Prepare against Thomas Thiel
FM · DEU · World #7,939 classical · FIDE ID 4615964
When preparing against Thomas Thiel, expect 1.e4 in 97% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...d5 (66% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (69%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Indian Defense as Black, 8.6% over 35 games.
Our database contains 1,395 games by Thomas Thiel, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Thomas Thiel's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Thomas Thiel 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 | 2,206 | 2,339 | Apr 2014 |
| Rapid | 2,189 | 2,247 | Jun 2019 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,395 | 424 | 256 | 715 | 30.4% |
| As White | 672 | 235 | 122 | 315 | 35.0% |
| As Black | 723 | 189 | 134 | 400 | 26.1% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Thomas Thiel's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Thomas Thiel's side.
First moves as White (672 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 652 | 97.0% | 43.7% |
| d4 | 17 | 2.5% | 58.8% |
| c4 | 1 | 0.1% | 50.0% |
| Nf3 | 1 | 0.1% | 50.0% |
| b3 | 1 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 97% of White games, 43.7% score
- …c5 (42% of these games) — Thiel usually continues Nc3 (42.6% score)
- …e5 (20% of these games) — Thiel usually continues Nf3 (39.2% score)
- …c6 (12% of these games) — Thiel usually continues d4 (47.4% score)
- 1.d4 — 3% of White games, 58.8% score
- …Nf6 (76% of these games) — Thiel usually continues Bf4 (56.3% score)
- …d5 (18% of these games) — Thiel usually continues Bf4 (50.0% score)
- …c5 (6% of these games) — Thiel usually continues c3 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (322 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 213 | 66.1% | 34.5% |
| c5 | 70 | 21.7% | 45.7% |
| e6 | 20 | 6.2% | 45.0% |
| e5 | 7 | 2.2% | 42.9% |
| c6 | 4 | 1.2% | 25.0% |
| Nf6 | 3 | 0.9% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (261 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 179 | 68.6% | 33.2% |
| d5 | 79 | 30.3% | 29.1% |
| g6 | 2 | 0.8% | 50.0% |
| e6 | 1 | 0.4% | 0.0% |
Thomas Thiel's chess games
All 1,395 games by Thomas Thiel in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Jul 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: 424 wins, 256 draws, 715 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 214 | 72/37/105 | 33.6% |
| C45 | Scotch Game | 90 | 28/10/52 | 31.1% |
| B14 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 69 | 24/13/32 | 34.8% |
| C14 | French: Classical Variation | 30 | 6/4/20 | 20.0% |
| C18 | French: Winawer Variation | 28 | 9/5/14 | 32.1% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 24 | 10/5/9 | 41.7% |
| B43 | Sicilian | 20 | 8/5/7 | 40.0% |
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 18 | 9/3/6 | 50.0% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 13 | 5/0/8 | 38.5% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 11 | 3/4/4 | 27.3% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B01 | Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation | 193 | 53/28/112 | 27.5% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 88 | 23/15/50 | 26.1% |
| A16 | English Opening | 37 | 8/8/21 | 21.6% |
| D77 | Indian Defense | 35 | 3/9/23 | 8.6% |
| D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | 31 | 7/10/14 | 22.6% |
| B45 | Sicilian: Four Knights | 25 | 5/11/9 | 20.0% |
| D20 | Queen's Gambit Accepted | 22 | 4/3/15 | 18.2% |
| D00 | London System | 20 | 6/0/14 | 30.0% |
| D17 | Slav Defense | 19 | 4/6/9 | 21.1% |
| A20 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 17 | 4/2/11 | 23.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2022 | Axel Bachmann | 2,603 | Titled Tue Late | B13 |
| Jan 1994 | David R Norwood | 2,545 | 18th Lloyds Bank Open | D02 |
| Jan 1995 | Yury Piskov | 2,540 | Muenster Open | C44 |
| Aug 2022 | Spartak Vysochin | 2,512 | Titled Tue Early | D85 |
| Jan 2005 | Sergey Kishnev | 2,502 | Oberliga NRW 0405 | B30 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 890 | 286 | 2,045 |
| Muenster Open | 1995 | 21 | 12.5 | 2,429 |
| Dortmund Open A | 2004 | 20 | 13 | 2,428 |
| Bodensee Open | 2025 | 16 | 10.5 | 2,238 |
| Schoeneck Open | 1988 | 11 | 5 | 2,318 |
| Bundesliga 1997-98 | 1998 | 11 | 2.5 | 2,170 |
| Bundesliga 2001-02 | 2002 | 11 | 5.5 | 2,421 |
| BL2-West 8889 | 1989 | 9 | 4.5 | 2,273 |
Interactive opening tree from all 1,395 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Thomas Thiel's chess games?
1,395 games by Thomas Thiel, from Apr 2003 to Jul 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 Thiel has played.
What does Thomas Thiel play on the first move as White?
Across 672 games with White in our database, Thomas Thiel opens with 1.e4 (97% of games), 1.d4 (3% of games), 1.c4 (0% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Thomas Thiel answers 1...d5 (66% of games), 1...c5 (22% of games), 1...e6 (6% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (69% of games), 1...d5 (30% of games), 1...g6 (1% of games).
What openings does Thomas Thiel play as White?
As White, Thomas Thiel's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian: Closed (214 games, 33.6% win rate); Scotch Game (90 games, 31.1% win rate); Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation (69 games, 34.8% win rate). The full breakdown of 672 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Thomas Thiel play as Black?
As Black, Thomas Thiel most often plays: Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation (193 games, 27.5% win rate); Grünfeld Defense (88 games, 26.1% win rate); English Opening (37 games, 21.6% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 723 games.
What is Thomas Thiel's FIDE rating?
Thomas Thiel is currently rated 2,206 in classical chess, 2,189 in rapid. Peak classical rating: 2,339 (Apr 2014).
How many games has Thomas Thiel played?
Our database contains 1,395 games by Thomas Thiel, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 424 wins, 256 draws, 715 losses (30.4% win rate).
How do I prepare against Thomas Thiel?
1,395 games by Thomas Thiel 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.