Prepare against Alexei Shirov
GM · Spain · World #152 classical · FIDE ID 2209390
Our database contains 6,225 games by Alexei Shirov, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Alexei Shirov's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Alexei Shirov before a game. You can open the same data in the free interactive preparation workstation, which builds a move-by-move opening tree from every game.
Ratings
| Time control | Current | Peak | Peak date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classical | 2,601 | 2,755 | Jan 2008 |
| Rapid | 2,622 | 2,743 | Apr 2014 |
| Blitz | 2,616 | 2,715 | Jul 2013 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 6,225 | 2,981 | 2,109 | 1,135 | 47.9% |
| As White | 3,198 | 1,751 | 974 | 473 | 54.8% |
| As Black | 3,027 | 1,230 | 1,135 | 662 | 40.6% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Alexei Shirov's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Alexei Shirov's side.
First moves as White (3,198 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 2,540 | 79.4% | 69.8% |
| d4 | 622 | 19.4% | 71.0% |
| Nf3 | 26 | 0.8% | 67.3% |
| c4 | 8 | 0.3% | 56.3% |
| e3 | 1 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| a4 | 1 | 0.0% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 79% of White games, 69.8% score
- …c5 (39% of these games) — Shirov usually continues Nf3 (70.8% score)
- …e5 (31% of these games) — Shirov usually continues Nf3 (66.4% score)
- …e6 (12% of these games) — Shirov usually continues d4 (72.3% score)
- 1.d4 — 19% of White games, 71.0% score
- …Nf6 (61% of these games) — Shirov usually continues c4 (67.7% score)
- …d5 (29% of these games) — Shirov usually continues c4 (78.3% score)
- …e6 (5% of these games) — Shirov usually continues c4 (65.6% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (1,361 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 703 | 51.7% | 59.4% |
| c5 | 463 | 34.0% | 59.3% |
| e6 | 146 | 10.7% | 64.0% |
| g6 | 36 | 2.6% | 54.2% |
| c6 | 6 | 0.4% | 66.7% |
| d5 | 2 | 0.1% | 75.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (1,108 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 804 | 72.6% | 59.2% |
| Nf6 | 302 | 27.3% | 56.0% |
| e6 | 1 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
| g6 | 1 | 0.1% | 50.0% |
Alexei Shirov's chess games
All 6,225 games by Alexei Shirov in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Aug 2026) are free to browse, search and replay: filter by opening, opponent, event or date on the player page, or step through any game on the analysis board. Record: 2,981 wins, 2,109 draws, 1,135 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B41 | Sicilian | 294 | 173/78/43 | 58.8% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 280 | 147/79/54 | 52.5% |
| C88 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 223 | 109/93/21 | 48.9% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 218 | 129/45/44 | 59.2% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 168 | 110/29/29 | 65.5% |
| C67 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 139 | 56/63/20 | 40.3% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 127 | 54/57/16 | 42.5% |
| D17 | Slav Defense | 94 | 56/30/8 | 59.6% |
| B48 | Sicilian: Taimanov | 84 | 51/23/10 | 60.7% |
| E97 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 78 | 43/25/10 | 55.1% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D46 | Slav Defense | 658 | 255/269/134 | 38.8% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 225 | 96/78/51 | 42.7% |
| B66 | Sicilian | 159 | 69/54/36 | 43.4% |
| D43 | Semi-Slav Defense | 86 | 36/30/20 | 41.9% |
| C54 | Italian Game | 82 | 47/16/19 | 57.3% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 77 | 27/29/21 | 35.1% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 74 | 19/39/16 | 25.7% |
| D78 | Indian Defense | 71 | 20/39/12 | 28.2% |
| A16 | English Opening | 69 | 19/35/15 | 27.5% |
| D02 | London System | 68 | 42/5/21 | 61.8% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2002 | Vladimir Kramnik | 2,809 | 11th Amber Rapid | D44 |
| May 2024 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,805 | Titled Tue Late | B41 |
| Jun 2001 | Viswanathan Anand | 2,794 | Leon Man+Comp | B90 |
| Feb 2016 | Levon Aronian | 2,792 | 5th Zuerich Opening Blitz | A11 |
| Nov 2008 | Veselin Topalov | 2,791 | Olympiad-38 | B12 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 1,281 | 872 | 2,525 |
| Corus | 2010 | 65 | 33 | 2,715 |
| FIDE-Wch k.o. | 2001 | 59 | 33 | 2,704 |
| FIDE World Cup | 2021 | 55 | 34.5 | 2,734 |
| ch-EU rapid | 2016 | 46 | 36.5 | 2,693 |
| Hoogovens | 1999 | 45 | 24 | 2,682 |
| chT-ESP CECLUB Honor | 2023 | 44 | 22 | 2,650 |
| Wch Rapid | 2021 | 42 | 24 | 2,698 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Viswanathan Anand (96 games) · Vasyl Ivanchuk (92 games) · Boris Gelfand (75 games) · Veselin Topalov (72 games) · Peter Leko (52 games) · Michael Adams (51 games) · Loek Van Wely (48 games) · Gata Kamsky (39 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 6,225 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Alexei Shirov's chess games?
6,225 games by Alexei Shirov, from Apr 2003 to Aug 2026, are free to browse and replay move by move — no signup needed. The preparation view groups them into an opening tree showing every line Alexei Shirov has played.
What does Alexei Shirov play on the first move as White?
Across 3,198 games with White in our database, Alexei Shirov opens with 1.e4 (79% of games), 1.d4 (19% of games), 1.Nf3 (1% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Alexei Shirov answers 1...e5 (52% of games), 1...c5 (34% of games), 1...e6 (11% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d5 (73% of games), 1...Nf6 (27% of games), 1...e6 (0% of games).
What openings does Alexei Shirov play as White?
As White, Alexei Shirov's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (294 games, 58.8% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (280 games, 52.5% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Closed (223 games, 48.9% win rate). The full breakdown of 3,198 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Alexei Shirov play as Black?
As Black, Alexei Shirov most often plays: Slav Defense (658 games, 38.8% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense (225 games, 42.7% win rate); Sicilian (159 games, 43.4% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 3,027 games.
What is Alexei Shirov's FIDE rating?
Alexei Shirov is currently rated 2,601 in classical chess, 2,622 in rapid and 2,616 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,755 (Jan 2008).
How many games has Alexei Shirov played?
Our database contains 6,225 games by Alexei Shirov, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 2,981 wins, 2,109 draws, 1,135 losses (47.9% win rate).
How do I prepare against Alexei Shirov?
6,225 games by Alexei Shirov reveal their opening repertoire, most-played lines, and the variations where they score worst — the raw material for targeted preparation. The interactive opening tree lets you walk every line to any depth.