Prepare against Thomas Ernst
GM · Sweden · World #6,154 classical · FIDE ID 1700065
When preparing against Thomas Ernst, expect 1.e4 in 92% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (68% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (92%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Ruy Lopez: Open as Black, 14.8% over 27 games.
Our database contains 2,065 games by Thomas Ernst, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Thomas Ernst's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Thomas 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 | 2,244 | 2,475 | Oct 2005 |
| Rapid | 2,254 | 2,402 | Feb 2020 |
| Blitz | 2,217 | 2,364 | Sep 2014 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2,065 | 855 | 755 | 454 | 41.4% |
| As White | 1,039 | 491 | 349 | 199 | 47.3% |
| As Black | 1,026 | 364 | 406 | 255 | 35.5% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Thomas Ernst's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Thomas Ernst's side.
First moves as White (1,039 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 956 | 92.0% | 63.7% |
| d4 | 81 | 7.8% | 67.9% |
| Nf3 | 2 | 0.2% | 75.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 92% of White games, 63.7% score
- …c5 (38% of these games) — Ernst usually continues Nf3 (62.3% score)
- …e5 (23% of these games) — Ernst usually continues Nf3 (61.9% score)
- …e6 (17% of these games) — Ernst usually continues d4 (65.4% score)
- 1.d4 — 8% of White games, 67.9% score
- …Nf6 (57% of these games) — Ernst usually continues c4 (66.3% score)
- …d5 (35% of these games) — Ernst usually continues c4 (73.2% score)
- …e6 (6% of these games) — Ernst usually continues c4 (37.5% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (413 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 282 | 68.3% | 58.9% |
| e5 | 121 | 29.3% | 51.7% |
| e6 | 4 | 1.0% | 37.5% |
| Nf6 | 3 | 0.7% | 66.7% |
| c6 | 2 | 0.5% | 0.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (387 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 356 | 92.0% | 51.7% |
| d5 | 20 | 5.2% | 65.0% |
| d6 | 6 | 1.6% | 100.0% |
| g6 | 2 | 0.5% | 75.0% |
| f5 | 2 | 0.5% | 50.0% |
| c5 | 1 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
Thomas Ernst's chess games
All 2,065 games by Thomas 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: 855 wins, 755 draws, 454 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B42 | Sicilian | 164 | 62/63/39 | 37.8% |
| C89 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 86 | 49/19/18 | 57.0% |
| C18 | French: Winawer Variation | 67 | 35/15/17 | 52.2% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 57 | 22/24/11 | 38.6% |
| C07 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 47 | 20/20/7 | 42.6% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 34 | 10/9/15 | 29.4% |
| B78 | Sicilian: Dragon | 33 | 16/11/6 | 48.5% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 33 | 17/14/2 | 51.5% |
| A42 | Modern Defense | 32 | 17/7/8 | 53.1% |
| A65 | King's Indian: Sämisch | 29 | 15/7/7 | 51.7% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 96 | 25/39/31 | 26.0% |
| B76 | Sicilian: Dragon | 91 | 27/40/24 | 29.7% |
| A37 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 78 | 32/36/10 | 41.0% |
| D85 | Indian Defense | 78 | 25/34/19 | 32.1% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 76 | 35/22/19 | 46.1% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 63 | 29/18/16 | 46.0% |
| A33 | English Opening | 38 | 6/19/13 | 15.8% |
| A04 | Réti Opening | 34 | 11/12/11 | 32.4% |
| C80 | Ruy Lopez: Open | 27 | 4/19/4 | 14.8% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 27 | 11/13/3 | 40.7% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1991 | Alexei Shirov | 2,615 | Arnold Cup | C78 |
| Jan 1991 | Michael Adams | 2,615 | 15th Lloyds Bank Open | C92 |
| Apr 2004 | Igor Miladinovic | 2,614 | 10th Cutro Open | B23 |
| Jan 2002 | Alexander Rustemov | 2,611 | 31st Rilton Cup | A33 |
| Jan 2017 | Bartosz Socko | 2,604 | chT-SWE 1617 | C56 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-SWE | 2023 | 307 | 181.5 | 2,478 |
| Gausdal Int | 1994 | 61 | 39.5 | 2,525 |
| Troll Masters | 1995 | 50 | 32 | 2,496 |
| Vaxjo Open | 2023 | 44 | 32 | 2,325 |
| Peer Gynt | 1995 | 43 | 28 | 2,515 |
| Arnold Cup | 1994 | 42 | 25.5 | 2,500 |
| chB-SWE | 2022 | 36 | 19.5 | 2,368 |
| Karlstad Open | 2024 | 26 | 18 | 2,240 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Ralf Akesson (27 games) · Lars Karlsson (27 games) · Jonny Hector (22 games) · Stellan Brynell (22 games) · Jan Johansson (17 games) · Tiger Hillarp Persson (17 games) · Tom Wedberg (16 games) · Heikki M.J. Westerinen (15 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 2,065 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Thomas Ernst's chess games?
2,065 games by Thomas 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 Thomas Ernst has played.
What does Thomas Ernst play on the first move as White?
Across 1,039 games with White in our database, Thomas Ernst opens with 1.e4 (92% of games), 1.d4 (8% of games), 1.Nf3 (0% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Thomas Ernst answers 1...c5 (68% of games), 1...e5 (29% of games), 1...e6 (1% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (92% of games), 1...d5 (5% of games), 1...d6 (2% of games).
What openings does Thomas Ernst play as White?
As White, Thomas Ernst's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (164 games, 37.8% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Closed (86 games, 57.0% win rate); French: Winawer Variation (67 games, 52.2% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,039 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Thomas Ernst play as Black?
As Black, Thomas Ernst most often plays: Grünfeld Defense (96 games, 26.0% win rate); Sicilian: Dragon (91 games, 29.7% win rate); English Opening: Symmetrical (78 games, 41.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,026 games.
What is Thomas Ernst's FIDE rating?
Thomas Ernst is currently rated 2,244 in classical chess, 2,254 in rapid and 2,217 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,475 (Oct 2005).
How many games has Thomas Ernst played?
Our database contains 2,065 games by Thomas Ernst, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 855 wins, 755 draws, 454 losses (41.4% win rate).
How do I prepare against Thomas Ernst?
2,065 games by Thomas 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.