Prepare against Stephan Buchal
FM · DEU · World #6,692 classical · FIDE ID 4603915
When preparing against Stephan Buchal, expect 1.e4 in 47% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...g6 (86% of games); against 1.d4, 1...g6 (82%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Pirc Defense as Black, 0.0% over 29 games.
Our database contains 1,016 games by Stephan Buchal, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Stephan Buchal's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Stephan Buchal 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 | 2,231 | 2,397 | Oct 2006 |
| Blitz | 2,237 | 2,337 | May 2018 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,016 | 386 | 356 | 274 | 38.0% |
| As White | 504 | 221 | 166 | 117 | 43.8% |
| As Black | 512 | 165 | 190 | 157 | 32.2% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Stephan Buchal's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Stephan Buchal's side.
First moves as White (504 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 235 | 46.6% | 60.6% |
| c4 | 173 | 34.3% | 63.6% |
| g3 | 65 | 12.9% | 50.8% |
| Nf3 | 28 | 5.6% | 55.4% |
| d4 | 3 | 0.6% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 47% of White games, 60.6% score
- …c5 (41% of these games) — Buchal usually continues Nf3 (51.1% score)
- …e6 (15% of these games) — Buchal usually continues d4 (55.4% score)
- …e5 (14% of these games) — Buchal usually continues Nc3 (72.7% score)
- 1.c4 — 34% of White games, 63.6% score
- …e5 (25% of these games) — Buchal usually continues g3 (62.5% score)
- …Nf6 (22% of these games) — Buchal usually continues g3 (55.9% score)
- …c6 (12% of these games) — Buchal usually continues g3 (75.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (228 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| g6 | 197 | 86.4% | 50.5% |
| d6 | 24 | 10.5% | 35.4% |
| e5 | 6 | 2.6% | 58.3% |
| Nf6 | 1 | 0.4% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (187 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| g6 | 153 | 81.8% | 51.6% |
| d6 | 18 | 9.6% | 63.9% |
| f5 | 7 | 3.7% | 42.9% |
| Nf6 | 7 | 3.7% | 35.7% |
| d5 | 1 | 0.5% | 0.0% |
Stephan Buchal's chess games
All 1,016 games by Stephan Buchal 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: 386 wins, 356 draws, 274 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A07 | Hungarian Opening | 60 | 20/20/20 | 33.3% |
| A13 | English Opening | 53 | 23/26/4 | 43.4% |
| A20 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 51 | 24/16/11 | 47.1% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 40 | 17/9/14 | 42.5% |
| A11 | English Opening: Slav Setup | 29 | 16/7/6 | 55.2% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 28 | 10/12/6 | 35.7% |
| A37 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 25 | 11/7/7 | 44.0% |
| A14 | English Opening: Neo-Catalan | 24 | 9/9/6 | 37.5% |
| B31 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 23 | 9/6/8 | 39.1% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 20 | 7/6/7 | 35.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B06 | Modern Defense | 379 | 123/134/122 | 32.5% |
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 29 | 0/22/7 | 0.0% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 25 | 9/6/10 | 36.0% |
| E63 | Rat Defense | 10 | 5/5/0 | 50.0% |
| A01 | Nimzovich-Larsen attack | 10 | 5/3/2 | 50.0% |
| E81 | King's Indian: Sämisch | 9 | 5/4/0 | 55.6% |
| A80 | Dutch Defense | 7 | 2/2/3 | 28.6% |
| A25 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 6 | 2/3/1 | 33.3% |
| D63 | Indian Defense | 5 | 1/1/3 | 20.0% |
| A31 | English Opening | 4 | 1/1/2 | 25.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2013 | Alexander Graf | 2,607 | 17th chI-Bayern Bank Hofmann | E94 |
| Oct 2013 | Sebastian Bogner | 2,552 | 17th chI-Bayern Bank Hofmann | E63 |
| Mar 2007 | Andrei Kovalev | 2,533 | 23rd Cappelle Open | B40 |
| Jul 2005 | Yge Visser | 2,480 | Pardubice Open A | B08 |
| Jan 1990 | Lev Gutman | 2,475 | ch-Hessen | A81 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-Hessen | 1994 | 55 | 33.5 | 2,393 |
| chT-EU Seniors 65 | 2024 | 25 | 17.5 | 2,316 |
| WchT Seniors 65 | 2020 | 24 | 13.5 | 2,211 |
| Helsingor Xtracon Open | 2019 | 20 | 11.5 | 2,257 |
| ch-GER U20 | 1970 | 17 | 11.5 | – |
| Bundesliga 1980-81 | 1981 | 15 | 7 | 2,281 |
| 55th ch-GER (FRG-13) | 1974 | 15 | 9 | – |
| Bundesliga 1989-90 | 1990 | 14 | 3.5 | 2,258 |
Interactive opening tree from all 1,016 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Stephan Buchal's chess games?
1,016 games by Stephan Buchal, 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 Stephan Buchal has played.
What does Stephan Buchal play on the first move as White?
Across 504 games with White in our database, Stephan Buchal opens with 1.e4 (47% of games), 1.c4 (34% of games), 1.g3 (13% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Stephan Buchal answers 1...g6 (86% of games), 1...d6 (11% of games), 1...e5 (3% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...g6 (82% of games), 1...d6 (10% of games), 1...f5 (4% of games).
What openings does Stephan Buchal play as White?
As White, Stephan Buchal's most-played openings in our database are: Hungarian Opening (60 games, 33.3% win rate); English Opening (53 games, 43.4% win rate); English Opening: Reverse Sicilian (51 games, 47.1% win rate). The full breakdown of 504 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Stephan Buchal play as Black?
As Black, Stephan Buchal most often plays: Modern Defense (379 games, 32.5% win rate); Pirc Defense (29 games, 0.0% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (25 games, 36.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 512 games.
What is Stephan Buchal's FIDE rating?
Stephan Buchal is currently rated 2,231 in classical chess and 2,237 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,397 (Oct 2006).
How many games has Stephan Buchal played?
Our database contains 1,016 games by Stephan Buchal, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 386 wins, 356 draws, 274 losses (38.0% win rate).
How do I prepare against Stephan Buchal?
1,016 games by Stephan Buchal 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.