.5% |
| E81 | King's Indian: Sämisch | 97 | 61/19/17 | 62.9% |
| A65 | Benoni Defense | 94 | 61/17/16 | 64.9% |
| D87 | Grünfeld Defense | 80 | 37/30/13 | 46.3% |
| D32 | Queen's Gambit Declined | 40 | 22/11/7 | 55.0% |
| D24 | Queen's Gambit Accepted | 27 | 14/9/4 | 51.9% |
| A42 | Modern Defense | 22 | 14/3/5 | 63.6% |
| D31 | Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense | 22 | 10/7/5 | 45.5% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B06 | Modern Defense | 136 | 59/41/36 | 43.4% |
| E94 | Indian Defense | 100 | 25/38/37 | 25.0% |
| C06 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 66 | 29/22/15 | 43.9% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 45 | 18/14/13 | 40.0% |
| C19 | French: Winawer Variation | 44 | 15/19/10 | 34.1% |
| A90 | Horwitz Defense | 41 | 13/13/14 | 31.7% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 33 | 14/6/13 | 42.4% |
| B00 | Nimzowitsch Defense | 33 | 13/12/8 | 39.4% |
| D45 | Slav Defense | 32 | 9/15/8 | 28.1% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 31 | 11/16/4 | 35.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2004 | Mikhail Gurevich | 2,656 | Bundesliga 2003-04 | D46 |
| Jan 1995 | Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoj | 2,635 | Hofmann Cup | E59 |
| Jan 1996 | Rafael A Vaganian | 2,615 | CupT sf2 | D35 |
| Dec 1997 | Zoltan Almasi | 2,615 | Bundesliga 1997-98 | C13 |
| Jan 1991 | John D M Nunn | 2,600 | Dortmund-A | E90 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leipzig DSV | 1986 | 81 | 49.5 | 2,540 |
| ch-DDR U18 | 1970 | 36 | 18 | – |
| Leipzig Baukombinat | 1984 | 33 | 22 | 2,506 |
| WchT Seniors 65 | 2023 | 32 | 20 | 2,427 |
| ch-DDR19 Final | 1970 | 19 | 8.5 | – |
| ch-DDR23 Final | 1974 | 19 | 14.5 | – |
| ch-DDR22 Final | 1973 | 19 | 12.5 | – |
| ch-DDR20 Final | 1971 | 19 | 11 | – |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Lothar Vogt (52 games) · Uwe Boensch (43 games) · Raj Tischbierek (31 games) · Thomas Casper (20 games) · Lubomir Ftacnik (11 games) · Vlastimil Jansa (10 games) · Joachim Brueggemann (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 2,040 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Rainer Knaak's chess games?
2,040 games by Rainer Knaak, 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 Rainer Knaak has played.
What does Rainer Knaak play on the first move as White?
Across 1,034 games with White in our database, Rainer Knaak opens with 1.d4 (95% of games), 1.e4 (3% of games), 1.c4 (1% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Rainer Knaak answers 1...e6 (48% of games), 1...Nc6 (21% of games), 1...c5 (12% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (53% of games), 1...e6 (23% of games), 1...d5 (16% of games).
What openings does Rainer Knaak play as White?
As White, Rainer Knaak's most-played openings in our database are: Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System (204 games, 45.6% win rate); Slav Defense (101 games, 51.5% win rate); Indian Defense (101 games, 50.5% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,034 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Rainer Knaak play as Black?
As Black, Rainer Knaak most often plays: Modern Defense (136 games, 43.4% win rate); Indian Defense (100 games, 25.0% win rate); French: Tarrasch Variation (66 games, 43.9% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,006 games.
What is Rainer Knaak's FIDE rating?
Rainer Knaak is currently rated 2,389 in classical chess. Peak classical rating: 2,492 (Mar 2011).
How many games has Rainer Knaak played?
Our database contains 2,040 games by Rainer Knaak, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 899 wins, 685 draws, 455 losses (44.1% win rate).
How do I prepare against Rainer Knaak?
2,040 games by Rainer Knaak 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.