Overview
Pavel Karelov, online alias ceskyPavel, is a Czech chess player who has become a familiar name in daily online competition. Known for his methodical approach and love of long, deliberate battles, he balances Daily, Blitz and Rapid events with a steady stream of games across online platforms. His journey from early online activity to consistent performance across multiple time controls reflects a player who enjoys deep preparation and practical handling of complex positions.
Profile: Pavel Karelov
Career and Playing Style
CeskyPavel is celebrated for patient, strategic play and a readiness to grind out advantages in the middlegame. He favors a flexible repertoire, with a strong emphasis on English Opening lines, including the Anglo-Grünfeld Defense and related Botvinnik setups, supplemented by Slav and QGD ideas. His games often feature careful piece activity, solid pawn structures, and precise endgame technique. Openings performance across formats points to a well-rounded willingness to adapt, rather than a single fixed system.
- English Opening: Anglo-Grünfeld Defense
- English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Botvinnik System
- Slav Defense
- QGD: 3.Nc3 Bb4
- Colle/Queen's Gambit ideas
Time Controls and Personal Flair
Daily is his preferred time control, and he treats each session as a chance to refine plans and calc-accuracy in longer games. His profile hints at a resilient mindset, with a notable Comeback Rate and a fondness for late-afternoon sessions around 17:00. A touch of humor appears in his approach to tilt and momentum, adding character to his competitive persona.
- Preferred time control: Daily
- Comeback-oriented mentality
- Best play time: around 17:00
Openings and Preparation
His opening preparation shows breadth and depth, balancing principled lines with practical choices. Notable themes include English Opening families, Slav structures, and dynamic QGD setups. He combines solid theoretical knowledge with practical handling of complex middlegame positions, supported by a steady level of home prep depth. For a quick taste, consider the following sample line.
- English Opening: Anglo-Grünfeld Defense
- Slav Defense
- QGD: 3.Nc3 Bb4
Recent Profile Snapshot
To follow his ongoing activity and trends, see the embedded profile chart and quick references.
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Gottehrer | 38W / 23L / 5D | View Games |
| pointaccurate_1 | 21W / 23L / 1D | View Games |
| 1minutejunkie | 13W / 19L / 5D | View Games |
| marcelossauro | 14W / 14L / 6D | View Games |
| thechesschannel | 21W / 11L / 1D | View Games |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2292 | |||
| 2024 | 2348 | |||
| 2023 | 2329 | 2404 | ||
| 2022 | 2339 | 2501 | ||
| 2021 | 2464 | |||
| 2020 | 2135 | 2323 | 1728 | 1645 |
| 2019 | 1933 | 2337 | ||
| 2018 | 2216 | |||
| 2017 | 2086 | 1733 | 1001 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6W / 5L / 1D | 2W / 9L / 0D | 77.0 |
| 2024 | 5W / 8L / 0D | 10W / 2L / 1D | 78.1 |
| 2023 | 1459W / 1310L / 178D | 1291W / 1478L / 147D | 81.3 |
| 2022 | 385W / 348L / 66D | 362W / 365L / 74D | 87.4 |
| 2021 | 306W / 273L / 49D | 277W / 293L / 71D | 87.9 |
| 2020 | 461W / 337L / 79D | 404W / 385L / 97D | 85.4 |
| 2019 | 347W / 273L / 51D | 301W / 327L / 53D | 82.7 |
| 2018 | 473W / 420L / 98D | 428W / 486L / 71D | 80.1 |
| 2017 | 433W / 333L / 41D | 370W / 399L / 45D | 76.9 |
Openings: Most Played
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Opening | 479 | 219 | 235 | 25 | 45.7% |
| Modern Defense: Pterodactyl Variation | 436 | 192 | 218 | 26 | 44.0% |
| English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Botvinnik System | 370 | 186 | 160 | 24 | 50.3% |
| English Opening: Anglo-Grünfeld Defense | 368 | 193 | 151 | 24 | 52.5% |
| Slav Defense | 315 | 162 | 133 | 20 | 51.4% |
| Colle System: Rhamphorhynchus Variation | 291 | 126 | 153 | 12 | 43.3% |
| QGD: 3.Nc3 Bb4 | 245 | 105 | 127 | 13 | 42.9% |
| English Opening: Closed, Taimanov Variation | 239 | 123 | 100 | 16 | 51.5% |
| Amazon Attack | 201 | 93 | 96 | 12 | 46.3% |
| English Opening: Mikenas-Carls Variation | 196 | 108 | 81 | 7 | 55.1% |
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modern Defense: Pterodactyl Variation | 746 | 356 | 330 | 60 | 47.7% |
| English Opening: Anglo-Grünfeld Defense | 543 | 282 | 217 | 44 | 51.9% |
| English Opening: Closed, Taimanov Variation | 539 | 276 | 223 | 40 | 51.2% |
| English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Botvinnik System | 518 | 264 | 214 | 40 | 51.0% |
| English Opening | 386 | 208 | 149 | 29 | 53.9% |
| English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Fianchetto Variation | 358 | 184 | 143 | 31 | 51.4% |
| Slav Defense | 355 | 185 | 146 | 24 | 52.1% |
| QGD: 3.Nc3 Bb4 | 332 | 163 | 139 | 30 | 49.1% |
| English Opening: Mikenas-Carls Variation | 319 | 156 | 142 | 21 | 48.9% |
| Sicilian Defense: Closed | 306 | 127 | 153 | 26 | 41.5% |
| Daily Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amar Gambit | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 60.0% |
| English Opening: Carls-Bremen System | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Modern Defense: Pterodactyl Variation | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Diemer-Duhm Gambit (DDG): 4...f5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| English Opening: Symmetrical Variation | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| English Opening: King's English Variation | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0% |
| Modern | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0% |
| English Opening | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Australian Defense | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Maróczy Bind, Breyer Variation | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.0% |
| English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Botvinnik System | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.7% |
| English Opening: King's English Variation | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Exchange Variation | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| English Opening | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| English Opening: Mikenas-Carls Variation | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0% |
| Diemer-Duhm Gambit (DDG): 4...f5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| English Opening: Carls-Bremen System | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Fianchetto Line | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 13 | 0 |
| Losing | 14 | 1 |