Fritz 20 and the 4 Player Types standard model - Analysis of Paehtz vs. the ‘Bull’

by ChessBase
8/19/2025 – Karsten Müller and Arne Kähler use Fritz 20 to compare game analysis with the 4 Player Types standard model. Using a game by Elisabeth Pähtz against the ‘Bull,’ they explain the strategic mistakes of an Active player and how other player types (Reflectors, Theorists, Pragmatists) would have avoided them. In conclusion, they emphasize that Fritz 20 with its player type model offers a valuable training opportunity to specifically prepare for opponents with a certain style – even for Freestyle Chess events.
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Fritz 20 and the 4 Player Types standard model - Analysis of Paehtz vs. the ‘Bull’

  • 0:00 – Intro: Four player type model in Fritz 20 & its background
  • 1:16 – Origins: From HR science to chess (Hansen → Mueller → ChessBase DVDs)
  • 3:46 – Elisabeth Pähtz (White) vs. “The Bull” (Activist, Dutch Defense)
  • 5:36 – First critical mistake: Bishop d7?! (typical activist error)
  • 9:22 – Decisive moment: Reflector’s knight c4 vs. activist blunders
  • 12:09 – Catastrophic activist mistake (weakening king, bishop takes h6)
  • 15:00 – Winning sequence: Elisabeth converts with intuitive attacking play
  • 17:30 – Wrap-up: Lessons from player types & Fritz 20 training for prep and freestyle

Playing styles in chess are an important and thus often discussed topic. GM Dr. Karsten Müller and GM Luis Engel take up a model by GM Lars Bo Hansen based on 4 player types - namely ‘activists’, ‘pragmatics’, ‘theoreticians’ and so-called ‘reflectors’.

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