The Relentless FM
Hartmut Metz, also known as 46tumtrah, is an FIDE Master with an online ledger that would make most club players tired just by looking at it. Across roughly 6,500 rapid and blitz games he has scored more wins than losses, produced astonishing comeback rates, and made clear he did not log in for handshakes.
Repertoire: A Love Letter to e4 and the Caro-Kann
Give Hartmut the white pieces and you will almost certainly see 1.e4. When he sits down with Black, his devotion to the Caro-Kann Defense is unmistakable. He has played it thousands of times and still walks into the Exchange Variation, the Bronstein-Larsen line, and every other branch without fear. He also enters the Sicilian Defense jungle, regularly reaching Najdorf and Dragon setups, and he appears to enjoy the chaos more than the average FM should.
One of the cleanest ways to show where his wins come from is by opening. The
chart is basically a map of his joy.A Rapid Player at Heart
His preferred time control is Rapid, and it shows in the quality of his decisions. Average winning games stretch past 77 moves, so he is happy to grind rather than shortcut. His longest winning streak reached 11, and so did his longest losing streak, a neat narrative arc for someone who clearly does not believe in quiet days.
Familiar Faces, Zero Small Talk
Online, Hartmut has built a small but intense Hall of Rivals. Against Jorge A González Rodríguez, 18 games have produced 8 wins, 10 losses and no draws at all. The series with prodigytactician is similarly competitive, 16 games without a single truce. These are not relationships; they are chess grudge matches.
The Numbers That Make Him Interesting
- Comeback appetite: His stats identify a comeback in 91% of troublesome positions, and he still wins nearly half of games where a piece has been lost.
- Ultra-marathon endings: He reaches endgames in most games, and his decisive games average 77 to 80 moves. Patience is not just a virtue, it is a habit.
- Morning person: His strongest hours are around 08:00. Chess before breakfast is apparently a Metz specialty.
Final Say
Hartmut Metz is not the quiet, draw-ready operator. He is the player who chooses the Caro-Kann Defense with the same enthusiasm that other people reserve for birthday cake, then spends 90 moves converting a slight edge or fighting back from a lost queen. If you face him, bring coffee, patience, and maybe a drawing offer. He probably will not accept it, but he will at least respect the gesture.