Prepare against Sipke Ernst
GM · NLD · World #289 classical · FIDE ID 1004689
When preparing against Sipke Ernst, expect 1.d4 in 66% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (78% of games). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense as Black, 19.2% over 52 games.
Our database contains 2,336 games by Sipke Ernst, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Sipke Ernst's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Sipke Ernst 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 | 2,553 | 2,606 | Jan 2012 |
| Rapid | 2,514 | 2,523 | Oct 2019 |
| Blitz | 2,436 | 2,559 | Mar 2013 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2,336 | 1,085 | 755 | 496 | 46.4% |
| As White | 1,170 | 621 | 341 | 208 | 53.1% |
| As Black | 1,166 | 464 | 414 | 288 | 39.8% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Sipke Ernst's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Sipke Ernst's side.
First moves as White (1,170 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 776 | 66.3% | 66.6% |
| Nf3 | 262 | 22.4% | 72.9% |
| c4 | 59 | 5.0% | 66.1% |
| e4 | 48 | 4.1% | 56.3% |
| g3 | 14 | 1.2% | 71.4% |
| b3 | 5 | 0.4% | 60.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 66% of White games, 66.6% score
- …Nf6 (57% of these games) — Ernst usually continues c4 (65.8% score)
- …d5 (28% of these games) — Ernst usually continues c4 (65.9% score)
- …e6 (4% of these games) — Ernst usually continues c4 (73.5% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 22% of White games, 72.9% score
- …Nf6 (46% of these games) — Ernst usually continues c4 (72.8% score)
- …d5 (32% of these games) — Ernst usually continues c4 (73.8% score)
- …c5 (7% of these games) — Ernst usually continues c4 (61.5% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (577 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 449 | 77.8% | 56.0% |
| c5 | 61 | 10.6% | 66.4% |
| c6 | 35 | 6.1% | 61.4% |
| e6 | 30 | 5.2% | 61.7% |
| g6 | 1 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
| Nc6 | 1 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
Sipke Ernst's chess games
All 2,336 games by Sipke Ernst 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: 1,085 wins, 755 draws, 496 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D11 | Slav Defense | 141 | 67/51/23 | 47.5% |
| E04 | Catalan | 120 | 66/32/22 | 55.0% |
| D85 | Indian Defense | 91 | 48/26/17 | 52.7% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 85 | 47/21/17 | 55.3% |
| A30 | English Opening | 59 | 34/14/11 | 57.6% |
| A09 | Réti Opening | 49 | 28/15/6 | 57.1% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 43 | 25/10/8 | 58.1% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 40 | 19/14/7 | 47.5% |
| A30 | Queen's Indian Defense | 31 | 20/8/3 | 64.5% |
| A45 | Trompowsky Attack | 31 | 17/9/5 | 54.8% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D11 | Slav Defense | 143 | 46/51/46 | 32.2% |
| C83 | Ruy Lopez: Open | 69 | 22/35/12 | 31.9% |
| C97 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 65 | 21/29/15 | 32.3% |
| C77 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 52 | 10/21/21 | 19.2% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 50 | 15/25/10 | 30.0% |
| C45 | Scotch Game | 46 | 15/20/11 | 32.6% |
| C55 | Italian Game | 43 | 16/21/6 | 37.2% |
| A11 | English Opening: Slav Setup | 32 | 14/8/10 | 43.8% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 31 | 12/11/8 | 38.7% |
| A13 | English Opening | 28 | 11/12/5 | 39.3% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2022 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,763 | Titled Tue Late | A32 |
| Nov 2012 | Luke J McShane | 2,713 | Remco Heite | A11 |
| Aug 2014 | Xiangzhi Bu | 2,707 | 18th Vlissingen HZ Open | D23 |
| Nov 2012 | Loek Van Wely | 2,691 | Remco Heite Playoff | A31 |
| Jan 2013 | Romain Edouard | 2,686 | 75th Tata Steel Challengers | D16 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 168 | 92 | 2,380 |
| Dieren Open | 2014 | 117 | 79.5 | 2,510 |
| ch-NED | 2022 | 62 | 26 | 2,537 |
| Hoogeveen Essent Open | 2008 | 45 | 30 | 2,523 |
| Groningen Harmonie | 2006 | 44 | 23 | 2,459 |
| Groningen Open | 2007 | 30 | 20 | 2,479 |
| Groningen Open A | 2010 | 27 | 18.5 | 2,560 |
| ch-NED U20 | 1999 | 27 | 17.5 | 2,348 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Erwin L'Ami (30 games) · Dimitri Reinderman (27 games) · Loek Van Wely (25 games) · Jorden Van Foreest (22 games) · Friso Nijboer (21 games) · Erik Van den Doel (18 games) · Lucas Van Foreest (18 games) · Benjamin Bok (18 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 2,336 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Sipke Ernst's chess games?
2,336 games by Sipke Ernst, 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 Sipke Ernst has played.
What does Sipke Ernst play on the first move as White?
Across 1,170 games with White in our database, Sipke Ernst opens with 1.d4 (66% of games), 1.Nf3 (22% of games), 1.c4 (5% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Sipke Ernst answers 1...e5 (78% of games), 1...c5 (11% of games), 1...c6 (6% of games).
What openings does Sipke Ernst play as White?
As White, Sipke Ernst's most-played openings in our database are: Slav Defense (141 games, 47.5% win rate); Catalan (120 games, 55.0% win rate); Indian Defense (91 games, 52.7% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,170 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Sipke Ernst play as Black?
As Black, Sipke Ernst most often plays: Slav Defense (143 games, 32.2% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Open (69 games, 31.9% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Closed (65 games, 32.3% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,166 games.
What is Sipke Ernst's FIDE rating?
Sipke Ernst is currently rated 2,553 in classical chess, 2,514 in rapid and 2,436 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,606 (Jan 2012).
How many games has Sipke Ernst played?
Our database contains 2,336 games by Sipke Ernst, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 1,085 wins, 755 draws, 496 losses (46.4% win rate).
How do I prepare against Sipke Ernst?
2,336 games by Sipke Ernst 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.