Johannes Lerch: The Blitz Virtuoso Behind VomDingJetztHer
FIDE Master Johannes Lerch, known online as VomDingJetztHer, has built his reputation in the most unforgiving arena in chess: blitz. With a peak blitz rating of 2549 (2026-01-07) and a bullet ceiling of 2552 (2024-11-23), Lerch plays his best chess when the clock is loud and the margin for error is razor thin.
Style and Signature Openings
Lerch is a natural 1.e4 player with a fearless appetite for unusual lines. His opening repertoire is a blend of classical solidity and offbeat fun.
- Caro-Kann Defense: his blitz safety net, with 16 wins in 25 games.
- Amar Gambit: a chaos weapon used 21 times in blitz and 35 times in bullet.
- Rhamphorhynchus Variation: a perfect 7-0 in blitz, making it one of his deadliest secret weapons.
- Closed Sicilian Defense: a 72.7% win rate when he gets it as White.
The French Defense has also been a reliable friend, especially the Classical Svenonius Variation on the black side, where he has won 7 of 11 blitz games.
Opening Report
A visual look at his blitz opening results shows where the FIDE Master draws his edge.
There are a few danger zones too. The Barnes Defense has produced only an 18.2% win rate in blitz, while the French Exchange Variation sits at 36.4%. Even so, Lerch does not stay down for long. His comeback rate is 85.85%, and he wins 51.6% of games even after losing a piece.
Rivalries and Resilience
No opponent has faced Lerch more than EinPassaaaaaaant. Across 134 online encounters, Lerch holds the upper hand with 71 wins, but their rivalry has also produced 47 losses and 16 draws, making it a genuine long running duel rather than a one-sided grind.
Two other names give Lerch nightmares. sodramas has beaten him all three times they have played, and leo03 has done the same. If Lerch is a nightmare for the rest of the server, these two are his personal alarm clocks.
The Numbers Behind the Streak
Lerch's blitz ledger shows 178 wins, 132 losses and 33 draws. He has strung together 14 consecutive wins at his best, and his longest losing streak stopped at six. He is especially dangerous against lower rated opposition, winning 60.4% of those games, and he is nearly unbeatable in the early morning: his win rate at 07:00 is 100%. If you see VomDingJetztHer online before breakfast, you may want to find another lobby.