Players
Elisabeth Paehtz
Photo: Brigham Aldrich
GM

Elisabeth Paehtz

GermanyBorn 1985 (age 41)FIDE ID 4641833

Luft classical

23002400250026002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2413
FIDE

FIDE classical

2300240025002600201620182020202220242026
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2413
Luft

Flair

Elisabeth Paehtz's classical flairs

1 of 19 earned over the last 12 months

  • Fighter60% decisive: 8 wins, 1 loss
  • TitanLuft classical rating averaging 2800+ over the last 4 years
  • Serial WinnerWon 2+ elite events in the last 12 months
  • UnderdogRegularly beats players rated 50+ higher
  • Fortress25+ games in a row without a loss
  • Black BeltDoes better with black than with white
  • IronmanPlayed 50+ games over the last 12 months
  • RisingAged 18 or under, Luft rating up 40+ over the last 12 months
  • Endgame SpecialistEndgame 90+: converting, saving and not throwing endgames
  • TacticianTactics 90+: sharp, tactical games they made sharp
  • LightningTop 20 at speed chess (mostly blitz, some rapid)
  • Hot StreakAt least 6 points from 7 straight games against strong opposition
  • SignatureSticks to one defence with black far more than most
  • ChameleonPlays a wide range of defences with black
  • WildcardBrilliant one event, off the next: hard to predict
  • ReliableConsistent across all top events
  • AdaptableTactics and Positional both 90+
  • PositionalPositional 90+: slow, quiet games they steered
  • PodiumTop 3 in at least half of their elite events
  • Fighter

Trophy cabinet

No classical titles on record yet.

Attributes

Tactics 70Positional 68Endgame 70Openings 68Composure 68Defence 76Speed 62Consistency 68

Luft classical rating

2413No. 385

From 15 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2456 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2456 level, blended with their FIDE rating+5
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year−2
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event+2
Activity15 classical games in top events−5

Openings

Their most-played, from 67 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Queen's Gambit Declined438%
Petrov's Defense367%
Sicilian Defense367%
Zukertort Opening275%
Ruy Lopez250%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With White: 4 games, won 0, drew 3, lost 1 · 38%

VariationGamesScore
Semi-Tarrasch Defense250%
Exchange Variation150%
Ragozin Defense10%

Petrov's Defense

With White: 3 games, won 1, drew 2, lost 0 · 67%

VariationGamesScore
Damiano Variation1100%
Classical Attack150%
Nimzowitsch Attack150%

Sicilian Defense

With White: 3 games, won 1, drew 2, lost 0 · 67%

VariationGamesScore
Modern Variations1100%
Alapin Variation150%
Najdorf Variation150%

Zukertort Opening

With White: 2 games, won 1, drew 1, lost 0 · 75%

VariationGamesScore
Main line1100%
Reversed Grünfeld150%

Ruy Lopez

With White: 2 games, won 0, drew 2, lost 0 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Open Berlin Defense150%
Exchange Variation150%

Sicilian Defense

With Black: 14 games, won 4, drew 6, lost 4 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack367%
Main line2100%
Lasker-Pelikan Variation250%
Four Knights Variation150%
Modern Variations150%
Accelerated Dragon150%
Old Sicilian150%
Delayed Alapin Variation10%
Hyperaccelerated Dragon10%
Najdorf Variation10%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With Black: 3 games, won 1, drew 1, lost 1 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Queen's Knight Variation250%
Harrwitz Attack150%

King's Indian Defense

With Black: 3 games, won 0, drew 2, lost 1 · 33%

VariationGamesScore
Fianchetto Variation150%
Semi-Averbakh System150%
Orthodox Variation10%

Italian Game

With Black: 3 games, won 0, drew 2, lost 1 · 33%

VariationGamesScore
Giuoco Pianissimo250%
Two Knights Defense10%

English Opening

With Black: 2 games, won 1, drew 1, lost 0 · 75%

VariationGamesScore
Anglo-Indian Defense1100%
King's English Variation150%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
41st European Chess Club Cup 202623 Oct 20264½/5+7+7
German Bundesliga 2026/274 Oct 20261½/2+2+2
46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 202625 Sep 20265/800
German Bundesliga 2025/2619 Apr 20264/4+12+19
European Chess Club Cup 202525 Oct 20252½/4−2−2

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMA. Kosteniuk20 Nov 2023 · European Team Championship2526
GMH. Dronavalli19 Mar 2025 · FIDE Grand Prix 2024/252483
GMB. Assaubayeva6 Aug 2023 · FIDE World Cup 20232469
GMN. Batsiashvili9 Jun 2024 · Bundesliga 2023/242450
IMT. Injac19 Oct 2026 · 41st European Chess Club Cup 20262405

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
IMB. AssaubayevaLast 22 Feb 2025 · FIDE Grand Prix 2024/255131
IMS. TsolakidouLast 15 Mar 2025 · FIDE Grand Prix 2024/255032
GMA. MuzychukLast 23 Mar 2025 · FIDE Grand Prix 2024/253021
GMM. SockoLast 21 Sep 2024 · 45th Chess Olympiad Budapest 20243021
IMD. Daulyte-CornetteLast 10 Aug 2025 · Sparkassen Chess Trophy 20253120

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How attributes are calculated

From their games in top events over the last 12 months, each judged against the opponent's rating

  • TacticsHow well they score in sharp games they chose to make sharp.
  • PositionalHow well they score in quiet, manoeuvring games they steered.
  • EndgameHow they do in endgames against what the position promised when it began: converting a winning one earns a little, saving a losing one earns a lot, and throwing a winning one costs a lot.
  • OpeningsThe engine's verdict on their position around moves 15 to 20, against what's normal for that colour, as the score it points to. Over the last 4 years, with older games counting less.
  • ComposureHow well they score under pressure: the game straight after a loss, and the last 3 games of an event while they can still win it. Over the last 4 years.
  • DefenceHow they do in games where they were 0.8 pawns or more worse after move 18, against what that position usually scores: holding the draw earns, turning it around earns more, and losing costs a little.
  • SpeedTheir Luft rapid and blitz ratings. With neither, an estimate a little below their classical level.
  • ConsistencyTheir Luft rating, less their off days: tournaments (5+ games each) over the last 4 years where they played 50+ below it. Anything better never counts against them.

  • "How well they score" is a performance rating: the opponent's rating, plus 400 for a win and minus 400 for a loss, averaged. So it's always judged against who they played.

    The score out of 100: 80 is a 2600 level, and each 13 rating points adds one, so 2860 and up is 100.

    Fair to everyone: with only a few games of a kind, the result leans towards their overall Luft rating. Strengths and weaknesses are measured against their overall level and compared with the top 100, so a specialist's best side stands out. A little recent form is added to all but Speed.