Prepare against Alexander Onischuk
GM · United States · World #79 classical · FIDE ID 14101025
When preparing against Alexander Onischuk, expect 1.d4 in 68% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (92% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (81%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Catalan as Black, 17.0% over 53 games.
Our database contains 1,689 games by Alexander Onischuk, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Alexander Onischuk's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Alexander Onischuk 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 | 2,639 | 2,701 | Jul 2010 |
| Rapid | 2,617 | 2,693 | Nov 2022 |
| Blitz | 2,629 | 2,662 | Sep 2015 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,689 | 618 | 810 | 261 | 36.6% |
| As White | 847 | 365 | 385 | 97 | 43.1% |
| As Black | 842 | 253 | 425 | 164 | 30.0% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Alexander Onischuk's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Alexander Onischuk's side.
First moves as White (847 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 575 | 67.9% | 65.9% |
| e4 | 131 | 15.5% | 64.5% |
| c4 | 123 | 14.5% | 67.5% |
| Nf3 | 17 | 2.0% | 61.8% |
| f4 | 1 | 0.1% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 68% of White games, 65.9% score
- …Nf6 (57% of these games) — Onischuk usually continues c4 (65.8% score)
- …d5 (33% of these games) — Onischuk usually continues c4 (65.8% score)
- …e6 (5% of these games) — Onischuk usually continues c4 (61.1% score)
- 1.e4 — 15% of White games, 64.5% score
- …c5 (44% of these games) — Onischuk usually continues Nf3 (62.5% score)
- …e5 (23% of these games) — Onischuk usually continues Nf3 (63.3% score)
- …c6 (11% of these games) — Onischuk usually continues c4 (57.7% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (405 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 374 | 92.3% | 54.1% |
| Nf6 | 15 | 3.7% | 60.0% |
| c5 | 8 | 2.0% | 68.8% |
| c6 | 6 | 1.5% | 91.7% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
| e6 | 1 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (319 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 257 | 80.6% | 54.7% |
| f5 | 34 | 10.7% | 58.8% |
| d5 | 28 | 8.8% | 57.1% |
Alexander Onischuk's chess games
All 1,689 games by Alexander Onischuk in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Sep 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: 618 wins, 810 draws, 261 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D46 | Slav Defense | 131 | 53/68/10 | 40.5% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 65 | 25/35/5 | 38.5% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 47 | 16/24/7 | 34.0% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 41 | 16/23/2 | 39.0% |
| E92 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 40 | 20/17/3 | 50.0% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 37 | 15/17/5 | 40.5% |
| A13 | English Opening | 33 | 13/10/10 | 39.4% |
| A28 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 30 | 16/12/2 | 53.3% |
| E42 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 30 | 15/12/3 | 50.0% |
| B57 | Sicilian | 25 | 13/9/3 | 52.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 104 | 28/57/19 | 26.9% |
| C88 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 84 | 16/52/16 | 19.0% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 74 | 17/48/9 | 23.0% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 57 | 18/27/12 | 31.6% |
| A87 | Dutch Defense | 55 | 20/26/9 | 36.4% |
| E05 | Catalan | 53 | 9/31/13 | 17.0% |
| C55 | Italian Game | 36 | 13/16/7 | 36.1% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 35 | 7/17/11 | 20.0% |
| C45 | Scotch Game | 34 | 9/18/7 | 26.5% |
| E46 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 25 | 8/12/5 | 32.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2017 | Hikaru Nakamura | 2,793 | ch-USA | D36 |
| Sep 2015 | Sergey Karjakin | 2,762 | FIDE World Cup | E15 |
| Oct 2015 | Evgeny Tomashevsky | 2,758 | Wch Rapid | A84 |
| Sep 2017 | Radoslaw Wojtaszek | 2,745 | FIDE World Cup | D35 |
| Jun 2009 | Alexei Shirov | 2,745 | 10th Poikovsky Karpov | D46 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-USA | 2018 | 118 | 70.5 | 2,680 |
| FIDE World Cup | 2021 | 46 | 23 | 2,660 |
| Corus B | 2005 | 24 | 15.5 | 2,645 |
| Dortmund Open A | 1993 | 21 | 14 | 2,539 |
| ch-Moscow blitz 69th | 2015 | 19 | 9.5 | 2,606 |
| Biel GM | 2007 | 19 | 11.5 | 2,714 |
| Hoogovens | 1997 | 17 | 10.5 | 2,711 |
| New York Open | 1998 | 16 | 12 | 2,708 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Victor Bologan (21 games) · Varuzhan Akobian (19 games) · Alexei Shirov (16 games) · Gata Kamsky (12 games) · Vladimir Akopian (12 games) · Magnus Carlsen (11 games) · Aleksey Dreev (11 games) · Sam Shankland (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,689 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Alexander Onischuk's chess games?
1,689 games by Alexander Onischuk, from Apr 2003 to Sep 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 Alexander Onischuk has played.
What does Alexander Onischuk play on the first move as White?
Across 847 games with White in our database, Alexander Onischuk opens with 1.d4 (68% of games), 1.e4 (15% of games), 1.c4 (15% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Alexander Onischuk answers 1...e5 (92% of games), 1...Nf6 (4% of games), 1...c5 (2% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (81% of games), 1...f5 (11% of games), 1...d5 (9% of games).
What openings does Alexander Onischuk play as White?
As White, Alexander Onischuk's most-played openings in our database are: Slav Defense (131 games, 40.5% win rate); Indian Defense (65 games, 38.5% win rate); Grünfeld Defense (47 games, 34.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 847 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Alexander Onischuk play as Black?
As Black, Alexander Onischuk most often plays: Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense (104 games, 26.9% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Closed (84 games, 19.0% win rate); Indian Defense (74 games, 23.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 842 games.
What is Alexander Onischuk's FIDE rating?
Alexander Onischuk is currently rated 2,639 in classical chess, 2,617 in rapid and 2,629 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,701 (Jul 2010).
How many games has Alexander Onischuk played?
Our database contains 1,689 games by Alexander Onischuk, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 618 wins, 810 draws, 261 losses (36.6% win rate).
How do I prepare against Alexander Onischuk?
1,689 games by Alexander Onischuk 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.